The major written assignment for this course is a Security Policy Brief (minimum

The major written assignment for this course is a Security Policy Brief (minimum 4,000
words). While this paper will require a significant amount of independent research, it is
not to be written as a typical research paper. Instead, the emphasis is on being concise
and precise in your analysis of a security challenge, and on providing practical, feasible
policy recommendations. You are to imagine yourself in the role of a mid-level staff
member of the U.S. National Security Council (which advises the President on all
security-related matters). Your Policy Brief should be addressed to the National Security
Advisor, as outlined below (see “Format Instructions”).
Step 2. Gather and Analyze Research on that Topic
Collect and read some good quality research (books, peer-reviewed journal articles,
government reports, etc.) about the topic you have chosen. Please note, there are a lot
of quality resources available to you in the CRIM.5750 course website, but these should
just serve as a starting point. You have nearly the entire semester (3 months) to find and
read additional quality reference sources on which to base your Policy Brief. Remember,
you need to convey an authoritative understanding of the security issue you have chosen
for your brief – and keep in mind the National Security Advisory may already know a lot
more than you do about it. If you don’t impress the White House with the quality of your
analysis, they will surely ignore your recommendations.
Step 3. Format the Policy Brief Appropriately for Your Audience
1) Include an informative title, your name and date at the top of p. 1
2) Address the Policy Brief to the National Security Advisor (though it’s understood
that several other senior White House personnel will also read this)
3) Provide a 1-paragraph introduction and summary, along the lines of “This Policy
Brief addresses the threat to U.S. national security posed by …”
4) Provide your analysis of the topic you have chosen, in the most concise yet
compelling way possible. Use either footnote references (bottom of the page) or
endnote references (end of the document) to support your discussion. Graphs,
data tables, or other visual enhancements are welcome, but only a few.
5) Provide a small handful of feasible and logical policy recommendations (bullet
points are fine, but they must be complete sentences). This is often the most critical
part of your policy brief, as the White House senior staff may simply skip over
everything else and go right to the part where you are suggesting a course of
action. Be compelling here, and they will likely want to go back and read the
analysis and other parts they skipped over earlier.
6) Conclude with a 1-2 paragraph summary of how your recommendations will
directly address the security challenge you have described.
Security Brief Topic: Drugs being smuggled into the USA from the Sinaloa Cartel. Needs to focus on Security Threat and not health impacts