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Notes on Policy Memos
This is a policy-oriented course. We draw on theory, but we are interested in what actors have
done—the policies they have chosen—and what might have been done differently and more effectively
given their interests.
A policy memo is designed as a real-world, real-time exercise in providing policy analysis and
prescription (1000 words). A policy memo should be from someone, to someone, and have a date. The
memo should reflect what the author and recipient knew at the time, not events or information that is only
revealed subsequently. A policy memo should:
• Outline the policy issue in question;
• Consider options that were or could have been taken;
• Reach a judgment about the costs and benefits of different policy choices.
• It should also make a recommendation.
In this assignment, you must apply concepts from this course to address a real-world policy challenge.
This paper is not a research paper or analytic essay; rather, it is a policy document for a hypothetical
policymaker. There is some room to be creative with regards to who is your intended audience. But it is
important to spend some time putting yourself in the shoes of that policymaker and thinking about what
their goals and priorities are.
Below you will find: i) detailed instructions about the assignment, ii) memo prompts and additional
sources (beyond those readings from syllabus for that topic) and iii) a guide to good policy memo writing.
I.
Requirements
• Length: Your memo must be approximately 1,000 words long.
• Due Date: Your TA’s will have you sign up for a due date for the memo based upon the topic
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you choose. This will be discussed during the first discussion section (week 2). In general,
memos will be due a few days after the topic you select is discussed in lecture. Contact your
TA if you have any questions regarding the due date after your first discussion section meets.
Late assignments will be penalized.
Grading: Assignments will be evaluated according to clarity of the argument (20%), quality of
analysis (30%), level of support (20%), accuracy of claims (10%), organization (10%), and style
(10%).
Formatting: Assignments should be in 12-point font, Times New Roman. Assignments
should have 1-inch margins. Assignments can be single or double-spaced.
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The Taiwan Issue
Policy memo: Write a memo on whether the United States should reach a deal or make concessions to
China with respect to Taiwan. Be clear on what these concessions might be and the effects of doing so,
both on Taiwan and China.
Additional Reading
Richard Bush, “A One-China Policy Primer,” The Brookings Institution, March 2017. Download the full
report here; URL is to a summary only.
Susan Lawrence and Wayne Morrison, Taiwan: Issues for Congress. Congressional Research
Service, October 30, 2017 here.
John Mearsheimer, “Say Goodbye to Taiwan,” The National Interest March/April 2014
here. The full version of the Glaser piece can be found in International Security here.
Alan Romberg, “Cross-Strait Relations: Skepticism Abounds,” China Leadership Monitor (Fall 2017)
here.
Isaac Stone Fish, “Asia’s Other Nightmare Scenario,” Slate October 4, 2017 here.
Two very different views of the US commitment are Richard Bush, “The United States Security
Partnership with Taiwan”, The Brookings Institution here and Eric Gomez, “A Costly Commitment
Options for the Future of the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Relationship,” CATO Institute Policy Analysis,
September 2016 here.
Reuters, “China angered as U.S. considers navy visits to Taiwan,” December 27, 2017 here.
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II.
Elements of a Policy Memo
What is a policy memo?
The structure of a policy memo and briefing is somewhat different than a more academic
paper that is trying to test a theory with some data. A policy memo is more action- oriented and
usually has the following components. You will see that we have provided you prompts around which
to write.
• What problem needs to be solved?
What decision needs to be made? What critical problems is the organization having?
Sometimes this is obvious, but often it requires work to figure out the real problem at hand. Is there in
fact a problem at all or has it been exaggerated? Sometimes, the best advice is to continue doing what
you have been doing or do nothing at all.
• What is the environment?
Each actor has to have some assessment of the nature of the environment and actors that matter,
which includes not only foreign players but the domestic scene as well. For example, you can outline a
bold approach, or you can ignore the issue altogether. Both may be defensible; but how will other parties
and your domestic audience react?
• What are alternative solutions?
Policies are always formed in the context of alternatives and you need to think about what these
might be.
• Evaluate the alternatives, and select one or more
Much of your effort and prose will go into this step. It is useful to prepare some kind of comparison
table summarizing the costs and benefits of different courses of action, if only for yourself. Of course,
evaluating each alternatives does not mean simply evaluating it from your perspective; you have to look
down the game tree at how other parties might react, including in the unexpected ways. Remember: one
possible option is always to do little or nothing at all!
• Implementation plan
Think through the next steps. You've said what should be done, but how do you actually make it
happen? What obstacles and contingencies do you need to plan for? For example, if you need
agreement from other parties, what arguments will you make to persuade them? If your plan entails
major financial outlays, how will these be met?
How should a policy memo be formatted?
There is no single established format for a policy memo, but most share a number of features that will
be outlined here and that we expect you to broadly follow.
The standard memo style typically starts with a four-line block at the top. For example:
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To:
President Xi Jinping
From: Yang Jiechi, State Counselor and Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Leading Small Group
Date: January 1, 2018
Re:
Enforcement of North Korea sanctions in 2018.
