By Grant Golub, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The current structures of U.S. national security policymaking have allowed the National Security Council (NSC) to dominate American foreign policy. An organization originally designed to coordinate and integrate foreign and defense policy has quietly grown into the most powerful component of the U.S. national security apparatus. The […]
Tag: Marcellus Policy Analysis
U.S. Strategy in the Sahel: Toward a Human Security-Centered Approach (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Nani Detti, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States’s current counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel is ineffective and is contributing to the destabilization of the region. Despite pouring billions of dollars into security assistance and counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, the U.S. has failed to help Sahel governments address the growing security threats […]
The Case for a “Green BRAC” (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Nick Cleveland-Stout, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow There are several reasons to support another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). BRAC increases savings. Though there are overhead costs, the previous 5 rounds of BRAC combined save around $13 billion annually. BRAC also reduces the excess capacity of the military. The Department of Defense […]
A New Framework for U.S. Policy in the Sahel (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By John Ramming Chappell, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow American foreign policy in the Sahel has not worked. Counterterrorism has predominated the U.S. approach to the region since 2001, resulting in a policy focused on security assistance and military cooperation. However, the influence of Salafi-jihadist groups in the region has markedly increased, civilian fatalities have […]
Paving the Way for Peace: U.S. Restraint on the Korean Peninsula (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Daniel Baxter, Fall 2020 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States’s military presence in South Korea has outlasted its historical mission and strategic purpose. In the 70 years since the beginning of the Korean War, South Korea has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries on Earth to a $1.5 trillion economic powerhouse. South […]
Why America Should Return to the Powell Doctrine (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
The Powell Doctrine offers a series of criteria that can guide the U.S. to a more restrained foreign policy that will yield better results in future conflicts. Historically, when the criteria have been considered – regardless of whether policymakers knew that they were part of the Powell Doctrine the U.S. was able to avoid quagmires […]
A Smarter Social Media Strategy for the Middle East (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Thomas Brodey, Fall 2020 Marcellus Policy Fellow The past twenty years have shown that the United States’ attempt to destroy Middle Eastern terrorist groups through force is economically unsustainable and militarily inconclusive. Clearly, the United States should give alternative methods of curbing terrorism a serious look. One of the most promising of these alternative […]
A Better Reset: How to Improve U.S.-Russian Relations (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Matthew Mai, Fall 2020 Marcellus Policy Fellow Relations between the United States and Russia are at a post-Cold War low. The enlargement of the NATO alliance to include former Soviet bloc countries has precipitated Russian military interventions in Georgia and Ukraine that have led to tense diplomatic crises. These interventions, motivated by a fear […]
Managing Iran’s Proxies: A Path to De-escalation (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Geoff LaMear, Fall 2020 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States faces the threat of rocket and IED attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Rather than double down on failed deterrence strategies, the United States should withdraw all military forces from Iraq. With fewer potential targets, there are fewer chances for attacks targeting American personnel. […]
Revisiting the U.S.-Philippine Alliance (Marcellus Policy Analysis)
By Daniel Remler, Fall 2020 Marcellus Policy Fellow The U.S.-Philippine alliance must be changed to keep up with changes in the strategic environment in Asia. The alliance was first forged in the context of the Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union, before being redefined in the 1990s and 2000s as part of the Global […]