Beyond Carrots and Sticks: An Analysis of U.S. Approaches to Counterterrorism From 2000-2016

Soft power, a concept developed and presented by Joseph Nye in 1990, has quickly become a critical concept in U.S. foreign policy. Scholars and practitioners discuss the utility or futility of soft power. Theorists rank countries by their use of effective soft power against one another. Critically lacking in the discussion, however, is an analysis of how one country’s use of soft power changes, or remains the same, over time. Counterterrorism policy has been a focus of U.S. foreign policy since 9/11, and while there is a robust discussion on effectiveness of various policies and strategies, scholars have routinely failed to analyze the components of approaches over time. This study analyzes how the U.S. used soft power and hard power to combat terrorism from 2000-2016. This research analyzes the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama in their preferences for hard and soft power approaches in their ideas, plans, and actions. Using a set of indicators against a research body of memoirs, budget levels, data on attacks, speeches, policies, and immigration data, this study concludes that ultimately counterterrorism policy in the U.S. remained relatively constant in execution despite Obama’s increase in preference for soft power approaches in ideas and plans, as compared to Bush

Theater Ballistic Missile Defense From the Sea

A sense of urgency informs Theater Ballistic Missile Defense from the Sea: Issues for the Maritime Component Commander. Theater ballistic missiles armed with chemical, biological, or nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) will be acquired and deployed by hostile forces in the developing world, posing an imminent threat to the us. and coalition forces that must operate in that world. The gravity of this evolving threat is recognized in our national military strategy.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-newport-papers/1012/thumbnail.jp

Distinguishing Acts of War in Cyberspace: Assessment Criteria, Policy Considerations, and Response Implications

View the Executive SummaryDetermining an act of war in the traditional domains of land, sea, and air often involves sophisticated interactions of many factors that may be outside the control of the parties involved. This monograph seeks to provide senior policymakers, decisionmakers, military leaders, and their respective staffs with essential background on this topic as well as introduce an analytical framework for them to utilize according to their needs. It develops this theme in four major sections. First, it presents the characterization of cyberspace to establish terms for broader dialogue as well as to identify unique technical challenges that the cyberspace domain may introduce into the process of distinguishing acts of war. Second, it explores assessment criteria involved with assaying cyber incidents to determine if they represent aggression and possible use of force; and if so, to what degree? Third, it looks at the policy considerations associated with applying such criteria by examining relevant U.S. strategies as well as the strategies of other key countries and international organizations, and considers how nonstate actors may affect U.S. deliberations. Fourth, it examines the influences that course of action development and implementation may have on the assessment of cyberspace incidents, such as reliable situational awareness, global and domestic environment considerations, and options and their related risks and potential consequences. It argues that the United States must also expect and accept that other nations may reasonably apply the criteria we develop to our own actions in cyberspace.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1481/thumbnail.jp