Summer (1st Session) 2009 Course Description

Advanced Topics in Public Policy

Description: Overview: The Department of Defense is a large, complex, and highly consequential enterprise: it spends more than $400 billion annually and employs more than three million people, and its activities have huge domestic and international ramifications. Because of the length of time needed to train leaders, develop new doctrines and acquire new equipment, DoD also plans far ahead.

This graduate level seminar focuses on the processes by which national security strategy is translated into defense programs. The goals of the courts are to (a) enable graduates who take defense-related jobs to orient themselves inside the national security establishment, whether they are working in the Pentagon, at OMB or on Congressional staff; and (b) to use the Department of Defense (DoD) as an example of the way in which policies are developed and implemented.

Course Outline: The course will follow a logical progression from the articulation of national security strategy through decisions about DoD organization and resources. Because most students probably will not be familiar with the military, the seminar will begin with an overview of military terms and organizing principles. Students will read some of the basic documents that shape defense policy, e.g., the President’s National Security Strategy and the Secretary’s Quadriennial Defense Review. The course will be divided into several parts.

1. The basics. Organization, rank structure, the difference between war fighters and resource providers.
2. National security strategy. Who writes it, what influences it.
3. National military strategy. Threat-based versus capability-based approaches.
Budgeting for defense. Who writes the guidance, who develops the numbers, who sits at the table, and who makes the decisions.
4. Human resources. Recruitment, training, pay and benefits; the tradeoff between civilian and military personnel; controversies over who should serve in the all volunteer force.
5. Preparing for the future. Anticipating threats, redefining roles and missions.

1. Class attendance and participation – 20%
2. Two memos (2 – 4 pages) – 20%
3. Mid-term examination – 30%
4. Research paper or book review (10 – 20 pages) – 30%

Return to Summer (1st Session) 2009 Course Schedule