North Korea Hydrogen Bomb
The current issue interfering with the American national security is the North Korea nuclear program. The US is not currently able to estimate the actual danger of the program. In the last five years, several sanctions have been placed by the US and they seem not to work (Kim and Cohen 34). Specifically, the current threat is the North Korea’s supposed successful testing of a Hydrogen bomb.
Competing Solutions to the Problem
The two main remedies to safeguard the US national security through denuclearization of North Korea would be direct military intervention and diplomatic negotiations (Kim and Cohen 34). In the last few years, North Korea has issued threats to the United States of a nuclear attack at the slightest provocation (Kim 22). Specifically, the Kim Jong-Un’s administration has made it clear that they are capable of causing maximum damage to any enemy with their modernized hydrogen bombs. Should North Korea execute this threat, it is likely to destroy the US power grid and eventually compromise the national security (Kim and Cohen 28). In addition, it may weaken the current defense mechanisms in place to fight external terror.
Preferable Solution
The preferred solution is diplomatic negotiation since it would avoid direct confrontation, which may be very costly to either of the parties (Kim and Cohen 45). In the recent past, the North Korean administration has displayed a good will to meet with the current US administration in May. Effective involvement of diplomats during this upcoming meeting would guarantee a middle ground deal that could denuclearize North Korea (Kim and Cohen 48).
Responsibilities of Each Level of Government (Federal, State, and Local)
As part of the federal government, the congress can make relevant laws on foreign policy to deal with the North Korean problem. The legislative arm should ascent to these laws and be proactive in its approach to optimize the outcome of the May meeting with the North Korean administration. The judicial arm should then endorse these laws as part of the goodwill (Wilson et al. 33). The states in the US could contribute to the negotiation table through the nomination of different diplomatic experts. The local level of government could endorse the activities of federal and state levels to ensure that there is maximum public support of the negotiation initiative. For instance, the local government could introduce public participation meetings for the citizens of the US to endorse the negotiation process (Wilson et al. 35).
Responsibilities of the three Branches of Federal Government
The three arms of the federal government are the legislative, executive, and judicial. In the proposed diplomatic negotiation to end the stalemate with North Korea, the congress may amend the current laws or create new relevant legislations as part of the US foreign policy on national security (Wilson et al. 18). The executive branch has the responsibility of assenting to such laws and appointing relevant personnel to spearhead negotiations (Wilson et al. 19). In the current situation, the POTUS will be actively involved in direct negotiation with the North Korean administration. Lastly, the judicial arm of the federal government is mandated with the duty of endorsing the laws as constitutional to give the proposed policy a public approval. This means that the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, should declare the laws governing the negations with North Korea as constitutional (Wilson et al. 21).
Works Cited
Kim, Jina. The North Korean Nuclear Weapons Crisis: The Nuclear Taboo Revisited? Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Kim, Sung, and Michael Cohen, editors. North Korea and Nuclear Weapons: Entering the New Era of Deterrence. Georgetown University Press, 2017.
Wilson, James, et al. American Government: Institutions and Policies. 16th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.