Energy Analysis

OVERVIEW
Thinking clearly and strategically, analyzing situations in an organized fashion, and discovering potential solutions are vital skills in the analysis of the United States Foreign Policy (USFP). Using the GAP analysis model borrowed from the business field (“gap” denoting the space between where a situation is and where it ought to be) will enable you to think strategically about USFP challenges, opportunities, and issues to provide relevant policy recommendations.
The assignment is to put yourself in the role of a USFP analyst and to conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of the US’s relations with a State in the international system and to provide USFP recommendations to a USFP decision-maker. Imagine that you are a policy analyst preparing a policy decision-maker for a critical meeting on this issue. What does this decision-maker need to know about this issue? What should USFP be on this issue?

INSTRUCTIONS
Using the readings provided in the module as a foundation, write a SWOT on ENERGY
Ensure that your paper includes the following:
• Length of assignment: 4
• Format of assignment: current APA
• Number of scholarly external sources: 7 in addition to the relevant assigned content and biblical content
• Acceptable sources (e.g. scholarly, peer-reviewed articles published within the last five years; websites with .edu or .gov sources; internationally recognized media [BBC, NYT, and the like])

REQUIRED COMPONENTS
In this assignment, you will analyze a specific challenge that the US must engage in as a matter of USFP. Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) that the US has in this area and what USFP should be. Be sure to develop each of the following areas:
• Geopolitical/Background Information – develop the history and context of the problem/issue relevant to USFP
• The nature/scope of the issue – Is it a local, regional, or global issue)? What are the limiting factors for USFP? What information, or changes could be a factor in USFP and US relations with this issue?
• Key actors in this issue – Examine questions such as:
o Who are the key actors in this issue and what are the motives?
o Who are US allies and opponents in this issue? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these allies and foes? (Do not forget to consider the role that role that IGO, NGOs, MNCs, and other non-state actors can have on an issue and how they can impact USFP).
o Explain the structures that can create and limit opportunity as it relates to USFP on this issue.
• Timeliness and Impact of the issue: Economic Structure and Situation – Is there an immediate or long-term threat associated with this issue? If so, which? Where will this impact occur? What is the intensity of the impact?
• Other Legal, Geopolitical, and Policy Issues – Based on the SWOT analysis and other research, legal, geopolitical, or other problems accompany this issue, what other factors need to be addressed and considered?
• USFP Recommendations – This is the most substantial part of your assignment. All that you have been writing up until this point has been leading you to this section of the assignment. Based on what you have developed to this point, provide three specific USFP recommendations. You are required to think outside of the box. Your recommendations must be sustainable and pragmatic, and they must address issue at hand and must be realistic within USFP capacities and goals. Consider the following as you write this section of your analysis:
o Where are the opportunities and threats for the US and how can USFP address them? Now that you know the strengths and weaknesses, address them. Make sure that in addressing the weaknesses you are not undermining the strengths.
o Think strategically and systematically. Seize the opportunities and remove the threats through USFP.
o You will need to fully justify and substantiate your action plan, and you will need to show how this action plan could and will work within the specific structure of USFP. In this section of the analysis, you get tell the decision maker what USFP should be on this issue. Ultimately, you are making your case as to why your proposal would be good for the US.

Recommended Sources:
• CIA World Factbook
• Freedom House
• Heritage
• Congressional Research Service
• Government Website(s) of your State
• World Trade Organization
• World Bank

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.