'Informed Citizen'™ Software for Understanding
International Treaties and Agreements
Features: In this application, users would respond to sets of
questions that explore how the terms of a treaty or agreement are supposed to
enhance the well-being of individuals, social groups, and the environment in all
nations affected by them. If the treaty reflects religious or
philosophical views of the cosmos as a whole that have some bearing on its
political implications, then users may respond to questions on this level as
well.
The application first asks users to provide a brief introduction to the
treaty. The user then moves on to the analytical component
of the application. This component
has the same sections and subsections as the "Foreign
Relations" section of "The Framework for Analysis and
Evaluation." In each section, the software will first provide a
set of 'Assumptions' taken directly from the analytical framework. It will
then present the user with questions based on those Assumptions. For
example, the Assumptions in a particular section may describe the three social
sectors -- the market, the state, and civil society. The questions in this
section ask the user to describe how the treaty would likely affect
relationships between these social sectors in all nations affected by it.
The software would provide scrolling response boxes
under each
question. Users would simply respond to each question and, when they
are finished, the program would convert the questions and responses into a 'Treaty Profile' that lists the questions and responses for each section.
This Profile could then be saved, printed, or e-mailed to others. Our staff
will compose our own Treaty Profiles which we will post on our web site for
public review.
Since all of our applications share the same basic format, citizens may consult
Treaty Profiles created with this application as they use our "'Citizen
Choice'™
Software for Evaluating International Treaties and Agreements." For example, they may consult the section on
national and international social sectors in the Treaty Profile as they evaluate
the treaty's possible effects on relationships between these sectors.
In addition, this software
could be used by PEAGs in order to describe and defend their own proposals
for international treaties and agreements.
CURRICULUM NOTE: In the 'Dialogue in
the Public Square' Curriculum, students may use this application to propose and
defend their own mock treaties. If students do not have access to
computers, they may complete this exercise using worksheets that we will include
in our printed resources.
Introduction to a Treaty
In order to provide citizens with an introduction to the context and goals of a
proposed foreign policy, sponsors may provide the following information:
A summary of the treaty
A description of the general policy area(s) to which it is most relevant
(international trade and development, security alliances,
environmental, etc.)
A discussion of important issues or problems that the treaty addresses
A brief history of other treaties and policies that have addressed these
problems or issues
Part II: The Role of the Sponsor(s)
in the Success of a Treaty
Does the treaty reflect the personal qualities of the sponsor(s)
(moral character, psychological health, professional competence)?
How does the treaty relate to the public philosophy of the sponsor? Is it
consistent with his or her philosophy or does it seem to contradict this
philosophy? (address and treaty also!)
Will the personal qualities of the sponsor(s) affect the passage and
implementation of the treaty? If so, how?
Do the treaty's sponsors encourage an open and comprehensive debate about the
policy and the issue that it addresses?
Part ?:
Recognizing the Interests
and Influences that Shape the Treaty
Part II of our "Method for Political Analysis and Evaluation" will be presented
here. It will be followed by the questions below:
I. The Influence of the Public Philosophy of the Sponsor(s)
How does the treaty reflect the influence of the public philosophy of its
sponsor(s)?
II. The Influence of Special Interests
How does the treaty reflect the following interests and influences?
Clarify the means of influence, the policy goal of each special interest, and
the parties and public figures that have received support.
the members of the party(ies) to which its sponsor(s) belong
groups that contribute money to the sponsor(s) and her or his party
groups with large numbers of registered voters
wealthy and/or popular individuals
foreign nations
How do these interests and influences relate to the common good? In your
estimation, do they influence the treaty in ways that promote or hinder
individual development, social progress, environmental stability? If you
or the treaty's sponsor(s) espouse beliefs about the cosmos as a whole, and these beliefs
are relevant to political life, how do these influences affect this level of
organization?
III. The Influence of Public Opinion
In what ways is this treaty shaped by public opinion?
IV. Deal-Making Among Legislators
How does the treaty reflect deals that its sponsor(s) have made with other
legislators in order to build support for the policy?
Framework for Analyzing a Treaty
Introduction
The "Assumptions" from Introduction
to the "Foreign Relations" section of will be
provided here.
