US Efforts Research Articles

American soft power and public diplomacy in the Arab world

This position article applies the concept of soft power as developed by Joseph Nye to the Arab world and US public diplomacy in that area. Evaluating public opinion and the challenges of public diplomacy in the Arab world is difficult because of the absence of hard data on polling and public diplomacy issues. However, American diplomats who have served in the Arab world, including this author, know that most Arabs are critical of US foreign policy but that they have positive attitudes towards America as a country, due in part to American cultural and commercial products and education. This essay first discusses the impact of the digital revolution on the American public diplomacy effort and on soft power. The expansion of private communication channels has provided challenges to the US effort and has impacted its soft power. Many Arabs have exaggerated expectations about America’s ability to solve their problems. Sometimes the behaviour of private American citizens has created new challenges for our public diplomacy and damaged our soft power. This essay then analyzes several other new issues that have arisen recently affecting American soft power. One is the private dissemination of American cultural products abroad. Another is the question of whether foreign audiences still regard the US political system as a model, which they once did. A third is the exchange of persons programme, which remains an important vehicle for soft power, but which is underfunded. New security measures made necessary by terrorism also impact US soft power and public diplomacy. Futhermore, the Pentagon’s communications “mission creep” competes with the State’s public diplomacy. At the end of the essay the author takes issue with the thesis that American power generally has declined. This article is published as part of a collection on soft power.

Foreign Military Educations as PLA Soft Power

Abstract: This article argues Chinese foreign military education programs, modeled on similar US efforts, promote a positive international image of China while simultaneously advancing military-to-military relations. To ensure American soft power remains strong, US policymakers should prioritize international military education as a method of supporting long-term partnerships even in constrained fiscal environments. Ona midsummer evening at the People's Liberation Army National Defense University (PLA NDU) in Beijing, Chinese and foreign military officers in full dress uniform, accompanied by their spouses in traditional garb, assemble. Aided by crisply dressed PLA singers, everyone belts out a rendition of the Beijing 2008 Olympics anthem, You and Me ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN under a long red banner emblazoned with Chinese characters that translate as Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Global Struggle against Fascism and College of Defense Studies 2015 Graduation. As the banner indicates, the event marks the graduation of 136 senior foreign military officers from 82 countries from the College of Defense Studies (CDS), while simultaneously commemorating the 70th anniversary of China and its allies' victory in the of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1945. (1) The 70th anniversary of the end of World War ii was enthusiastically celebrated globally and in China. Nevertheless, the significance of linking China's struggle against Japanese imperialism with a graduation ceremony for officers primarily from African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries was undoubtedly not lost on the event's organizers who understood many College of Defense Studies graduates are from countries with histories of Western colonialism. Similarly, the period from 1839 to 1949 is embedded in Chinese historical memory as a century of humiliation ([THE NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), when the European powers, Russia, and Japan imposed a series of unequal treaties, which coerced territorial, economic, and juridical concessions that reduced China to semicolonial status. (2) In domestic media, the ruling Communist Party portrays itself as executing a post-1949 revival of Chinese civilization from this nadir. Comparable historical grievances provide a basis for camaraderie between China and other countries with postcolonial legacies. The function of the CDS memorial-cum-graduation ceremony testifies to the multiple purposes of the PLA's foreign military education programs. As in other war colleges, students examine and analyze key issues in the contemporary security environment while learning about the host nation's domestic and international politics, military, culture, and history, as well as general aspects of strategic studies. (3) The educational exchanges also strengthen military-to-military relations by building person-to-person relationships with foreign officers. Finally, the public diplomacy aspect seeks to improve international perceptions of China by winning the hearts and minds of foreign officers, a key segment of governing elites in many countries particularly in the developing world. (4) Educating foreign military officers at PLA military academies such as the CDS constitute just one line of effort in the Chinese party-state and PLA's conduct of public diplomacy and military-to-military relations. Nonetheless, an examination of the College of Defense Studies, the PLA's flagship academy for educating foreign officers, elucidates several key developments, particularly with regard to the role that military diplomacy plays in China's overall foreign policy efforts: * The PLA is assuming a growing, although still secondary, role in the conduct of Chinese public diplomacy and foreign policy. * China is using public diplomacy to compensate for its limited soft power and to cultivate international influence. * China is safeguarding its expanding global interests through diversified foreign policy strategies that utilize all instruments of national power, not merely economic leverage. …

