Terrorism Policy Analysis

Students will write a 25 page policy analysis paper on a terrorism topic of his or her choosing. The instructor will provide further guidance on how to choose a topic and plan/execute a research strategy. The paper will be written as though it were designed for a particular decision-maker in government, with the student assuming the role of a policy analyst. The paper will be expected to convey emergency response issues and recommendations in a clear, concise, and organized fashion, using the required and recommended readings from the course for analytical support.
Each student will develop this final paper during the quarter. The paper is due the last week of the term, on a topic pre-approved by week 5. Please note that a superior paper will demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge, and critical thinking appropriate for doctoral level scholarship. The paper must follow APA Publication Manual guidelines and be free of typographical, spelling and grammatical errors. I expect a minimum of 25 pages of text, not counting title page, abstract, or references.
For the second reflective essay, consider the following objectives:

Articulate the risk assessment elements for the design and evaluation of physical protection systems;
Apply a wide variety of analytical skills and tools to provide policy-related information and options for decision makers use in policy decisions about preventing/addressing terrorism;
Review and critically evaluate emergency preparedness plans that were prepared by others; and,
Critically analyze the terrorism and emergency preparedness literature available in a variety of publications. How does the United States compare to other countries for its terrorism response policies? How have the United States’ policies evolved and why? What recommendations do you have for improvement, and why?