White House Workshop

International Turmoil and Economic Uncertainty

June 9-11, 2015
September 22-24, 2015

Second terms have not been kind to recent presidents, and Barack Obama's second term may be no exception. With the November congressional elections promising changes on Capitol Hill, the administration is attempting to rally its voter base; but a weak job market and stagnant economy promise to make that difficult job even harder.

Border security, scandals within the IRS and Veterans Administration, the unpopularity of the Affordable Care Act, and continuing fiscal problems have led to a polarized political scene—testing the ability of the White House to enact major initiatives in the President’s second term.

There is no respite in the international sphere which is also witnessing polarizing transformations that portend sweeping challenges to the Department of Defense and the U.S. military budget. The war in Gaza, Russia's increasing aggressiveness in Ukraine, and the expanding threat of terrorism in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East have fueled serious debates about White House policy.

This three-day off-the-record seminar will offer a faculty of high-level, internationally recognized experts who will discuss the domestic and global implications of administration policies and their impact on executive leadership in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence community.

SEMINAR TOPICS

• The Presidency and Congress: Recent Lessons in Policy, Politics and Polarization
• The Re-emergence of Socialism and the Implications to U.S. Economic and National Security Interests
• The President and Public Opinion
• Middle East Update: New Security Threats in the Region
• The Syrian Crisis and Its Spillover Effect
• Washington's Blind Spots: Why Politicians Cannot See the World As It Is
• Debt, Deficits, and Unemployment: The Real Cause and Will the Administration Fix It?
• How Has the Obama Presidency Transformed America?
• An Historical Overview of the Presidency and the Media
• The European Union: The Political and Historical Context of the "Euro-Zone" Crisis
• Afghanistan: Between the Push of Pakistan and the Pull of India
• Latin America: Hemispheric Cooperation or Noncooperation - American Interests in the Region
• The Ukraine and Rethinking the “Reset” in U.S.-Russian Relations
• The Geopolitics of Energy
• The Iran Challenge: The Political and Economic Dynamics of the Islamic Republic
• The Administration and Industry: DOD and the Politics of Acquisition
• Presidential Leadership in Times of Crisis
• The Current State of U.S.-China Relations: Challenges to U.S. National Interests

*NOTE: The above list highlights topics presented in previous Alan L. Freed Associates White House Workshops.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

After participating in the White House Workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the key decision makers who are involved in the policy-making and policy implementation processes and the institutional perspectives from which they offer advice and make judgments;
2. Think strategically and tactically about how to affect policy-making and policy implementation, how to anticipate reactions to that policy in the United States and abroad, and how to avoid unintended consequences that flow from poor policy judgments;
3. Improve cultural and historic awareness of the political, legal, and institutional environment in which domestic and foreign policy-making and policy implementation occur;
4. Enhance critical synthetic and analytical skills necessary to advise senior officials in the making and evaluation of public policy;
5. Be sensitized to the changing situational conditions that affect past, current, and future policy judgments.

 

PROGRAM MODERATORS

A highly qualified Program Moderator will facilitate dialogue between the speakers and participants over the course of the three-day seminar. View moderator biographies.

 

FEE

The fee for the workshop is $1,485 per person. The program will feature approximately 12-15 separate presentations. Also included are daily continental breakfast and working luncheon. The workshop will be held in a private meeting room at the Capitol Hill Club. An on-site staff person will assist participants as needed and coordinate daily activities. (Please check Registration Page for fees for two-day Capitol Hill Workshops in Aberdeen, MD and Dayton/Fairborn, OH).

 

REGISTRATION

The target audience for these workshops are civilians (GS-13 and above) and military O-4 and above). Others who have a special interest in the subject, need-to-know, or are in key positions may apply. Workshop space is limited to assure participants ample time for open discussion with presenters. Upon registration, attendees will receive confirmation via email. Cancellations will be accepted in writing up to two weeks prior to each program. After that time, substitutions will be accepted. The Agency will be billed if registration is cancelled after the deadline.

If you have any questions or need further information, please call Iris Fernandez or Patricia Patton at 703-684-8807.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The White House Workshops will be held in private meeting rooms at the Capitol Hill Club, located at 300 First Street, SE, in Washington, DC. The Club is directly across the street from the Capitol South Metro Station (Blue and Orange Lines). Business attire for participants is required. Military uniform is optional.

Reporting information concerning registration time and meeting room assignment will be sent to all participants approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of each program. The meeting room will open at 7:45 am and seminars will be conducted from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

These programs are informal and strictly "off-the-record." No video, power point or audio-visual aids are utilized in seminar presentations.

 

Register Today