Follow the instructions to draft a 1 to 2-page memo based on the given prompts. Once you have finished the assignment, grade yourself according to the grading rubric that follows the instructions.
Each of the prompts below outlines a hypothetical scenario requiring a policy response. Pick one of the two prompts below, and create a 1-2 page memo responding to the prompt of your choosing. Marshall what you have learned in this unit to outline a plan of action and to describe the justification for that plan. Please review the tips for composition and the self-grading rubric listed below before you begin.
1. Imagine you are the national security advisor to the chief executive of a constitutional democracy that has constitutional requirements of due legal process in capital punishment. You have received reliable intelligence that there will be an attack by a non-state actor (criminal organization, domestic or foreign terrorist organization, or a lone-wolf) on a major city in your country. Write a memo advising the chief executive with respect to using or not using lethal military force. Make sure to address the way one should weigh the cost of taking one or more human lives versus the value of saving others. Also, make sure to address the cost of acting contrary to the values of your legal system by circumventing the legal process.
2. Imagine you are the secretary of state for a constitutional democracy that actively tries to promote constitutional democracy abroad. A repressive autocracy with a history of human rights violations has proposed a trade-pact that will benefit both of your economies. Write a memo advising the major players in your government to accept or reject the pact. Speak to the trade-offs between promoting economic development for your country and strengthening a repressive regime
Assign yourself a letter-grade for each of the above sections. Translate those letter grades into numbers according to the following scale:
To calculate your final grade, use the following formula:
(percent for argument x 0.5) + (percent for source use x 0.25) + (percent for unit treatment x 0.25) =
Grade Assignment
For example: If you gave yourself an A- for argument (90%), B for source use (85%), and B for unit treatment (85%), calculate your grade as:
(90 x 0.5) + (85 x 0.25) + (85 x 0.25) = (45) + (21.25) + (21.25) = 87.5%