How Executive Decision Works
You are the President. Your chief of staff and selected advisors will present you with a
political or policy dilemma. Sometimes the dilemma will be drawn directly from
issues that President Clinton has had to face. Others will
reflect choices that a future President might confront. Sometimes there will be
as few as two options (e.g., send troops to engage in a foreign
conflict, or don't), and occasionally you will have to choose from
several.
Each of your policy options will be explained to you in a short memo, written by
a policy adviser who strongly advocates that course of action. Read each memo
carefully. Think hard about the issue or issues involved.
Like any President, you will have to consider the short-term political
implications of your options. But overall, we, your constituents, expect
that the primary calculus should be based on the public good. Which
decision is best for the country as a whole?
The scenario will be posted for two weeks. After that we will post the
final results, with a breakdown by political party of who chose which option.
The Concept
We've tried to make these scenarios simultaneously complex and
simple -- complex enough so that you're forced to think about multiple sides of
an issue, and simple enough so that the policy options can be summed up in
brief memos. Our goal is to offer policy options that are both
reasonable and viable. We will also strive to blur the partisan lines that
can choke off real debate. In other words, options won't readily
fall into traditional liberal and conservative categories. We want this to
be a learning experience rather than a test of political reflexes.
Sending in Your Executive Decision
To send in your decision, simply fill out the form below the memo and select
"Execute Decision." You will then have a chance to discuss the scenario and
your decision with other Presidents in our interactive forum, Post and Riposte.
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