The January Term Decision Game 2008
January 6-15, 2008

See the 2008 Photos

The American Foreign Policy Decision Game:
Critical Issues in Asian Diplomacy

Get a glimpse of how American foreign policy decisions are really made.  How will the US Government approach some basic issues as the rise of China, North Korea's nuclear program, instability in South Asia, and trade conflicts?

The students will first receive background lectures from high-level government officials, media representatives, and foreign policy experts on a series of substantive issues such as Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, the North Korean nuclear program, and China and Taiwan.  Past speakers have included Michael O'Hanlon of Brookings, Tony Blinken, the minority chief of staff, Barry Lowenkron, the Assistant Secretary of Democracy and Human Rights, and distinguished experts from think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment. The students will then be divided into groups to represent various agencies and organizations including the National Security Council, Pentagon, State Department, CIA, media, and non-governmental community.  Armed with the briefing books prepared by the Osgood Center, the students will formulate, present and debate policy solutions for the major issues the United States faces Asia with the instructor, Shelton Williams, playing the role of President.

How the Game is Played:

THE DECISION GAME

Decision-Situations:

Organization of Delegations

1. Congress – Members include chairmen or Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Finance Committee, and House Appropriations Committee. Each member is autonomous, though they may coordinate their decisions and working arrangements if possible.
2. Department of Defense – Members include Secretary of Defense (a civilian), and three Joint Chiefs of Army, Navy, and Air Force. Rules – The Secretary’s decision is final, unless all three chiefs vote against the Secretary.
3. Media – Members include analysts from the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and CBS television. No rules, no voting. Members decide own decision-making procedure.
4. National Security Council – Members include National Security Council Advisor and three assistants. The Advisor’s decision is final, though the assistants have the right, if all agree, to present their case to the Secretary of State. His agreement with the assistants overrides the Advisor.
5. State Department – Members include Secretary of State and three assistant secretaries. The Secretary’s decision is final, though the assistants have the right, if all agree, to present their case to the National Security Council Advisor. His agreement with the Assistant Secretaries overrides the Secretary of State.
6. The Intelligence Community – Members include the Director and four senior analysts. The IC has the right to present its position to the President in private.
7. The NGO community – members include the Heads of the Arms Control Association, the Center for Strategic Studies, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, and the American Enterprise Institute.  Position is determined by majority vote.

Game

The President, the unimpeachable Shelton Williams, will spin the wheel of fate to determine which Decision Situation prevails for the session. Then he will spin the wheel to see which Agency of Group will announce its “Bottom Line Trial Balloon,” that is, the delegation’s policy proposal delivered without options and with only brief rationale. There will follow negotiating sessions among the representatives. For the President to adopt a group’s proposal, the proposal must have the support of either the NGO and media or Congress and the support of three out of four government agencies.

Scoring

To the victor of the Decision Game goes the most coveted prize in Washington – the President’s Ear. To gain the President’s Ear, an agency or group must amass 1000 Potomac Points. Potomac Points may be gained by:

1. Gaining Presidential approval of a proposal – 500 points.
2. Amending a proposal successfully – 250 points.
3. Blocking a proposal (this must be announced as an official opposition to a proposal) –250 points.
4. Shifting the blame for an unsuccessful proposal to another group or agency (which has not announced formal opposition). This occurs when a group who fails takes a “Point of Buck Passing Privilege” and requests a vote to blame another agency (to be identified) for the proposal’s failure. If four out of the five groups agree, then the agency gains 500 points.

NOTE: A group’s intellectual or organizational deficiency even though pointed out by another group, is its own failure. Votes taken on this issue must be explained.

Procedure

1. There will be three approximately four-hour sessions
2. Each session will consist of:
   1. Opening statements by the groups (one hour maximum).
   2. Spinning of the wheel of fate and announcement of a “Bottom Line Trial Balloon” (fifteen minutes maximum).
   3. Initial explanatory negotiating – initiating group explaining reasoning (in secret) to other groups (forty-five minutes maximum).
   4. Intra-Agency consideration (forty-five minutes maximum).
   5. Last Ditch Negotiating (forty-five minutes maximum).
   6. Voting and explanation of voting (fifteen minutes maximum).
3. Potomac points may be awarded or taken away by the president for the following reasons:
   1. Failure to “focus” on the real issues involved – 50 points.
   2. Tendency to stonewall without sufficient political reason – 50 points.
   3. Failure to understand a proposal’s impact on own agency – 100 points.
   4. Failure to have an amendment accepted (only two amendments per proposal will be accepted. Each must be accepted by the initiating agency and by three of the remaining groups at the time the amendment’s officially offered) – 100 points.
4. Ranking:
   1. Under 100 points – The John Kerry “Good Effort” Award.
   2. From 100-250 points – The Bureaucratic Lightweight Award.
   3. From 250-500 points – The Vice-Presidential Commendation for Excellence in Government Award.
   4. From 500-900 points – The Best and the Brightest Award (plus two weeks in the hospital with Potomac Fever).
   5. 1000 points – The President’s Ear.
5. Functional Responsibilities – Each group will designate people to fulfill the following roles:
   1. Delegation Head.
   2. Negotiator.
   3. Spokesman.
   4. Presidential Liaison
       

Housing, 2008

This year, the housing for the ILC is arranged with the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Downtown Washington, DC. The Homewood Suites is located two blocks from SAIS and six blocks from the White House, in the vicinity of the famed Embassy Row, among many of the various embassies. Accommodations feature suites with separate living and sleeping quarters, a full kitchen, two televisions, and high-speed internet access. The hotel also provides a complimentary hot breakfast complete with sausage, eggs, and other traditional breakfast favorites, as well as a complimentary reception Monday through Thursday evenings, featuring hot entrees.

1475 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 1-202-265-8000

Program Costs

Application Fee                       $100
Housing Fee                           $550
Program Fee                           $500
Total Cost:                             $1,150

Reduced program fees if institutions send either five plus or ten plus students.

NOTE:  The Osgood Center presents affordable programs for all.  Fees, housing, and incidental charges are set to allow wide participation.  Our policies regarding fees are thus: application fees are not refundable; program fees are due in full prior to events and are not refundable after two weeks prior an event; and housing fees, while optional, are due in full prior to an event and are never refundable after one month prior an event.

Students must sign waivers upon arriving for Osgood events and must provide own medical and health insurance.

Student Takes Hands-On Approach to Learn Foreign Policy-Making

Print the Application 

See the Decision Game Photos for 2007