This news story first appeared on November 16, 2012. For more information click here.

By Katelyn Gough, SMU Daily Campus; November 16, 2012

“What you have here for the next 24 hours is a ringside seat.”

Adm. Patrick Walsh addressed attendees of SMU’s Tower Center’s two-day National Security Conference Wednesday night with a keynote address that zeroed in on one of the “most thorneous problems we could ever imagine.”

Walsh spent the next hour analyzing the country’s defense program as it pertains to both national and international levels on the basis of three categories: “man, the state and war.”

“Nations are watching with keen interest our ability to remain forward, engaged and ready,” Walsh said of the current state of defense.

In his discussion of what many are calling a security “crisis” for the U.S., Walsh presented the audience with a comparative look at the country’s defense system pre- and post-9/11. With the event that “moved our country into unprecedented global conflict,” Walsh said that the 2001 terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda made perfectly clear “the impact of the individual for war and for peace.”

“The investment requirement now is something extraordinarily different,” Walsh said, referring to the budgetary tie-in to the defense program.

The Sept. 11 attacks put the U.S. back into a prominent, deeply woven international involvement that needs infinitely more funding than more “inactive” years prior.

“The biggest challenge by far to our security structure is its sustainability,” Walsh said.

He emphasized the need to “make wise investments” in the country’s military health so as confine and limit the diversity of “barbarous acts” of terrorism growing on nearly every continent.

“The real possibility exists for conflict that is not at the time or place of our choosing,” Walsh said.

Walsh explained that preparedness and accepting the fact that the U.S. doesn’t “have the force of [pre-9/11] because we don’t have that world anymore” was essential in being able to combat any and all security threats beyond the anticipation and watch of the country’s military.

He used past American military tactics, organization and actions as evidence of a knowledge base the country has and can use to its advantage even in a post-9/11 world.

“[We need to] understand how to unlock what we’ve already invested,” Walsh said. “We have an immediate challenge to handle short-term issues.”

One of his key points of the evening was the need for education reform in the context of the “U.S. security narrative.”

“The public school system is now recognized as a national security issue,” Walsh said. “The current education system has consequences for economic competitiveness and innovation.”

Walsh cited the need for future generations “to be engaged in the foreign arena” so that the next wave of those running the country’s defense program can “demonstrate commitment, leadership and resolve of U.S. government.”

“We must continue to recruit and maintain the highest [caliber of people],” Walsh said.

Junior Austin Moorman, who works with the Tower Center and was involved at the banquet, said that the conference was “one of the better turnouts” he’s seen.

“[Walsh] related well the impact resources must have upon tactics,” Moorman said. “The audience seemed very engaged.”

As for its pertinence to the SMU academic community, Moorman shared his belief that “it’s important to have students educated on issues of defense.”

“With today’s politics and how interconnected the world is, people should know the issues concerning our country and others,” Moorman said.

Walsh closed the dinner with what he determined to be the essential, communing point of the country’s immediate future.

“How to pivot forward,” Walsh said. “That is the question we need to answer.”

This news story first appeared on October 17, 2012. For more information click here.

By Rahfin Faruk, SMU Daily Campus; October 17, 2012

Kathleen Cooper has been a chief economist at ExxonMobil, a banker, the dean of UNT’s business school and the under secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Now, she calls SMU’s John G. Tower Center for Political Studies home. As a senior fellow and head of international political economy at the center, her unique insights and career experiences have landed her a role as an economic adviser with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

A doctorate in economics, Cooper’s career path was not originally focused on politics.

“I was a business economist. When I first went to Washington to work for George W. Bush, it was a new experience for me,” Cooper said.

Cooper, after spending four years in the Bush administration, is no longer a stranger to politics.

Cooper’s role in the Romney campaign involves offering advice on critical issues for almost every voter — lower unemployment rates and economic growth.

Cooper stresses two issues — tax reform and regulatory clarity — in discussing how the U.S. economy can rebound.

“I think tax reform would be a very good idea. Simplifying the tax code and being especially careful about the types of regulations we put into place are important,” Cooper said.

She also warned against short-term regulation and its impact on business decisions.

“I am very concerned with all the ups and downs with regards to policy. Short term policies don’t do a good job of encouraging businesses to make long term investment decisions,” she said.

She singled out the Affordable Care Act — Barack Obama’s landmark health care reform legislation — as a piece of new regulation that is impacting business-hiring decisions.

“The addition of healthcare requirements on companies of a moderate size is a factor in reducing job growth,” she said.

According to Cooper, however, tax reform and regulatory changes are not the only parts of the equation.

She warned against painting reforms in terms of rich and poor and majority and minority — a recent trend in American politics.

“The best thing we can do is to not get into so much discussion of rich versus poor. There has been way too much of that,” Cooper said.

Cooper, the former chief economist of Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s largest oil companies, also stressed the potential for the energy sector to create new jobs.

“Projects like the Keystone Pipeline should be approved and put into place,” she said.

President Obama rejected the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which planned to connect the oil sands of Alberta, Canada to multiple United States destinations in early 2012.

While Cooper sees the potential in renewable energy sources, she remains a realist when it comes to the current state of alternative energy technologies.

“We haven’t found a replacement yet that is cost effective. It’s fine for us to continue to look at solar and try wind but they really can’t take the place of fossil fuels yet,” she said.

“We should also pursue cleaner sources of energy like natural gas when given the chance.”

While Cooper has carved out an area of expertise in energy, her true passion remains international political economy.

Cooper, with a spark in her voice, admitted, “International political economy is my real interest.”

International political economy, a fusion of political and economic analysis, is a critical area of study for trade, finance and migration.

Cooper pointed to two critical issues that the United States must solve if it is too continue to experience growth and stability.

