Public Policy Commons^™

Beyond The Tour: Designing Graduate Library Orientations That Build Research Confidence And Belonging, Megan York

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Graduate student orientations often lean heavily on logistics: where to find resources, how to log in, and which services the library offers. While this information is important, it rarely addresses the deeper needs of graduate learners. Many of the students I work with arrive on campus already balancing careers, families, and demanding academic programs. At the University of Arkansas, graduate orientations in the College of Education and Health Professions frequently take place on weekends, serving students who travel from out of state and receive an overwhelming amount of information in a short time. For them, orientation is not simply a …

Living In Liberal Areas Reduced Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Conservatives, Brittany L. Kmush, Rachel E. Dinero

Population Health Research Brief Series

Political divisions shaped public health responses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with conservatives expressing higher vaccine hesitancy than liberals. But does where conservatives live matter? This brief summarizes findings from a study using survey data from 683 U.S. adults (ages 18-94) collected March-April 2023, combined with 2020 presidential election results by zip code. The authors found that liberals consistently had low vaccine hesitancy and high uptake regardless of where they lived, but conservatives living in lower Trump vote share communities reported lower vaccine hesitancy and higher vaccination and booster uptake than conservatives in high Trump vote share communities. This pattern was …

Spies, Lies, And Algorithms, Nalonie J.M. Tyrell

Joint Force Quarterly

In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, Amy B. Zegart challenges popular “spytainment” myths while offering a clear-eyed assessment of the past, present, and future of American intelligence. Reviewed by Nalonie J.M. Tyrrell, the book serves as both an accessible primer and a strategic warning. Zegart surveys the evolution of the U.S. intelligence community, covering covert action, counterintelligence, oversight, and the growing importance of open-source intelligence. She argues that intelligence agencies are ill-prepared for twenty-first-century challenges posed by empowered adversaries, data overload, technological diffusion, and weak ties to innovation ecosystems such as Silicon Valley. …

The State And The Soldier, Lindsay L. Rodman

Joint Force Quarterly

In The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relation in the United States, Kori Schake offers a concise, historically grounded examination of U.S. civil-military relations from the Founding to the present. Reviewed by Lindsay L. Rodman, the book challenges alarmist narratives by demonstrating that the U.S. military has consistently upheld civilian control, meeting two core tests of democratic stability: presidential authority over senior officers and military compliance with contested policies. Schake moves beyond Huntington’s model of strict civilian–military separation, weaving insights from civil-military scholarship and historical case studies to argue for a more pragmatic understanding rooted in …

Collisions, Peter R. Carkhuff

Joint Force Quarterly

This book review assesses Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability by Michael Kimmage, a contemporary history that interprets the war in Ukraine as the product of overlapping geopolitical collisions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. The reviewer, Peter R. Carkhuff, highlights Kimmage’s central argument that the conflict emerged from Russia’s drive to control Ukraine, Ukraine’s strategic vulnerability, Western ambivalence toward Ukrainian sovereignty, and Vladimir Putin’s perception of American decline. The review emphasizes the book’s strength in contextualizing leadership decisionmaking through multiple perspectives and its use of historical, political, and personal sources …

U.S. Arctic Sea Lines Of Communication (Sloc): The Imperative For A Maritime Complex And Corridor In The Bering Region, Samuel A. Krakower, Troy J. Bouffard

Joint Force Quarterly

This paper examines the current American capacity to defend its newfound Sea Lines of Communication in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The history, and importance, of Sea Lines of Communication trace back to great naval strategists such as Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett, and consistent protection of these maritime corridors in times of war and peace led to the success of the United States. As the Arctic Region emerges as a new theater of geopolitical importance, the United States finds itself significantly disadvantaged or "strategically handicapped” in terms of presence, capability, and proximity to defend …

What’S Old Is New: Lsco Casualty Evacuation In The 21st Century, Jonathan S. Pederson

Joint Force Quarterly

A future Large Scale Combat Operation (LSCO) fight will present new challenges and require different strategies and tactics than currently employed to adequately evacuate and treat the large numbers of expected casualties. Methods used in the past will be resurrected and revamped, and new innovations will be required.

