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Civilian Capacity

 Despite America's superpower status, the U.S. government is not as effective as it should be in conducting our day-to-day relations with the rest of the world. Leaders of the US military have been among the most outspoken advocates of boosting our civilian capacity, since they often must fill the gap and perform civilian functions such as reconstruction and even diplomacy itself.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the emergence of transnational challenges from terrorism to climate change, reveal the limits of military power and the need for all three legs of U.S. foreign and national security policy – diplomacy, development, and defense – to work together more effectively.  They also require the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to play a more significant role in responding to crises and shaping U.S. foreign policy.  However, State and USAID are not yet prepared to take on the demands of that role.  They are not appropriately organized or sufficiently resourced; they lack not only a strong tradition of tying their operations to long-term strategic planning, but also the organizational structures and cultures necessary to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. 

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) has done extensive work to this end since its founding in 2007 including:

Managing 21st-Century Diplomacy: Lessons from Global Corporations, by CNAS Vice President and Director of Studies Kristin Lord and Senior Fellow Richard Fontaine, December 2010

Beyond Borders: Developing Comprehensive National Security Policies to Address Complex Regional Challenges, by CNAS Senior Advisor Patrick Cronin and Fellow Brian Burton, December 2010

Planning Diplomacy and Development: Force Planning Applications for the State Department and USAID, by CNAS Fellow Brian Burton, August 2010

Eye to the Future: Refocusing State Department Policy Planning, by CNAS Senior Fellow Richard Fontaine and Fellow Brian Burton, August 2010

Contractors in American Conflicts: Adapting to a New Reality by Richard Fontaine and Dr. John A. Nagl, June 2010

Engaging the Private Sector for the Public Good: The Power of Network Diplomacy, by CNAS Vice President and Director of Studies Dr. Kristin M. Lord, January 2010

Learning from Experience: Lessons from the QDR for the QDDR, by CNAS Research Associate Brian Burton, January 2010

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