Enhancing US Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

ABSTRACT: Capabilities to inform, influence, and persuade are necessary both for national security success and as cost-effective toolset relative to physical military power. This article discusses shortfalls and deficiencies in this area, and concludes with recommendations to increase resources for manning and tools for informing, influencing, and persuading, as well as efforts to inculcate mindedness in commanders and senior leaders. ********** Asking for second helping when everyone else is tightening their belts is awkward. Unfortunately, proponents for US government capabilities to inform, influence, and persuade are in just that position, as such capabilities have not yet fully matured nor are demands for their use fully satisfied. While time of belt-tightening is undeniably upon us, we must find way to support continued growth, development, and improvement in this area. Informing, Influencing, and Persuading How US government representatives present and describe themselves to and engage and communicate with foreign audiences matters. The success of many policies is contingent on the support received from various populations whose perceptions are influenced by both what we do and what we say, which is particularly relevant for national security policy--for example, one of the greatest national security threats of our time is transnational terrorism and other forms of violent extremism. Efforts to combat violent extremism must consider the beliefs, motives, perceptions, and grievances that predicate extremism as well as those that lead to support for violence. (1) National security objectives are not necessarily well served when US forces kill or capture the members of terrorist network if the perceptions and beliefs that motivated the terrorists and their supporters remain to generate similar network in its place. (2) Similarly, US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have starkly exposed the truth that some military objectives depend in large part on the behavior and attitudes of relevant civilian populations and cannot be achieved solely through the application of force. (3) As the Department of Defense Strategic Communication Science and Technology Plan noted: a compelling argument can be made today that the public perceptions and implications of military operations might increasingly outweigh the tangible benefits actually achieved from real combat on the battlefield. (4) Informing, influencing, and persuading go beyond traditional messaging to include much wider range of capabilities that need to be coordinated because actions communicate. (5) Whether you think of it as minimizing the say-do gap, or wish to discuss the diplomacy of deeds, what we do matters at least as much if not more than what we say, which is especially important for deployed military forces. (6) action, utterance, message, image, and movement of nation's military forces influences the perceptions and opinions of the populations who witness them--both first hand in the area of operations and second or third hand elsewhere in the world. The White House National Framework for Strategic Communication got it exactly right: Every action that the United States Government takes sends message. (8) If informing, influencing, and persuading are important, the United States needs not only the capabilities dedicated to communication and messaging, but also the means to coordinate policies, actions, and other sources of messages and signals to achieve desired objectives. (9) Informing, Influencing, and Persuading Are Cost Effective Compared with other elements of national power, efforts to inform, influence, and persuade are relatively inexpensive and generally low-cost synergistic multipliers for applying other forms of power. There are two arguments to be made here: the preventative argument where informing, influencing, and persuading efforts help avoid the need for deploying more expensive capabilities because an ounce of prevention is worth pound of cure and the enabling argument where the combined arms application of information power along with other forms of power makes it easier, and thus less expensive, to accomplish missions. …

TTIP Leaks: A Welcome Opportunity for More Homework

So the damage is done: both emperors go naked, and this at a particularly sensitive stage of the negotiations. Worse, the hegemons sit on an applecart already so full that only a “TTIP light” seems to save it from toppling, albeit at a price of losing its most precious apple: regulatory coherence, no wand forever!But wait! We may already have given up hope for transatlantic agreements on financial cooperation and data protection. Hormone beef and biotech seeds, if not feed, also look rather far away from good and risk–free regulatory solutions. And carmakers in Asia and South America may have chuckled with relief when the efforts of US and EU manufacturers of automobiles failed to define a fully harmonised, standardised and mutually recognised “TTIP Car” – after which they would have had little if any leeway for their own motors, emission limits, windscreens and safety standards.This is where the leaks may have opened a welcome window of opportunity for third countries, blinded as they apparently all are by the prospects of trade liberalisation racing ahead with megaregional steps too big for them to buy in with any hope for negotiating power.