Combating Iuu Fishing In The South American Pacific: An Opportunity To Counter Chinese Influence Closer To Home, Alexander E. Goodno

Joint Force Quarterly

A relatively small enterprise that began three decades ago in response to dwindling Chinese squid fisheries, China’s South American distant water fishing fleet has grown exponentially to now number nearly 500 vessels and creates a growing problem for the Pacific coastal nations of South America. By establishing itself at the forefront in combatting illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing (IUUF) activities off the Pacific coast of South America, the United States can strengthen its role as a leader in the Western Hemisphere and counter growing Chinese influence in South America. This paper will demonstrate how America can achieve this end by …

The Cyber Deterrence Dilemma: Parallels Between Cyber And Intelligence Special Operations, Jorge R. Kravetz Msc

Joint Force Quarterly

The dilemma of cyber deterrence, alongside its potential failures, has gained increasing academic attention, though its parallels with traditional special operations remain less examined. Cyber and special operations—often covert activities involving espionage, sabotage, and subversion, generally linked to strategic or military intelligence—typically evade standard deterrence mechanisms. Drawing on a theoretical framework of deterrence, academic literature, historical cases, and qualitative analyses, this article argues that deterrence tends to fail when deterrers manage to destabilize an adversary without causing significant strategic impacts on the target’s power, economic, or social dynamics, as well as on international relations. Retaliation, shaped by implicit agreements or …

Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, And The Enduring Value Of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles, Michaela Dodge

Joint Force Quarterly

"Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, and the Enduring Value of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles" by Michaela Dodge examines two critical components of contemporary U.S. and Ukrainian security strategy: the enduring value of U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the structure and operational evolution of Ukrainian special forces. ICBMs remain the most responsive leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, providing deterrence against nuclear and conventional threats, assuring allies, and supporting strategic flexibility in an era of rising nuclear competition from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Despite aging systems and modernization challenges, ICBMs continue to underpin U.S. national security. At the same …

A Primer On Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint, Kevin D. Stringer, Taisiia Vivdych

Joint Force Quarterly

"A Primer on Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint" by Kevin D. Stringer and Taisiia Vivdych examines the evolution, structure, and operations of Ukrainian special operations forces (SOF), highlighting key distinctions from U.S. and NATO models. Tracing their lineage from Soviet spetsnaz to contemporary formations, it analyzes the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Command (USOFCOM), State Security Service’s Special Operations Center Alfa (SOCA), Rapid Response Corps (KORD), the 10th Separate Operational Response Unit (DOZOR), Foreign Intelligence Service (SZR) units, and the volunteer Kraken Regiment under the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). Ukrainian SOF are dispersed across military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, …

Breadth Or Depth: The Ongoing Battle In Professional Military Education, Ryan Wadle, Heather Venable

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the ongoing and oftentimes heated debates on the curricula in Professional Military Education institutions and the guidance provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By studying the "breadth" of conflict and the national security environment, PME graduates can best apply their knowledge and skills at the intersection of military strategy and political objectives where they can be the most effective.

Ukraine, The U.S. Defense Industrial Base, And The Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge, Bryce Loidolt

Joint Force Quarterly

“Ukraine, the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, and the Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge” by Bryce Loidolt examines why U.S. efforts to rapidly increase munitions production during Russia’s war in Ukraine produced uneven results. While crisis-era authorities, funding, and contracting flexibility allowed the Department of War to move quickly after 2022, this article argues that post-crisis actions alone did not determine surge success. Instead, variation in production increases across key munitions - Stinger, Javelin, GMLRS, and PAC-3 MSE, was largely driven by pre-crisis procurement decisions and associated investments in capacity, supply chains, and obsolescence management. Drawing on historical analysis and case …

Cognitive Warfare And Organizational Design: Leveraging Ai To Reshape Military Decision-Making, Michael Silver, Kellen Sick, Matthew Snyder, Justin Farnell, Justin E. Farnell

Joint Force Quarterly

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is transforming modern warfare, particularly in decision-making. To maintain its strategic edge, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) must accelerate AI/ML adoption within its decision-making. This paper examines the organizational design factors that influence AI/ML integration in the Joint Force, applying a modified Star Model framework that includes People, Structure, Processes, Incentives, and Leadership & Management.

