Group project

People engaged in politics often have to make difficult decisions and then explain those decisions to their allies. In this exercise, your group of 4-5 people will play the role of a political consultancy. That is, you have been hired by someone to research the situation they are in and then present them with a specific, well-researched plan of action. 

I have several suggested topics below. You may choose one of these, or come up with something else if I approve it. 

The suggested topics described below all have something in common: the political actors making the decision will face a strategic dilemma. As consultants, you will have to help them decide how to think through the consequences of their choices, how to prioritize values, how it might be possible to avoid tradeoffs, and how to make and implement a decision.

Here are the steps your group should take:

• Meet with the other members of your group to decide which situation you want to play. Have someone in the group email me to make a reservation. Your group should also decide when to meet with me.
• Set a time for a meeting with me to talk through the situation you'll play. I imagine we'll meet by videoconference but in person is okay too.\
• Read a lot of news articles on the specific topic and review your notes from class on related topics.
• Meet several more times to decide on your strategy and plan your explanation.
• Prepare your explanation and presentation.
• The work product your group will present is an oral presentation on May 7. The presentation should be about 25-35 minutes. Feel free to be creative and incorporate relevant and appropriate media that advances your argument.

In your presentation, your group should:

• Explain the situation. Who is your group advising and what are their goals?
• Explain the particular dilemma your client faces. (Hint: acknowledge that the situation they are in is difficult - after all, that's why they hired you - and that even people who agree on the same overall goals might have disagreements about what the best strategy is to achieve those goals.)
• Present at least two (but ideally more) possible decisions your client could make. These should each be well-thought-out, realistic options that address the problem and are rooted in a sensible set of priorities and strategies.
• Conclude by explaining which option your group thinks is the best one and why, and describing what the next steps should be. Be honest about the potential dangers that your approach creates, and explain how they might be avoided. 
• Include all group members in the presentation. Cite at least ten sources (conventional news articles are okay). There is no written assignment.

This assignment is worth 25% of your course grade. When evaluating your presentations, the things that I will be looking for are whether your group:

• describes and explains the strategic dilemma,
• presents a solution that makes sense given the goals of the organization your group represents,
• includes specific details about proposed actions, and
• presents its conclusions in a persuasive and engaging way.

In thinking about potential strategies, your group should think broadly and creatively about what actions to take. Don't be afraid to go big. And please be specific about what actions you propose.  

In the presentation, the audience - the rest of the class - will play the role of the people you are briefing, and will ask questions. I will meet with each group at least once, early in the process. I am also available to meet with groups throughout; email me to book an appointment.

Suggested topics to choose from:

South Korean nuclear weapons (Taken by group C, M, A, A, E)
Your client is the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)
The DPK has hired you to advise them about what they should do with respect to nuclear weapons if they win the next presidential election, as expected, later this year. Among their questions are:

• Should South Korea (ROK) exit the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and build and deploy nuclear weapons? Why or why not?
• If so, should the ROK do it secretly until it is ready to announce itself as a nuclear power, or should it declare its goal first, and then deploy? What are the advantages and drawbacks to each approach?

Mongolia’s resource curse
Your client is the government of Mongolia’s Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry (MMHI)
The MMHI has hired you to advise them about how they should regulate international mining firms in Mongolia. They want to ensure that the people of Mongolia benefit from mining activity, while also ensuring that Mongolia maintains its independence and democratic institutions. Among their questions are:

• Should they limit access to mining contracts to firms from any particular countries? What would the costs and benefits of that be?
• What kinds of regulations should they put on foreign mining firms?

The United States and North Korea (Taken by group: S, S, H, M, E, D)
Your client is the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) 
The NSC has asked you to prepare a proposed strategy for top-level U.S. engagement with North Korea. President Trump has shown a willingness to meet with Kim Jung-un to sign an agreement to reduce the risk of a nuclear war; the job of the NSC is to make a proposal consistent with U.S. interests to which Kim Jung-un would be likely to agree. Among their questions are:

• Is there a possible agreement that would meaningfully reduce the risk of war that would be agreeable to both sides?
• How could the new strategy avoid the pitfalls of the failed Trump-Kim summits during the first Trump administration? Or is it better not to meet?

South Korean political reforms (Taken by group S, A, C, M)
Your client is the Asan Institute for Policy Studies (AIPS)
The AIPS is preparing to propose a set of constitutional reforms for South Korea, to stabilize its democracy for the next generation. They have asked you to prepare a proposal for reforming the constitution. Among their questions are:

• Should South Korea have a president with political authority or should it transition to a pure parliamentary system with only a symbolic head of state?
• Should South Korea change the way representatives are elected to the National Assembly?

Chinese elective cars
Your client is BYD
BYD would like to be able to sell cars in the United States, but is unsure how to convince the U.S. government to lift existing rules that effectively ban it. They have asked you to develop a strategy. Among their questions are:

• Is it possible to achieve meaningful policy change in the short-term, or should BYD play a long game?
• Is it possible to work within the U.S. political system directly, or should it enlist the Chinese government to negotiate on a state-to-state basis?

Human rights and trade with China
Your client is the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI)
DROI has hired you to advise them about whether or not the European Union should adopt deeper targeted trade sanctions related to human rights abuses in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Among their questions are:

• What are the human rights conditions in Xinjiang?
• What are “targeted economic sanctions”?
• Is there a realistic plan involving targeted economic sanctions that would improve human rights conditions in Xinjiang?

Family policy in Japan
Your client is the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan
The LDP will face an election this summer for some seats in the House of Councilors and a major national election sometime before the end of 2028. The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), has put family policy at the center of their agenda, promising, for example, free day care, school lunches, public university tuition, among others. How should the LDP respond? Among their questions are:

• How popular are these policies in Japan? 
• Could the LDP credibly promise to implement those policies as well, without giving up their other priorities? Should it?
• What should the LDP’s family policy agenda be, and how should they explain it to the voters?

Housing policy in Tokyo and Seoul (Taken by group A, L, A, M, A)
Your client is the County Board of Arlington, Virginia (ACB)
The ACB has asked you to investigate the differences between housing policies in Tokyo, Seoul, and Arlington. What lessons, if any, can Arlington learn from housing policy in Tokyo and Seoul that can help Arlington in its goal to promote housing affordability? Among their questions are:

• How do housing, and zoning, laws differ in Tokyo and Seoul from Arlington?
• Are there specific policies in use in Tokyo and/or Seoul that should be implemented in Arlington, and, if so, what would the effects of those policy changes be? Who would benefit, and who would be harmed?

LGBTQ rights in Taiwan
Your client is the central committee of the Kuomintang political party in Taiwan (KMT)
The KMT has asked you to help them evaluate their position on LGBTQ rights as they prepare for the 2028 national elections. Would moderating their opposition to state recognition of same-sex marriage and other laws promoting LGBTQ acceptance affect their vote share in the next election, and if so, how? Among their questions:

• What are the current legal protections for LGBTQ people in Taiwan, and what is the state of public opinion in Taiwan?
• If the KMT were to change its position, how many voters would it actually gain and how many would it lose? Which kinds of voters specifically might be in play, either way?
• If the KMT were to change, how should it explain that change so as to minimize the loss of support from its more conservative base?