MO‐DE‐204‐00: International Symposium: Patient Dose Reduction in Diagnostic Radiology

The main topic of the session is to show how dose optimization is being implemented in various regions of the world, including Europe, Australia, North America and other regions.A multi‐national study conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across more than 50 less resourced countries gave insight into patient radiation doses and safety practices in CT, mammography, radiography and interventional procedures, both for children and adults. An important outcome was the capability development on dose assessment and management.An overview of recent European projects related to CT radiation dose and optimization both to adults and children will be presented. Existing data on DRLs together with a European methodology proposed on establishing and using DRLs for paediatric radiodiagnostic imaging and interventional radiology practices will be shown.Compared with much of Europe at least, many Australian imaging practices are relatively new to the task of diagnostic imaging dose optimisation. In 2008 the Australian Government prescribed a requirement to periodically compare patient radiation doses with diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), where DRLs have been established. Until recently, Australia had only established DRLs for computed tomography (CT). Regardless, both professional society and individual efforts to improved data collection and develop optimisation strategies across a range of modalities continues. Progress in this field, principally with respect to CT and interventional fluoroscopy will be presented.In the US, dose reduction and optimization efforts for computed tomography have been promoted and mandated by several organizations and accrediting entities. This presentation will cover the general motivation, implementation, and implications of such efforts. Learning Objectives: Understand importance of the dose optimization in Diagnostic Radiology. See how this goal is achieved in different regions of the World. Learn about the global trend in the dose optimization and future prospectives.M. Rehani, The work was a part of the work of IAEA where I was an employee and IAEA is a United Nations organization

MO‐DE‐204‐03: Radiology Dose Optimisation ‐ An Australian Perspective

The main topic of the session is to show how dose optimization is being implemented in various regions of the world, including Europe, Australia, North America and other regions.A multi‐national study conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across more than 50 less resourced countries gave insight into patient radiation doses and safety practices in CT, mammography, radiography and interventional procedures, both for children and adults. An important outcome was the capability development on dose assessment and management.An overview of recent European projects related to CT radiation dose and optimization both to adults and children will be presented. Existing data on DRLs together with a European methodology proposed on establishing and using DRLs for paediatric radiodiagnostic imaging and interventional radiology practices will be shown.Compared with much of Europe at least, many Australian imaging practices are relatively new to the task of diagnostic imaging dose optimisation. In 2008 the Australian Government prescribed a requirement to periodically compare patient radiation doses with diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), where DRLs have been established. Until recently, Australia had only established DRLs for computed tomography (CT). Regardless, both professional society and individual efforts to improved data collection and develop optimisation strategies across a range of modalities continues. Progress in this field, principally with respect to CT and interventional fluoroscopy will be presented.In the US, dose reduction and optimization efforts for computed tomography have been promoted and mandated by several organizations and accrediting entities. This presentation will cover the general motivation, implementation, and implications of such efforts. Learning Objectives: Understand importance of the dose optimization in Diagnostic Radiology. See how this goal is achieved in different regions of the World. Learn about the global trend in the dose optimization and future prospectives.M. Rehani, The work was a part of the work of IAEA where I was an employee and IAEA is a United Nations organization

MO‐DE‐204‐01: Radiation Doses in Over 50 Developing Countries of Asia, Africa, Eastern European and Latin America