Note that your policy is from someone, to someone on a particular date. The people you choose for your
memo should be actual decision-makers or a plausible advisor. (for example, Stephan Haggard, Advisor
to the President on the North Korean issue).
Your subject line (the Re: line) should be clear and can even be argumentative, telling your reader
exactly what the controversy is and what position you take. For example, it could be “Stronger
Enforcement of North Korean Sanctions in 2018” or “Resisting US Pressure for Collapse of North
Korea through Sanctions Enforcement”
Executive Summary: The first paragraph of your memo is the Executive Summary. DO NOT
stage set; go straight to the essential information of the memo:
• What is the question you are answering?
• What are the critical pieces of evidence for your analysis?
• In some cases, you may need to note the key players in a debate
• What is the solution you propose?
Treat this paragraph as if it is the only one in the memo likely to be read. You have the option to use
bullet points here if you feel this would be most effective in getting your point across.
Ex. Poor Executive Summary:
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (abbreviated DPRK), is a country in
East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. In 2017, North Korea conducted a
series of missile and nuclear tests that demonstrated the country's ability to launch ballistic missiles
beyond its immediate region and suggested that North Korea's nuclear weapons capability was
developing at a faster rate than had been assessed by the U.S. intelligence community. This, coupled
with a regular joint U.S.–South Korea military exercise undertaken in August 2017, as well as U.S.
threats, raised international tensions in the region and beyond. Trump Administration officials have
stated that “all options are on the table,” to
include the use of military force to “denuclearize”—generally interpreted to mean eliminating nuclear
weapons and related capabilities from that area.
[Note that this summary identifies a problem in broad terms, but it does not focus on policy choices and
simply describes in broad terms what has happened.]
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Ex. Good Executive Summary [note this is from a much longer report than 1000 words and thus much
longer than you will need for this assignment]:
North Korea’s apparently successful July 2017 tests of its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities,
along with the possibility that North Korea (DPRK) may have successfully miniaturized a nuclear
warhead, have led analysts and policymakers to conclude that the window for preventing the DPRK
from acquiring a nuclear missile capable of reaching the United States is closing.
A key issue is whether or not the United States could manage and deter a nuclear-armed North Korea if
it were to become capable of attacking targets in the U.S. homeland, and whether taking decisive military
action to prevent the emergence of such a DPRK capability might be necessary. Either choice would
bring with it considerable risk for the United States, its allies, regional stability, and global order.
One potential question for Congress is whether, and how, to employ the U.S. military to accomplish
denuclearization, and whether using the military might result in miscalculation on either side, or
perhaps even conflict escalation. In this report, we identify seven possible options, with their
implications and attendant risks, for the employment of the military to denuclearize North Korea.
These options are:
• maintaining the military status quo
• enhanced containment and deterrence while
• denying DPRK acquisition of delivery systems capable of threatening the United States
• eliminating ICBM facilities and launch pads
• eliminating DPRK nuclear facilities
• DPRK regime change
• withdrawing U.S. military forces.
Headings: Each section of your memo should have a clear heading so that a reader interested only in
the background, analysis or recommendations can find them quickly. If you want to include subheadings that add specificity, you may do that but make certain that they are clear and substantive. The
headings after your Executive Summary would likely be:
Background: Again, this section should have relevant information only. You are not tracing the memo
issue from the dawn of time. Indeed, a specialist may choose to skip this section; make the background
explanation concise so that you have room in your memo for the analysis and prescription.
In the background section, then, you want to answer very specific questions: What happened? Why is the
issue pressing at this moment? Who are the critical participants in the debate? What are the particular
pieces of evidence that are important to both understanding the debate and your prescription?
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Analysis: This is the section that examines, piece by piece, the evidence that supports your
recommendation or argument. In a 1000 word memo, probably three quarters of your memo will be
devoted to this section.
Each paragraph in the analysis should be dedicated to a single piece of evidence and have one point to
make. Keep in mind the AXES rule as you write a paragraph:
• The paragraph should begin with an Assertion that states the argument of that
paragraph (A)
• The assertion should be followed with an eXample/piece of evidence (X)
• The example should then be Explained (E)
• The paragraph should conclude with a Statement that ties the evidence assertion back to
the argument of your memo. (S)
The sequencing of your body paragraphs should be dictated by the logic of the evidence as it builds to
your conclusion. Note that it is extremely important that you consider possible counterarguments to the
one you advance: why other positions will have negative effects.
Conclusion/Policy Recommendation: You began your memo with an Executive Summary that contained
a statement of your recommendation. Each succeeding paragraph built the case, piece by piece, for that
recommendation. The conclusion, then, draws on everything in your analysis, explaining how the evidence
fits together and points most logically to your argument.
One warning about the conclusion—it should never have anything new; your conclusion should not
surprise your reader. Take some time to look at your introductory paragraph and conclusion side by side.
It may be the case that you need to do some rewriting of the front end of your memo to bring it in line with
your argument.
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