Policy Decision Case Study Case Study

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Public administrators now play an increasingly prominent role in policy decision-making. This is to the point where their names and likenesses become inadvertently attached by the media to a policy and its implications. A current case in point would be Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the role he plays in shaping America's policy towards Iraq. Due to the media's focus on his opinions regarding that policy, the general public has come to identify him as one of the individuals most responsible for developing and supporting it.

The war in Iraq had always been a contentious issue for both the U.S. And the world since before its inception. Now the situation in postwar Iraq has become the latest hot topic for debate. It continues to cause political battles to be fought along party lines between American policymakers in the Bush administration and those in Congress. The main issue now is in regard to how much longer the U.S. military should remain in Iraq and how well it could stabilize the country before leaving.

The major players within the U.S. government who have helped the president formulate the Iraq policy are Vice President Dick Cheney, former National Security Advisor (and future Secretary of State) Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and of course Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The State Department, Department of Defense, and CIA have been the agencies most involved with formulating and supporting the policy on Iraq since before the war. Secretary Rumsfeld and his agency have played an especially critical part in implementing the policy itself.

All the figures that were involved in formulating the Iraq policy were seen as the hawkish elements of the administration, with the possible exception of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Rumsfeld was seen as being particularly hawkish. He was often found holding opposing viewpoints regarding Iraq policy from those of Secretary of State Powell. As can be seen his viewpoints eventually won out and played an important role in the formulation of the policy.

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Soon after the policy was implemented, it polarized lawmakers and the general public. In the past, U.S. policy on postwar Iraq came under intense scrutiny both from within the U.S. And from around the world. Domestic scrutiny occurred due to the immense difficulties the U.S. military was facing there even after the war. Postwar insurgencies contributed to increasing numbers of U.S. military casualties, and the defense agency's budget was quickly rising to cover the costs of war.

International scrutiny came about after media attention focused on the state of U.S. military prisons, such as Abu Ghraib, holding Iraqis. All these factors led to much criticism and opposition towards Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and his Iraq policy. Calls for his resignation were being made, especially during the Abu Ghraib scandal, by policymakers in Congress. Rumsfeld's position in the eyes of the people changed drastically from the time when he was being praised for his handling of Afghanistan to when he began to be criticized and ridiculed for his handling of postwar Iraq.

Now as George W. Bush enters his second term in office, he is in the midst of deciding how his Cabinet should be reorganized. According to recent news articles on the topic, Bush wanted Rumsfeld to remain as defense secretary. This revealed the level of confidence Bush has towards Rumsfeld's handling of Iraq. Rumsfeld, for his part, will not change the U.S. military situation in Iraq; he wants to continue its presence there. Thus, this issue will continue to play out as a contentious debate between policymakers in Congress and the administration.

Congressional Democrats will observe how successfully the administration can get Iraqis ready for elections in January 2005. They will also observe how it handles the aftermath of the prison scandal as it continues to investigate and prosecute those involved in that. The success or failure of both these endeavors will be factors towards deciding whether the overall policy….....

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