The main topic of the session is to show how dose optimization is being implemented in various regions of the world, including Europe, Australia, North America and other regions.A multi‐national study conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across more than 50 less resourced countries gave insight into patient radiation doses and safety practices in CT, mammography, radiography and interventional procedures, both for children and adults. An important outcome was the capability development on dose assessment and management.An overview of recent European projects related to CT radiation dose and optimization both to adults and children will be presented. Existing data on DRLs together with a European methodology proposed on establishing and using DRLs for paediatric radiodiagnostic imaging and interventional radiology practices will be shown.Compared with much of Europe at least, many Australian imaging practices are relatively new to the task of diagnostic imaging dose optimisation. In 2008 the Australian Government prescribed a requirement to periodically compare patient radiation doses with diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), where DRLs have been established. Until recently, Australia had only established DRLs for computed tomography (CT). Regardless, both professional society and individual efforts to improved data collection and develop optimisation strategies across a range of modalities continues. Progress in this field, principally with respect to CT and interventional fluoroscopy will be presented.In the US, dose reduction and optimization efforts for computed tomography have been promoted and mandated by several organizations and accrediting entities. This presentation will cover the general motivation, implementation, and implications of such efforts. Learning Objectives: Understand importance of the dose optimization in Diagnostic Radiology. See how this goal is achieved in different regions of the World. Learn about the global trend in the dose optimization and future prospectives.M. Rehani, The work was a part of the work of IAEA where I was an employee and IAEA is a United Nations organization

MO‐DE‐204‐04: Dose Optimization in CT: Trends and Motivation in the US

The main topic of the session is to show how dose optimization is being implemented in various regions of the world, including Europe, Australia, North America and other regions.A multi‐national study conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across more than 50 less resourced countries gave insight into patient radiation doses and safety practices in CT, mammography, radiography and interventional procedures, both for children and adults. An important outcome was the capability development on dose assessment and management.An overview of recent European projects related to CT radiation dose and optimization both to adults and children will be presented. Existing data on DRLs together with a European methodology proposed on establishing and using DRLs for paediatric radiodiagnostic imaging and interventional radiology practices will be shown.Compared with much of Europe at least, many Australian imaging practices are relatively new to the task of diagnostic imaging dose optimisation. In 2008 the Australian Government prescribed a requirement to periodically compare patient radiation doses with diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), where DRLs have been established. Until recently, Australia had only established DRLs for computed tomography (CT). Regardless, both professional society and individual efforts to improved data collection and develop optimisation strategies across a range of modalities continues. Progress in this field, principally with respect to CT and interventional fluoroscopy will be presented.In the US, dose reduction and optimization efforts for computed tomography have been promoted and mandated by several organizations and accrediting entities. This presentation will cover the general motivation, implementation, and implications of such efforts. Learning Objectives: Understand importance of the dose optimization in Diagnostic Radiology. See how this goal is achieved in different regions of the World. Learn about the global trend in the dose optimization and future prospectives.M. Rehani, The work was a part of the work of IAEA where I was an employee and IAEA is a United Nations organization

MO‐DE‐204‐02: Optimization of the Patient CT Dose in Europe

The main topic of the session is to show how dose optimization is being implemented in various regions of the world, including Europe, Australia, North America and other regions.A multi‐national study conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across more than 50 less resourced countries gave insight into patient radiation doses and safety practices in CT, mammography, radiography and interventional procedures, both for children and adults. An important outcome was the capability development on dose assessment and management.An overview of recent European projects related to CT radiation dose and optimization both to adults and children will be presented. Existing data on DRLs together with a European methodology proposed on establishing and using DRLs for paediatric radiodiagnostic imaging and interventional radiology practices will be shown.Compared with much of Europe at least, many Australian imaging practices are relatively new to the task of diagnostic imaging dose optimisation. In 2008 the Australian Government prescribed a requirement to periodically compare patient radiation doses with diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), where DRLs have been established. Until recently, Australia had only established DRLs for computed tomography (CT). Regardless, both professional society and individual efforts to improved data collection and develop optimisation strategies across a range of modalities continues. Progress in this field, principally with respect to CT and interventional fluoroscopy will be presented.In the US, dose reduction and optimization efforts for computed tomography have been promoted and mandated by several organizations and accrediting entities. This presentation will cover the general motivation, implementation, and implications of such efforts. Learning Objectives: Understand importance of the dose optimization in Diagnostic Radiology. See how this goal is achieved in different regions of the World. Learn about the global trend in the dose optimization and future prospectives.M. Rehani, The work was a part of the work of IAEA where I was an employee and IAEA is a United Nations organization

