Course: Public Policy Peace Operations – THE INTERAGENCY PROCESS
Course Overview:
This course examines the U.S. Interagency process as it relates to peace operations. The various departments and agencies maintaining equities in overseas missions will be identified and explored. Case studies will highlight instances of success or failure in application of a “whole-of-government” approach to intervention. Finally, we summarize the most significant problems hampering interagency cooperation today and recent policy directives, frameworks, and initiatives developed to address this situation.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and discuss the different U.S. Government departments and agencies which have traditionally been involved in international intervention since the 1800s. They will be conversant in examples where we have succeeded or failed to apply a “whole-of-government” approach to overseas contingencies. Further, students will be able to identify and discuss seminal policy directives, frameworks, and initiatives developed to overcome problems that continue to plague effective Interagency collaboration.
Case Study Assignment:
Paper Requirements
– Your assignment is to explore and analyze a specific topic of your choosing (In this case U.S. Immigration and Guatemala), related to the interagency process as it relates to peace operations. This case study will highlight instances of success or failure in application of a “whole-of-government” approach to intervention. Your objective is to present a thesis, supporting your analysis and argument with your own prior knowledge, knowledge obtained through class discussions, assigned readings as well as knowledge obtained through outside research.
– you may use any resource available to you however the bulk of your sources for analysis should be primary sources, academic sources, scholarly journals, journal articles, books. Other sections of your paper may be found through Internet sources, newspapers, or journals, academic publications, government publications etc., ( Not older than 5-10yrs) and as long as it is properly acknowledged and cited appropriately. In all sections, the CIA World Fact Book and encyclopedias (including Wikipedia) are not considered appropriate resources.
Instructions for this order:
1) For this order you are to write a 12 page research paper to explore and analyze a specific topic such as youth immigrants from Honduras migrating to the U.S. and relating it to U.S. immigration policy/laws. How does this issue effect the interagency process?
2) Your case study should be focused on Guatemala. Specifically looking at youth immigrants migrating to the U.S. Why are teens inclined to join “mara” groups within the U.S. and/or Guatemala. Also how immigration policies/laws in the U.S. come into play when dealing with this issue/conflict.
3) You MUST also look at some of the causes and effects in terms of what is being done about the underlying issues by conducting further analytical research and focusing on one specific Non-government (NGO) organization that deals with these young migrants in the U.S. directly. The NGO you choose to analyze MUST be an organization that aids these young migrants to succeed once they arrive into the U.S.
4) Analyze and elaborate positive and negative aspects of immigration. For example, what does the U.S. gain and/or lose when these immigrants migrate to the U.S. and become part of society in the U.S. Also, what does Guatemala gain and/or lose when these young adults migrate to the U.S.
5) Choose a specific NGO who deals with these young immigrants in the U.S. Especially one who deals with troubled young adults who get out of gangs, violence, drugs, jail, but then turn their lives around and become success stories due to the guidance programs the NGO provides to these members. ***Your goal here is to put a face to your case study from a humanitarian point of view. There are many examples of success stories of troubled Guatemalan immigrants who came to the U.S. and became success stories by obtaining a job, going to school, obtaining an education, and currently work for the U.S. government.
6) Is immigration from Guatemala good or bad? Should the US change its immigration laws? If so, what should they be?
7) Finally, Your paper should include a recommendations section as well as a conclusion.
8) Provide an appropriate Title to your case study around the topic
9) Your case study Must provide a clear thesis statement of the topic
10) Stay within course related concepts See attached course weekly discussion content and class notes for further details on what needs to be integrated in your paper
11) You MUST Use headings to indicate different areas you are analyzing/arguing in your research paper and clearly indicate what the thesis for your paper is.
12) It is important that you incorporate course methodology and concept understanding. (See attached “Course lectures” and other reading materials related to the course lectures)- in order to for you to understand the content of the course. Make sure to use key points/concepts. Substance within the paper is important.
The structure of the paper should be similar to the following;
Background – not too much on the background. The goal here is to have a neat and concise summary. The shorter the better. Focus on
Key facts.(don’t drag it out) –should not be longer than 1page maximum
Issues & Analysis – This should be bulk of the research paper
Recommendations – This is also the bulk of the paper- have clear recommendations and clearly state which you are recommending. (Remember that your recommendations are based on the issues and therefore it needs to make sense and needs to be concise in explanation.
Conclusion:
Use headers to identify each section. Highlight the thesis of the paper
– Structure your paper around the thesis and your topic as explained above.
– When you talk about roles and responsibilities (for example if you say someone is mentoring), really make sure that you explain what that entails.
– Also identify what some challenges may be, as well as what it would take to turn the situation on a different level. For example, education.
– When you make a recommendation, think of why and then elaborate.
– This paper is a public policy focus writing paper, which means that it is important to only draw out the most important things and not spend too much time in going around in circles to get to a point.