I. Understanding a Treaty on the Individual Level of Organization
The "Assumptions" from section
I.A-D of the "Foreign Relations" section of "The
Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here,
followed by the questions below:
How does this treaty propose to promote the following dimensions of personal
development in all nations affected by it?
Physical
Relational
Vocational/Economic
Political
Cultural
Moral
Spiritual
Artistic
How does this treaty recognizes the developmental nature of
liberty and fulfillment?
How does this treaty recognize the roles that both personal
initiative and social resources play in personal growth?
How does this treaty honor a full range of human rights and
recognize relationships between rights in the process of personal
development?
II. Understanding a Treaty on the Social Level of Organization
The "Assumptions" from section II
of the "Foreign Relations" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be provided here.
A. Evaluating the Impact of a Treaty on Social Institutions
1. Understanding the Impact of a Treaty on Institutions within Nations Affected
by It
How does this treaty promote the effective and ethical functioning of the following
institutions within those nations affected by it? I.e. How will it encourage the following groups to promote the welfare of individuals, social
groups, and the environment? How will it promote transparent decision-making
processes within the following organizations?
Families
Churches
Civic organizations
Advocacy groups that represent the interests of specific populations: the
elderly, supporters of gun rights, consumers, etc.
Nongovernmental organizations that promote political justice, economic justice, human
rights, and/or ecological stewardship
Media organizations: TV networks, radio stations; newspaper and
magazine publishers
Business Firms
Labor unions
Schools: primary, secondary, vocational, and
higher education
Charitable organizations that serve
the needs of especially vulnerable populations: the poor, elderly, etc.
Institutions that support the arts
Political parties
1a) Special Focus on Local and National Governments
How does this treaty promote the establishment of more
democratic structures of government in all nations affected by it? How
does it help governments to resist corruption and thus be more responsive to the
needs and interests of citizens?
How will this treaty affect the transparency of decision-making processes within
government bodies?
How does it affect the ability of governments to
enact and enforce legislation that is just and environmentally sound?
How does it impact the ability of national governments to efficiently maintain adequate military
capabilities?
How does it affect the ability of governments to strike a balance between spending on
military programs and on those programs that promote human development and
environmental protection?
How does this treaty advocate fair
and prudent policies for the distribution of foreign aid by signatory nations?
How does this treaty advocate a broader, more enlightened view of national security that
focuses on environmental protection and improving of the lives of citizens both
within and beyond the borders of its signatory nations?
1.a.1) The Use of Force in the National Defense: A Special Issue for National
Governments
If this treaty deals with issues related to the use of
force by signatory nations, how is this use of force justified?
Does the treaty address long-term strategies for cultivating peace and
prosperity, particularly in troubled regions of the world?
2. Evaluating the Impact of a Treaty on International Institutions
How will this treaty promote the effective and ethical functioning of the following international
institutions? I.e. How will it
encourage the following groups to promote the welfare of individuals, social
groups, and the environment? How will it promote
transparent decision-making
processes within the following organizations?
international governing organizations such as the United Nations
international alliances or blocs (such as NATO)
international religious bodies
international media organizations
international financial institutions such as the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank
other institutions that finance international development programs
institutions that regulate international trade (such as the World Trade
Organization)
international groups that serve needy or vulnerable populations --
the poor, the sick, the elderly, victims of disasters, etc.
international nongovernmental organizations that advocate economic justice, political justice,
and environmental stewardship
international labor unions
international organizations that coordinate cultural projects,
including sporting events
transnational corporations that have manufacturing and marketing
divisions in more than one nation
3. Special Institutional Focus: Evaluating the Influence
of Political Parties on International Treaties
The "Assumptions" from section II.A.3
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here. The following questions will help users to gain information that will enable
them to identify the influences that shape the foreign policy platform
of the political party(ies) to which treaty sponsor(s) and supporters belong.
How does this treaty reflect the interests of the supporters of various
particular parties?
Does it serve the interests of some party supporters in a way that is
detrimental to the welfare of individuals, social groups, and the environment?