Measuring the Effectiveness of America's War on Terror

ABSTRACT: America's efforts in the war on terror have been substantial and sustained, with more than four trillion dollars spent, two and a half million military members sent into harm's way, and nearly 7,000 service members losing their lives over the past 15 years. To date, however, few studies have sought to measure the effectiveness of those efforts. This study empirically assesses the extent to which US efforts in the war on terror have achieved the government's objectives and concludes those endeavors have been largely ineffective. ********** Whether seeking the defeat of al-Qaeda or, more recently, that of the Islamic State, the United States government has been prosecuting a war on terror for nearly 15 years. Tangible costs to the United States include 6,874 service members killed, 2.5 million Americans sent to fight, and an estimated $4.4 trillion dollars spent. (1) Despite such significant costs, little attention has been focused on what has been achieved. How effective have US efforts been in the war on terror? Determining an answer to this question is complicated by the inherently political environment in which the terror attacks of 9/11 and US responses took place. Terrorism is, itself, inherently a political act. Moreover, US leaders faced reelections as they attempted to balance varying constituent perspectives domestically and alliance interests globally. Significant national debates have occurred, and many continue, over the decision to invade Iraq, the closing of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, the use of drones, Syria, Libya, the Islamic State, et cetera. The stated objectives of President Bush and President Obama, however, remain a crucial component of any assessment by any side of the debate. Are Americans safer today? To what extent have al-Qaeda and terror groups of global reach been defeated? This question of effectiveness can be carved out as a technical exercise. This paper attempts to measure the government's effectiveness in achieving its stated objectives. Its focus is on US efforts outside the homeland, rather than on domestic efforts to protect against attacks. The first section briefly outlines US objectives in the war on terror. An overview on measuring policy effectiveness in general and the war on terror, in particular, follows. The data are analyzed in section three and then a theoretical explanation for the results follows. US Objectives for the War on Terror America's stated objectives have remained consistent over time. As outlined in various strategy documents published by the White House, they include protecting Americans, preventing terror attacks, defeating specific terror groups, and diminishing the conditions that fuel terrorism through promoting democracy. Less than two weeks after the attacks of 9/11, President Bush articulated the defeat of al-Qaeda and all terrorist groups with global reach as a US goal. President Obama has echoed that objective and added the Islamic State to the list. Both administrations pursued a broad objective of preventing terror attacks worldwide and a narrower one of protecting Americans and the homeland. Both administrations also sought the additional goals of diminishing the underlying conditions that facilitate terrorism by promoting democracy. (2) Measuring Policy Effectiveness Significant gaps exist in the scholarly research regarding the measurement of government effectiveness. The literature focuses more on how effectiveness could be measured, rather than on actually measuring it. The war on terror is no exception. In war, measuring effectiveness is typically difficult absent a total victory. War inflames human passions and is, inevitably, subject to psychological biases. Additionally, accurate data are often unavailable in conflict-affected states. Some scholars note that attempts to measure effectiveness in prosecuting a war, without one side surrendering, will be controversial and fraught with uncertainty. …

Advances in the Development and Validation of Test Methods in the United States.

The National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) provides validation support for US Federal agencies and the US Tox21 interagency consortium, an interagency collaboration that is using high throughput screening (HTS) and other advanced approaches to better understand and predict chemical hazards to humans and the environment. The use of HTS data from assays relevant to the estrogen receptor signaling data pathway is used as an example of how HTS data can be combined with computational modeling to meet the needs of US agencies. As brief summary of US efforts in the areas of biologics testing, acute toxicity, and skin sensitization will also be provided.

