A policy memo to president Trump
It’s January 2021 and another presidential inauguration just completed. President Biden won a bruising campaign in which domestic issues—pandemic response, the stagnant economy—were key. But focus now shifts to foreign policy, and Biden is confused by his feuding advisers. Secretary of State Warren is arguing with Defense Secretary Buttigieg, while Treasury Security Sanders is fighting with National Security Adviser Klobuchar.
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You have been brought in to help right the ship, with responsibility for Strategic Security and Technology. This means that your duty is not to advise the President on immediate foreign-policy crises, but rather to recommend medium- and long-term policies at the intersection of science, strategy, and security. The high-technology military of the future will be very expensive, and some programs must have priority over others. The high-tech programs of the future may also be highly effective—but could be extremely destabilizing as well. In short, we cannot and should not do everything.
The President has asked for a concise memo (8-10 pages, dbl.-spaced) that lays out the issues and advises him on alternatives. Some focus on the Navy, debating programs from high-value carriers and submarines to stealthy autonomous platforms. Some focus on airpower, from tactical fighters to space-based directed-energy weapons. Some see enhanced security in traditional deterrence and stability, while others believe that our technology can be exploited to create more active defenses—including cyber—and eliminate dangers before they threaten the US. Some see security in technological dominance; others fear budgetary and ethical compromises for little benefit.
Guidelines: Your memo to President Trump must begin with an Executive Summary which contains your main arguments in several concise sentences. This will be followed by four sections: How Science is Changing Armed Conflict ; Military-Technological Breakthroughs of the Future ; The Costs and Benefits of Different Strategic Priorities ; Recommendations for Enhancing US Security
As the section titles indicate, you will move from more general background on technological change to more specific points on current issues. Your arguments in sections 3 (Costs and Benefits) and 4 (Recommendations) must reference real-world challenges such as North Korea, Iran, proliferation, cyber, climate change, etc.—whichever are relevant to your recommendations. You should also include some (c. 8-10) citations (author, title, publication, page number) to key sources. These should primarily be course readings, including those from the additional readings for presentation—look back at those on Blackboard—although there is nothing wrong with also including some to other articles, books, and internet sites if credible and useful for context.
