• 1. What is the strategic policy dilemma/issue you have identified, and how and why does it matter to the US position in the world?
• 2. What US national interests are at stake in the issue?
o For example, what are the most important national power dimensions at stake in the issue, driving its strategic value, and how might they be affected by any decision option?
• 3. Provide relevant, concise background and analysis on the strategic policy dilemma/issue, which flushes out the main points you made addressing the first two questions.
o For example, explain key trends and drivers that are causing the dilemma/issue to rise in strategic significance to the US.
• 4. Identify at least three possible and distinct strategic policy options (the “major strategic alternative courses of action” as Allison et al. defined them).
o For each option, briefly identify benefits (pros), costs (cons), and associated risks.
o With each of these, you are also to explore the power dimensions or other capabilities that would be used to achieve the policy end (which ways and means are needed to achieve the option’s end?).
• 5. Briefly compare and contrast the policy options, and then select your preferred one to recommend to the National Security Advisor.
o You must reliably present and critique the other valid options, along the lines of the Strategic Options Memoranda guides.
o Why is your recommended option the best (e.g., how does its use of some national power dimensions/capabilities to achieve the desired policy object provide the most gain to the national interest at lesser acceptable cost and risk?)?
• 6. Finally, summarize how your policy option’s success or failure might be demonstrated, or proven.
o What can we look at to see if the policy is succeeding or not?
o In this summation area, please also reflect on the larger subject of the module – does your policy case lead you to conclude the US is better off retrenching or maintaining its expansive position in the world?