Reassuring the reluctant warriors: U.S. civil-military relations and multilateral intervention

In Reassuring the Reluctant Warriors, Stefano Recchia, a lecturer in international relations at Cambridge University, investigates the role civil-military relations played in US efforts to gain the support of international organizations for the use of force. His central hypothesis is there is no clear threat to US national security and policymakers consequently disagree about the merits of intervention, a determined military leadership can veto the use of American force (51). In short, Recchia argues senior military leaders at the apex of political-military decision-making can effectively veto policy when civilian policymakers are divided and the national interest is less than vital. In such scenarios, the military may demand the government obtain the support of international organizations as a condition of the military's backing of the intervention. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recchia argues further the military's demand for an international organization mandate is also linked to the military's preference for such resolutions to state explicitly that US intervention forces will hand over control to multinational follow-on forces. The existence of such a provision in the planning phase of the operation will not only facilitate the planning process itself with the inclusion of the assumption of the presence of multinational stabilization forces, but will also fulfill the military's post Weinberger-Powell Doctrine desire for a clear exit strategy before giving its assent to the use of force. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) would usually be the first choice to endorse the intervention given its unique status as the organization the Charter of the United Nations authorizes to approve the use of force, but the approval of other regional organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Organization of American States (OAS) may also suffice. Reassuring the Reluctant Warriors is remarkable on many levels. First, its four case studies: Haiti (1993-94), Bosnia (1992-95), Kosovo (1998-99), and Iraq (2002-03) are extraordinarily well researched. Recchia conducted over 100 interviews with primary participants in the cases to include US secretaries of state and defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, national security advisers, US ambassadors to the UN, NATO, and the European Union, and many more with individuals holding positions a tier or two below the principals. The breadth and depth of the interviews enabled Recchia to include many insights from these key participants' in the deeply sourced text, some of which directly supported his hypothesis. The case studies alone, which include many of these comments, merit acquiring the book. Second, Recchia illustrates (literally--with useful figures) the factors influencing the military's viewpoint, their methods for exerting policy influence, and specific conditions that will make the military's insistence to acquire international organization approval more or less likely. Third, through the development of his primary and alternative hypotheses, he provides readers a rich review of the various factors, conditions, and theory that explains why international organization approval is or is not sought as well as methods employed to acquire approval. …

The Hypocrisy Trap and US Soft Power

In US foreign policy, the rhetoric does not always follow the reality. A consistent pattern of hypocrisy is evident in US foreign aid where words are matched by neither deeds nor outcomes. A hypocrisy trap is embedded in the logic of democratic politics. Democratically elected leaders cannot admit to the public that foreign aid is an important part of the arsenal of bribery used to gain policy compliance from foreign elites. They have to frame foreign aid as serving a greater cause. In so doing, they create a gap between rhetoric and reality. This institutionalized hypocrisy can be concealed from domestic audience more easily than from the public in the recipient regime who react by rejecting U.S. global leadership. Moreover, publicly available data published by the US government allows documents that the inflow of aid is often accompanied by the deterioration of institutional quality and a contraction of public good provision in the recipient countries. US efforts at extending soft power to win hearts and minds in the developing world are undermined.

From Dinner to Dynamite: Fats and Oils in Wartime America

This article focuses on the vital significance of fats and oils for dietary and industrial purposes in World War II and pays special attention to the supply in the United States and among its Allies. It argues that the war led the US government to intervene drastically in important segments of the fats and oils commodity chain. Further, it examines government policies to rationalize usage, conserve the supply of stocks, recycle materials, and increase domestic oil crop cultivation. It also addresses US efforts to coordinate the global commodity chain with Allied powers, especially the UK. All these measures combined resulted in profound short- and long-term transformations in the national as well as global commodity chain of fats and oils.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: A Case Study of Multifaceted Containment

Although some analysts have emphasized the importance of China's becoming a “responsible stakeholder” in the international order, the United States has in effect blocked China's full participation in a range of existing international institutions and attempted to undermine China's efforts to create and lead new international institutions. In this article I examine those US efforts, particularly with regard to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, where the United States attempted to block other states from becoming members. I explore the difference between multifaceted and aggression-limiting containment and propose that the United States apply the latter to help stabilize Sino-US relations.