Effective AI/ML adoption is not just a technological challenge, but a behavioral and organizational one. Possessing AI tools alone is insufficient; realizing their full potential requires adapting how …

Fabrication At The Tactical Edge, Aubry J. Eaton, Dustin T. Thomas

Joint Force Quarterly

This research reviews empirical evidence of rapid battlefield fabrication efforts and proposes potential new uses of this technology. It recommends that the joint force must undergo a paradigm shift to view battlefield manufacturing as an inherent component of force projection with potentially decisive impact across the spectrum of conflict. It proposes a doctrinal concept for Fabrication At The Tactical Edge (FATE), defining the technologies that enable this concept. FATE offsets adversary capabilities by imposing asymmetric costs while making U.S. forces difficult to predict. Unlike prior studies on military innovation, this research focuses on manufacturing itself as a weapon system. If …

Influence By Design: A Network Strategy For Integrated Deterrence, Robert S. Hinck

Joint Force Quarterly

Confronting the complexity of the future security environment requires new concepts to coordinate efforts for maximum effect. The 2022 National Defense Strategy appropriately identifies integrated deterrence as the centerpiece of these efforts but criticisms regarding its strategic application remain. While integrated deterrence is associated with one set of national security strategies, its points of emphasis will endure. This essay addresses current limitations of the concept by offering a tangible and theoretically grounded approach connecting the ends, ways, and means by which the Joint Force and interagency, in combination with US allies and partners, can enact integrated deterrence across the spectrum …

Executive Summary, William T. Eliason

Joint Force Quarterly

In the Executive Summary of Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) 119, Editor in Chief Dr. William T. Eliason reflects on the journal’s 32-year evolution and shares transitions in its production. With the next arrival of JFQ 120, the National Defense University Press will reduce print circulation in favor of digital distribution due to fiscal and media landscape changes, marking JFQ 119 as the last broadly printed edition. The issue also recognizes the retirement of longtime Executive Editor Dr. Jeffrey D. Smotherman, whose 25-year tenure shaped the journal’s excellence. Eliason previews timely research on deterrence, AI-enabled decisionmaking, defense industrial readiness, …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 119, 4th Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) 119 examines the evolving challenges and innovations shaping the U.S. joint force and professional military education. Key themes include tactical-level manufacturing (“Fabrication at the Tactical Edge”), the ongoing debate over curriculum focus in professional military education (“Breadth or Depth in PME”), and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in decisionmaking for military operations. Together, these articles and others highlight the dynamic intersection of technology, strategy, and education in modern defense. This issue highlights how digital transformation, industrial capability, and intellectual agility are vital to maintaining strategic advantage across domains of competition and conflict.

Influential Factors In Agricultural Technology Adoption By Maize Farmers In Tanzania: Insights From The 2020–21 National Panel Survey, Rebecca Yauleni, Wiggins Kyatikila, Cornel Joseph

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract

In many developing countries, agriculture remains a vital source of food, employment, and income. The adoption of agricultural technologies can boost farm revenue and productivity, reduce food insecurity, and lessen poverty. This study investigates the main factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt fertilizers, improved seeds, soil conservation practices, and pesticides in Tanzania. The analysis uses cross-sectional data from the fifth wave of the Tanzania National Panel Survey (TNPS), and employs an ordered probit model. The findings revealed that access to extension services, higher household years of schooling, poor soil quality, livestock ownership, and use of hired labour significantly increase …

Data Centers In Mountain West Markets, 2026, Cason Noll, Krish Sharma, Maisoon Faris, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet reports on the distribution and geographic concentration of data centers across the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah as of March 6th, 2026. Using data from DataCenterMap, this fact sheet examines the number of data centers in each Mountain West state and further analyzes market-level  distribution, defined as cities within each state where data centers are located. The data are used to compare state totals and to rank Mountain West markets from highest to lowest based on the number of data centers operating in that area.