Task Force

Task Forces consist of small groups of students, numbering between 12 and 20, who investigate a real-world policy issue and produce a final report and practical policy recommendations. These recommendations are then evaluated by a visiting outside expert – typically a serving or retired high-ranking U.S. diplomat, policymaker, NGO leader, or prominent think tank member. Below is a selection of previous Task Force reports.


North Korean Nuclear Crisis

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018: North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Understanding the Threat, Avoiding War, Crafting Future Options

Since 2006, after testing its first nuclear explosive device, the DPRK has advanced its nuclear weapons and missile programs to an alarming degree. But with the election of Donald Trump,

Hacking Democracy

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018 - Hacking Democracy: Cybersecurity and Global Election Interference

In the year since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, evidence has piled up that multiple types of actors attempted to shape the outcome of the election using the Internet. Suspects

Germany and the Baltic Sea Region

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018: Germany and the Baltic Sea Region: Proposals for the New Federal Government

The end of the Cold War and dissolution of the USSR transformed the Baltic Sea region.  In little more than a decade, well over 90% of the Baltic littoral was

NATO and Russia

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018 - NATO and Russia: Strengthening the Alliance and Improving Resilience

Although Russia lacks a coherent ideology comparable to the Soviet era, it has shown extraordinary success in projecting power and influence. Despite serious limitations in conventional weapons, Russia has been

The New State of the News

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018: The New State of the News: Confronting Misinformation in the Digital Age

Democracy worldwide has recently come under strain as distrust in political institutions, coupled with the rise of social media, has led to the proliferation of fake news, conspiracy theories, disinformation,

Populism

Task Force 2018

Task Force Dwscription

The election of Donald J. Trump as the U.S. President in 2016, Brexit, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Marine Le Pen’s National Front in France—these

The Future of U.S. Foreign Aid

Task Force 2018

Task Force Report 2018: The Future of U.S. Foreign Aid: Comparisons & Recommendations

U.S. foreign aid is a perennial target of criticism by new administrations in Washington, DC. The Trump administration has made its views very public by announcing a 30% cut in