Turning Foe to Friend? US Objectives in Including Russia in Post-Cold War Euro-Atlantic Security Co-operation

ABSTRACTThis article scrutinises four moments in the post-Cold War era where the United States engaged to include Russia in Euro-Atlantic security forums: the establishment of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council; Partnership for Peace; Permanent Joint Council; and the NATO-Russia Council. The overall puzzle is: why did consecutive US administrations aim to formalise co-operation between NATO and Russia? Current tensions highlight the issue's significance, yet in the literature, there is no study looking specifically at these episodes of US efforts to integrate Moscow. Building on a broad set of primary sources, this article determines what we can now know of US objectives concerning the role of Russia in Euro-Atlantic co-operation. It concludes that US objectives moved from seeking new and stable relations between former adversaries, to facilitating US objectives in the Euro-Atlantic context with NATO enlargement, to expressing more global interests in confronting emerging crises and challenges, amongst others in the war on terror. Co-operation was limited to where interests were overlapping. Russia would not be placed in a position to influence NATO as an alliance. US officials remained hopeful that co-operation with Russia was possible, and would benefit all. At the same time, decisions would serve US interests should relations sour.

Unproductive entrepreneurship in US military contracting

Purpose– US military contracting has been plagued by systematic corruption, fraud, and waste during both times of peace and war. These outcomes result from the inherent features of the US military sector which incentivize unproductive entrepreneurship. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Drawing on the insights of Baumol (1990) as their base theoretical framework, the authors explore how the industrial organization of the US military sector creates incentives for unproductive entrepreneurship. Evidence from US government reports regarding US efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq is provided to illustrate the central claims.Findings– The military sector is characterized by an entangled network of government bureaus and private firms whose existence is dependent on continued government spending. These realities, coupled with a dysfunctional procurement processes, reward unproductive behaviors during peacetime. During wartime these incentives are intensified, as significant emergency resources are injected into an already defective contracting system. The recent experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq illustrate these dynamics.Originality/value– The authors make three main contributions. First, contrary to common treatments by economists, much military spending fails to meet the definition of a public good. Second, waste, fraud, and abuse in military contracting is a result of rules and the incentives those rules create. Third, the only way to change the situation is to change the overarching rules governing the people operating in the military sector.

Preparing an Academic Medical Center to Manage Patients Infected With Ebola: Experiences of a University Hospital.

As Ebola has spread beyond West Africa, the challenges confronting health care systems with no experience in managing such patients are enormous. Not only is Ebola a significant threat to a population's health, it can infect the medical personnel trying to treat it. As such, it represents a major challenge to those in public health, emergency medical services (EMS), and acute care hospitals. Our academic medical center volunteered to become an Ebola Treatment Center as part of the US effort to manage the threat. We developed detailed policies and procedures for Ebola patient management at our university hospital. Both the EMS system and county public health made significant contributions during the development process. This article shares information about this process and the outcomes to inform other institutions facing similar challenges of preparing for an emerging threat with limited resources. The discussion includes information about management of (1) patients who arrive by ambulance with prior notification, (2) spontaneous walk-in patients, and (3) patients with confirmed Ebola who are interfacility transfers. Hospital management includes information about Ebola screening procedures, personal protective equipment selection and personnel training, erection of a tent outside the main facility, establishing an Ebola treatment unit inside the facility, and infectious waste and equipment management. Finally, several health policy considerations are presented.

