Center for Strategic Leadership

Information as Power, Volume 6 Jeffrey L. Groh, Benjamin C. Leitzel, Dennis M. Murphy, and Mark A. Van Dyke Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The U.S. Army War College (USAWC) is pleased to present this anthology of selected student work from Academic Year 2011 representing examples of well-written and in-depth analyses on the vital subject of Information as Power. This is the sixth volume of an effort that began in 2006. The anthology is an important component of an effort to coordinate and recommend the design, development and integration of content and courses related to the information element of power into the curriculum to prepare our students for senior leadership positions."

Collins Center Update, Volume 14, Issue 2 (Spring 2012) Colonel Rick Schwartz, Professor B.F. Griffard, Profs Alan G. Bourque, Eugene L. Thompson, Professor John (Jef) Troxell Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

In Support of the Common Defense Journal - Volume 1 Bert B. Tussing, Kurt Crytzer, Steve Carney Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "An unspoken standard of the Armed Forces has always been, “When the nation is least ready, we must be most ready.” While that rings clear as far as warfare is concerned, it is not nearly so when it comes to the realm of domestic security. In spite of strategies that continue to espouse homeland security and homeland defense as “job one,” woefully few in the Department of Defense have studied the issues, the intricacies, and the nuances that necessarily surround the use of the military in the domestic environment. "

Collins Center Update, Volume 14, Issue 1 (Winter 2012) Colonel Barry Di Ruzza, Dr. Mark A. Van Dyke, Professor William Waddell, Colonel Sam White, Professor Bert Tussing, Colonel Steve Carney Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

Mexico and the Triple Threat Sharon L Cardash, Frank J Cilluffo, Prof Bert B Tussing Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership, The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) "Trying to decipher the news coming out of Mexico these days is enough to give an observer whiplash. The signals are conflicting to say the least. On the one hand, there are horrific accounts of the most brutal violence, including beheadings and disembowelments. On the other hand, there are encouraging reports that the country is making economic and other headway, so much so that levels of illegal immigration to the United States are declining. In point of fact, both depictions are true. But consolidating the latter gains, so they take further root and help improve the lot of an ever-wider circle of Mexico’s people, will require stability. And that is an element in short supply today, thanks to the hybrid of crime, terrorist tactics, and insurgency, particularly in the five Mexican states where violence is the most highly concentrated."

The Causes and Implications of the 2008 Financial Crisis COL Robert D Bradford III Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The financial crisis of 2008 shocked markets and led to a global recession. Failure of the financial markets caused economies to shrink resulting in hardship and loss around the world. In our modern connected world, few nations escaped the consequences of the crisis. This huge financial crisis diminished the economic strength of our nation, with significant implications for our national defense. This paper will address competing views of the causes of the crisis, and will discuss some of its potential impacts, including its impact on U.S. national security."

Chinese Five Year Plans: An Economic Catalyst? LTC Troy D Galloway Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "China’s embrace of globalization in a measured manner is a direct result of the communist nation’s reliance on five-year national development plans to guide its growth and economic reform. This gradualist approach has worked well in moving the economy towards reform while avoiding significant risk. This short essay will discuss the linkages that exist between the significant Chinese economic success of the last 30 years and the communist five-year plans that have outlined many of the nation’s economic reforms."

Economics of National Security: "Unfunding" Terror LTC Mark W Holzer Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The discussion of how best to deprive terrorist organizations of funding is necessarily broad because of the numerous means people have devised to acquire and move funds for whatever purpose they intend. How seriously the United States takes this issue can be seen just in the number of statutory provisions that have been adopted and the diligence with which we update terror-associated lists that are aimed at depriving terrorists of funds. While it is clearly a matter of concern, the National Security Strategy’s treatment of this topic is very broad and is discussed only within fairly limited contexts. The muted language of the National Security Strategy (NSS) may simply be a realistic assessment of the difficulties we face in trying to dry up terrorist funding streams and the challenges of evaluating our efforts in spite of the fairly broad approach that has been undertaken in the past decade."

Is Brazil Actually Ready to be a World Economic Power? COL Vance F Stewart III Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Brazil, a large and populous country, is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and long-standing ties and traditions to Europe; it is seen as a leader among the nations of the South American continent. Brazil’s ascendancy into the world’s diplomatic and economic leadership circles has been fueled by an amazing ten-year span of economic growth, backed by sound government budgeting and responsible social programs to improve its citizens’ quality of life. It is worth examining though, to ensure that this success has laid a foundation for continued, sustained growth or will it represent a brief moment of glory; with Brazil destined to lapse back into the mediocrity of a developing nation, saddled by crushing poverty, unequal income distribution, crime, and corruption? The question remains, is Brazil actually ready to be a world economic leader? In order to answer the question, this paper will review Brazil’s growth over the past ten years, examine relevant economic indicators, and analyze problem areas that may inhibit or derail future, sustainable progress."