Purposes The objective of the issue brief is to develop the ability to apply the concepts and principles of American foreign policy to the daily flow of events and to specific foreign policy issues. This foreign policy issue brief assignment will enable you to work over the semester on a currenttopic of your choice. Assignment First you must select a currentissue or problem in American foreign policy that meets the following criteria: 1. The issue must be a currentforeign policy issue. Make sure to choose a clearly discernible policy. 2. There should be clear alternatives to the current policy. 3. There must be enough data available to provide decisionmakers with information to make a decision on the policy proposal. Structure ofthe Issue Brief Structure ofthe Issue Brief Introduction/Overview a. Introduce the issue b. Statement of purpose – why decision-makers should consider a policy change? what circumstances (e.g., changes in government, leadership, stability, etc.) have changed that make a new approach advisable or necessary? c. Review the current policy – what are we currently doing? whatis the public’s perception of the policy? how effective is the policy? Empirical Analysis Discuss who are the actors, and explain the nature, significance, causes, effects, dynamics, and trends of the situation, i.e.“whatis the current state of affairs?” Discussion Discuss the alternative policy options (atleasttwo, not including the status quo) to the current policy by explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each policy option. Here you should try to identify the political, economic, and security implications for each option. This is the mostimportant part of the paper.