What is Policy Research For? Reflections on the United States’ Failures in Syria
In: Middle East Law and GovernanceDebates over the Syrian civil war and the role of u.s. policy have brought into sharp relief the dilemmas of policy research. When the basic thrust of policy seems immovable irrespective of events on the ground, how should researchers respond? Should influencing policy be the animating objective of policy research? Who exactly should our work be directed to? This article considers the evolution of the Obama administration’s u.s.-Syria policy and what it has meant for those of us in the policy community who (apparently futilely) wrote in favor of a fundamentally different course of action. Two approaches to policy research are discussed in detail as they relate to Syria. The first is to accept the narrow constraints of policymaking and tailor one’s recommendations accordingly. The second is to not accept “reality” as a given and to write about what should happen, however unlikely it might be. In the second approach, the priority is on shaping public debate as well as influencing internal dynamics within government, rather than on tangible policy outcomes.
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1
David Rothkopf, “Obama’s ‘Don’t Do Stupid Shit’ Foreign Policy,” Foreign Policy, June 4, 2014, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/06/04/obama_dont_do_stupid_shit_foreign_policy_bowe_bergdahl.
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3
James Downie, “When Numbers Lie,” New Republic, April 1, 2011, http://www.newrepublic.com/article/world/86090/libya-death-toll-war-qadaffi.
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5
Josh Rogin, “Obama’s Syria Aid: Too Late?,” The Daily Beast, June 13, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/13/obama-s-syria-aid-too-late.html.
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9
Fred Hof, “Saving Syria Is No ‘Fantasy,’” Politico, August 11, 2014, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/08/mr-president-saving-syria-is-no-fantasy-109923.html#ixzz3hmnRmAl4.
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13
Michael R. Gordon, “Troop ‘Surge’ Took Place Amid Doubt and Debate,” New York Times, August 30, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/washington/31military.html?_r=0.
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15
Steven A. Cook, “It’s Time to Think Seriously About Intervening in Syria,” The Atlantic, January 17,2012, http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/its-time-to-think-seriously-about-intervening-in-syria/251468/?single_page=true.
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17
Shadi Hamid, “Why We Have a Responsibility to Protect Syria,” The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/why-we-have-a-responsibility-to-protect-syria/251908/.
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20
Nir Rosen, “Panel – Political Transition and Power-sharing in Syria: Views from the Region,” Syria Conference, Copenhagen, May 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqrmkifHyjI.
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24
By June 25, 2015, that figure stood at over $4 billion: usaid, “Syria,” u.s. Agency for International Development, August 4, 2015, http://www.usaid.gov/crisis/syria. eu claims 3.7 billion euros (or $4.06 billion) donated since January 2012: European Commission, “Syria,” ec Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, 9 July 2015, http://ec.europa.eu/echo/where/middle-east-north-africa/syria_en.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 261 | 93 | 0 |
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What is Policy Research For? Reflections on the United States’ Failures in Syria
In: Middle East Law and GovernanceDebates over the Syrian civil war and the role of u.s. policy have brought into sharp relief the dilemmas of policy research. When the basic thrust of policy seems immovable irrespective of events on the ground, how should researchers respond? Should influencing policy be the animating objective of policy research? Who exactly should our work be directed to? This article considers the evolution of the Obama administration’s u.s.-Syria policy and what it has meant for those of us in the policy community who (apparently futilely) wrote in favor of a fundamentally different course of action. Two approaches to policy research are discussed in detail as they relate to Syria. The first is to accept the narrow constraints of policymaking and tailor one’s recommendations accordingly. The second is to not accept “reality” as a given and to write about what should happen, however unlikely it might be. In the second approach, the priority is on shaping public debate as well as influencing internal dynamics within government, rather than on tangible policy outcomes.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 261 | 93 | 0 |
| Full Text Views | 223 | 37 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 154 | 115 | 0 |