Most Potentially useful Suggestions for Improving the National Security Policymaking Process
Perfect goal setting is a useful suggestion that can aid in improving the policy making process. Goals should be articulated in a clear and concise manner. Clear goals should consider the vital priorities of the people in the country. A deep analysis and selection of the best options should be done to ensure that the government uses the best and the most effective approach towards the policy-making process.
The other vital consideration would be a clear articulation of policy and rationale after the analysis. This refers to the process of making plans, programs and decisions needed in the policy making so as to ensure that the choices made cannot influenced by political malice and prevailing mindsets1.
In addition, effective execution of the process is extremely vital. In most cases, there are problems concerned with breakdowns of communication and organizational issues about politics and media. There is a need to follow an honest way of executing the policymaking process and its implementation2.
Without an effective execution, the goal of the policymaking process can be lost, and the results may become disastrous to the country. In addition, the policy making process should be monitored and appraised as required by law.
There should be standards set to ensure that the process runs smoothly without distractions. There should be no rigidities during implementation, and this enabled by the use of monitoring mechanisms. After finishing the policymaking process, there should be clear feedback loops to assess the results of the policies concerned3.
Another vital way of improving the national security policymaking is creating reliable memory storage and an ability to recall the most vital information. Memory storage ensures that policy makers learn from experiences, and they use the experiences to make the best decisions in every step of policymaking.
For example, a newly elected government can use information from the previous governments’ archives to create a perfect learning ability based on the experiences. The high technological improvement sweeps the world at large in storage of data and information for later retrieval. The above suggestions improve the security policymaking process in the country4.
The least potentially useful suggestions for improving the national security policymaking process
Making the president be in control of the policy making process is not as vital as the above-mentioned suggestions. Policymaking needs control and a president can delegate those duties to a reliable body or person. It is vital to note that the president can lead a country, but that does not mean that he possesses the expertise needed to oversee policy-making process.
In addition, a president usually has many responsibilities such that it becomes difficult to get enough time to oversee the policy making process in an effective way. This is the reason as to why the president does not have to be the one who controls the national security policymaking process.
The only thing that he should do is to ensure that he gives the responsibilities to reliable persons who will oversee the process without external or personal influences. In addition, the president should ensure that resources are utilized in the best way possible to avoid malicious dealings.
The president should also ensure that there exists a system of accountability, so that he can be aware of what those who are in charge do and do not do. Thus, a president does not have to be in charge of the policy making process, he only needs to ensure that he gives the responsibilities to reliable persons5.
Bibliography
Goleman, Daniel. Social intelligence: the new science of human relationships. New York: Bantam Books, 2006.
Hasler, Susan. Intelligence. New York: Thomas Dunne Books-St. Martin’s Press, 2010.
Pfiffner, James P and Mark Phythian. Intelligence and national security policymaking on Iraq:British and American perspectives. College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2008.
Sarkesian, Sam C., John Allen Williams, and Stephen J. Cimbala. US national security: policymakers, processes, and politics. 4th ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008.
Stern, Paul C and Daniel Druckman. International conflict resolution after the Cold War. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2000.
Footnotes
1 James P. Pfiffner and Mark Phythian. Intelligence and national security policymaking on Iraq: British and American perspectives (College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2008), 45.
2 Sam C. Sarkesian, John Allen Williams and Stephen J Cimbala. US national security: policymakers, processes, and politics (4th ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008), 37.
3 Paul C. Stern and Daniel Druckman. International conflict resolution after the Cold War (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2000), 64.
4 Daniel Goleman. Social intelligence: the new science of human relationships (New York: Bantam Books, 2006), 54.
5 Susan Hasler. Intelligence (New York: Thomas Dunne Books-St. Martin’s Press, 2010), 69.