B. Evaluating the Impact of this Treaty on Social Sectors
The "Assumptions" from section II.B
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below:
In the realm of foreign relations, what are the philosophy and policies of each
debater for promoting constructive relationships
within national governments and international governing bodies?
within the dynamics of international trade?
within the national and international levels of civil society?
between governing bodies and markets on the local, national, and international
levels?
between governing bodies and civil society on the local, national, and
international levels?
between civil society and markets on the local, national, and international
levels?
C. Evaluating the Impact of this Treaty on Different Levels of Social
Organization
The "Assumptions" from section II.C
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below:
How would this treaty affect relationships
between different levels of social organization in all nations affected by
it? Does the treaty support the principle of subsidiarity, which states that all human endeavors (economic ventures,
public policies, etc.) should be pursued and administered at a level that
is as local as possible but as centralized as necessary?
D. Evaluating the Impact of this Treaty on Different Socio-Cultural
Collectivities
The "Assumptions" from section
II.D
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below:
How would this treaty promote equal opportunities for advancement among persons
of different
Classes?
Races?
Ethnic Groups?
Religions and sects?
Genders?
Age Groups?
Sexual orientations?
III. Understanding a Treaty on the Ecological Level of Organization
The "Assumptions" from section III
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below:
How does the treaty propose
to protect
individual species?
ecosystems?
the biosphere as a whole?
Does the treaty integrate the
goals of economic growth and ecological stewardship on the international level?
IV. Understanding
a Treaty on the Cosmic Level of Organization
A. Exploring the Cosmic Views of Treaty Sponsors
and Supporters
The "Assumptions" from section IV.A
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below.
How does this treaty reflect the cosmic perspectives of its sponsors and/or
signatory nations?
Do cosmic views influence this treaty in ways that promote the welfare of individuals, social groups, and the
environment in all nations affected by it?
Does this treaty integrate cosmic views in a way that
honors the principles enshrined in your nation's Constitution?
B. Understanding a Treaty from the Perspective of
One's Own Cosmic
Views
The "Assumptions" from section IV.B
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the questions below.
Do you believe that universal principles or laws govern human affairs, such as
the principles of yin-yang or the law of karma? Do you believe in some divine plan for the universe that
guides human history (such as the coming of the Kingdom of God)? Do you
believe in some system of divine justice that operates in human affairs? If so, how
does this treaty relate to your
cosmic views? If you believe in a divine plan, how does it relate to this divine plan?
Will its possible effects around the globe further or hinder this plan? If
you believe in a cosmic system of divine justice, how does it relate to this
system? If you espouse universal laws or principles, how does it relate to
these laws and
principles? Are its possible effects consistent with or in conflict
with these laws or principles?
V. Understanding
the Impact of a Treaty on Relationships between Levels of
Organization
The "Assumptions" from section V
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided hereHow does this treaty reflect an understanding of the relationships
between the different levels of organization. How does it promote the common good
at all three levels of organization – the well-being of individuals,
social groups, and the environment -- rather than favoring one level of
organization – such as individuals -- in a way that damages the other
levels in the long term?
VI. Understanding How this Treaty Respects the Hierarchy of Values
that Exists among the Different Levels of Organization
The "Assumptions" from section VI of the
"Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the question below:
How does the treaty respect the hierarchy of values that exists among the four
levels of organization (individual, social, ecological, cosmic)?
VII. Analyzing How a Treaty Deals
with Trade-Offs between Costs and
Benefits
The "Assumptions" from section VII of the
"Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the question below.
How does the treaty justify trade-offs regarding its effects on
different individuals (i.e. how does it justify placing burdens on
some individuals for the benefit of other individuals)?
different social groups (i.e. how does it justify placing burdens on
some social groups for the benefit of other social groups)?
entities within different levels of organization (i.e. how does it justify placing
burdens on entities within one level of organization for the benefit
of entities on other levels of organization)?
VIII. Understanding the Approach to Policy-Making Represented by this Treaty
The "Assumptions" from section VII
of the "Foreign Policy" section of "The Framework for Analysis and Evaluation"
will be
provided here, followed by the question below:
Does this treaty take an experimental approach to
policy-making (provided that the experimental approach is appropriate for
the issues that this treaty addresses).
|