Europe, the rise of Asia and the future of the transatlantic relationship

This article examines how, in a global strategic context presided by the rise of Asia and the US rebalance towards that region, Europeans are contributing to transatlantic burden-sharing—whether individually or through the EU/NATO. As Asian powers reach westward and the US shifts its strategic priorities eastward, classical geostrategic delimitations become gradually tenuous. Particularly important are the ‘middle spaces’ of the Indian Ocean, central Asia and the Arctic, in that they constitute the main avenues of communication between the Asia–Pacific and the European neighbourhood. The article seeks to understand how evolving geostrategic dynamics in Europe, the ‘middle spaces’ and the Asia–Pacific relate to each other, and how they might impinge on discussions on transatlantic burden-sharing. It is argued that the ability of Europeans to contribute to a more equitable transatlantic burden-sharing revolves around two main tenets. First, by engaging in the ‘middle spaces’, Europe's key powers and institutions are helping to underpin a balance of power in these regions. Second, by stepping up their diplomatic and economic role in the Asia–Pacific, strengthening their security ties to (US) regional allies and maintaining an EU-wide arms embargo on China, Europeans are broadly complementing US efforts in that key region. There are a number of factors that stand in the way of a meaningful European engagement in the ‘middle spaces’ and the Asia–Pacific, including divergent security priorities among Europeans, the impact of budgetary austerity on European defence capabilities and a tendency to confine foreign policy to the immediate neighbourhood. The article discusses the implications of those obstacles and outlines some ways in which they might be overcome.

Book Reviews

Planning Sustainable Cities and Regions: Towards More Equitable Development, Karen Chapple, NY, Routledge, 2015, 307 pp., US$155.00, ISBN 978-1-13-878966There have been a large number of books published on sustainability planning since the 1990s. For teachers or scholars of sustainability planning, one challenge is not a lack of choices but too many choices. This book by Karen Chapple, a Professor of the University of California, Berkeley, can be recommended. It distinguishes itself from competing choices by connecting 'planning dogmas' to 'changes that are occurring in our population, preferences, technology, and economy' (p. 14), and by presenting instructive real-world cases. It thus initiates intriguing discussions regarding how planning dogmas and practices have adapted to, and should adapt to the above changesChapters 1 and 2 serve as the introduction. They paint the big picture of contemporary cities/regions, their planning and the contexts where planning is embedded. The author argues that 'lively, safe, sustainable, and healthy' cities/regions are now commonly accepted across countries. But planning such cities/regions is a serious challenge. Planning as a profession has established paradigms regarding how to conceptualise and manage a series of relationships, 'between people and plans, economy and place, and the poor and their life changes', which have a lot to do with sustainability (p. 3). However, recent years have seen significant trends in population, preferences, technology and economy and this necessitates changes in planning paradigms so as to best deal with emerging opportunities and challenges. For instance, the US will become a country where the minority is the majority, where there are more millennials than baby boomers and where the youth is experiencing higher unemployment rates. This would engender challenges for planning and beyond where the region is a better unit of analysis and for interventions. Based on this, the author examines the evolution of regional sustainability planning in the US and surveys representative regional sustainability efforts outside the US. The introduction concludes with descriptions of sustainability planning in California and the San Francisco Bay Area, which the author treats as a leader.The main body (Chapters 3 to 13) has three parts: development, economic development and equity, which correspond to the triple bottom lines of sustainability. Each part re-conceptualises the aforementioned paradigms, supplemented by selected realworld cases. Part 1 describes the necessity and challenges faced by infill development and other planning and policy tools. It regards the former as one of the least challenging planning and policy tools. Each tool, however, says the author, can be instrumental and destructive to realising sustainability/ development goals. In San Francisco, for instance, the author shows that reactive infill development and mixed-income development have exacerbated gentrification rather than lessened it.Part 2 argues that developing high-quality jobs that match the skills of local disadvantaged workers should be at least equally important as those traditional approaches such as stimulating exports, promoting agglomerations and cultivating entrepreneurship. It uses various cases in California to back up this argument. Again, the author cautions readers that tools which work in Place A may not work in Place B. …