The purpose of this paper is to further your ability to think critically and analytically. Likewise, you need to refine your strategic thinking competencies in written form and communicate your ideas and arguments effectively. To accomplish these goals,

a. Requirement. Students will write a 5-8 page (double-spaced, one-inch margins and Arial 11-pt.font (analytical paper) about: NSC-68 to demonstrate knowledge of, and the capacity.

b. your paper will include an introduction that informs the readers as to the topic of the paper and includes a thesis statement (that is, a sentence or two that informs the reader as to what your principal argument is or what your position is in relation to the topic you selected); the body, in which you provide the evidence to support your thesis statement; and lastly, a conclusion (summation of your argument and any final thoughts but do not add new arguments). If you are responding to the second topic, then use the format template and the historical examples to guide your discussion of the issues involved:

• Using NSC-68, Paul Nitze’s speech on NSC-68, the Cold War chronology, and the Strategy Formulation Framework as sources, conduct an analysis of NSC-68. In conducting this analysis you may want to consider these questions. (Note: they are illustrative of the type of issues you could address, not a checklist.) How does NSC-68 describe the US national purpose? Are there particular cultural and intellectual antecedents that influence the strategy’s content (values, beliefs, history, ideas, etc.)? How does the document characterize US national interests? What is the strategic vision that the document seeks to realize? How does that vision relate to Nitze’s perception of the strategic environment (threats, challenges and opportunities) and the US-led international order?
• What instruments of national power can be used to achieve the document’s stated ends? Does NSC-68 meet the SAF-R test or does it fail to meet the test because the document does not adequately address one or more of the four instruments? (A review of the WPNS Part II readings regarding the domestic environment and the “Kennan and the X-article” reading in particular, may be helpful.)