“We need to get the world back on track in accepting improvements in our world trading regime and ensuring that financial institutions, some 50 years old, meet today’s needs,” Cooper said.

She is not optimistic about quick changes in international trade and finance.

She believes that the weak American economy is partially to blame for slow changes in America’s trade outlook.

“Americans are very afraid of trade. They don’t see the positives,” Cooper said. “They see much more when jobs are lost from imports than when jobs are gained from exports.”

Cooper, a Dallas native, is grateful for her career opportunities.

Now, back in Dallas, she appreciates what life at SMU offers.

“I’ve been privileged to have a rich career in the business world and government,” Cooper said.

“And to now be involved with a good group of people and students, I’m very pleased.”

John Goodwin Tower Center presents the Medal of Freedom to James A. Baker, III, a senior statesmen and former Secretary of State (1989-1992).   Click here to watch the ceremony

By Christina Voss, SMU News & Communications; October 16, 2012

Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, will receive the Medal of Freedom from SMU’s John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies during formal ceremonies at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012in McFarlin Auditorium. The Tower Center Medal of Freedom is presented every two years to an individual, or individuals, who have furthered the cause of freedom throughout the world.

This event is free to all SMU students, faculty and staff, but tickets are required. Students, faculty and staff should come to the McFarlin basement at 5 p.m. to receive two complimentary tickets per SMU ID. Business casual attire is suggested.

“James Baker is one of our country’s most accomplished statesmen and has provided strong, diplomatic leadership and a collaborative approach to politics throughout his career,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner.  “He led policies and progress that secured our nation’s presence on the world stage. We are proud to present him with the Tower Center Medal of Freedom.”

Baker’s public service and scholarship extend from the Cold War through the Arab Spring. He served in senior government positions under three different American presidents – Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Baker is honorary chairman of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and a senior partner in the law firm of Baker Botts.

Baker continues to wield influence on various national and international issues. At a recent conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Baker commented on America’s national debt crisis:

“A broad bipartisan agreement is going to be necessary if we’re going to be able to stabilize our debt,” Baker said. “It is critical that Americans of goodwill, Republicans, Democrats and independents alike push our elected officials to make the compromises necessary to get on a sustainable economic track. The alternative of political gridlock and a diminished place for the United States in the global economic arena is unacceptable.”

The Tower Center, located within SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, supports teaching and research programs in international and domestic politics with an emphasis on global studies and national security policy. Additionally, it educates undergraduates in international relations, comparative politics and political institutions.

The Tower Center Medal of Freedom recognizes individuals who have contributed to the advancement of democratic ideals and to the security, prosperity and welfare of humanity. This year’s event chairs are Gene Jones, Linda Gibbons and Nancy Halbreich.

WFAA: The perils of being a diplomat   – Robert Jordan of SMU, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, talks about the perils of being a diplomat following the September 11 death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. (9/14/2012)

Alexander Betts, who has worked at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and as an advisor on the politics of migration and refugee protection to numerous European organizations, visited SMU on September 11 at the invitation of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies in partnership with the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity.

He also was interviewed on KERA’s Think that day, talking about the plight of international refugees. Listen to or download  the KERA interview.

Betts is university lecturer (associate professor) in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies in the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford, where he was previously the Hedley Bull Research Fellow in International Relations and a Fellow of Wadham College.

He is author or editor of numerous books, including Forced Migration and Global Politics (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), Protection by Persuasion: International Cooperation in the Refugee Regime (Cornell University Press, 2009), Global Migration Governance (Oxford University Press, 2011), Refugees in International Relations (with Gil Loescher, Oxford University Press, 2011), and UNHCR: The Politics and Practice of Refugee Protection (with Gil Loescher and James Milner, Routledge 2012).

Tom K. Wong is an assistant professor of political science at University of California, San Diego and a postdoctoral fellow at John G. Tower Center for Political Studies. His column was recently published in the June 16, 2012, edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Last week, the Obama administration announced that approximately 800,000 undocumented youth will be eligible for relief from deportation and be given two-year work permits through an executive order. To be eligible, they must have been brought to the U.S. before the age of 16, be younger than 30, living in the U.S. continuously for five years, either in school or graduated from a U.S. high school, earned a GED, or served in the military, and have no serious criminal history.

It is undeniable that this development will have a positive and profound affect on the lives of not only the young people who are eligible under the executive order, but also their parents, relatives and friends who will no longer have to fear the removal of their loved ones. At the same time, this shift in deportation policy leaves many important issues unaddressed.

The executive order carries many of the hallmarks of the proposed DREAM Act, a bipartisan federal immigration bill that was first introduced in 2001 that would give undocumented youth a path to citizenship. However, it falls short of the DREAM Act in several respects.

Most importantly, as the Department of Homeland Security memo describing the executive order notes, “This memorandum confers no substantive right, immigration status or pathway to citizenship.”

Moreover, the language of “deferred action” and the program of renewable work permits sidesteps one of the most important aspects of the DREAM Act: the certainty and security that comes with permanent legal status.

As a matter of politics, the executive order will undoubtedly factor heavily into President Obama’s re-election campaign. Its timing will also likely take the wind out of the sails of Republican attempts to push a revised version of the DREAM Act through Congress – efforts that have thus far gained little traction among conservative Republicans.

However, a deeper subtext also exists. Immigrant advocacy groups have not been shy in criticizing the administration over the record numbers of deportations that have occurred under Obama’s watch.

And earlier this month, the administration was sued by the American Immigration Council for what it described as unlawfully withholding records related to another form of removal known as voluntary return.

Pushing the administration further were the undocumented students themselves. Earlier this month, two students staged a sit-in at Obama’s campaign office in Denver. Sit-ins, described by DREAMERS as “UndOccupy Obama,” also took place at Obama re-election offices in Ohio, Michigan and California. These actions are part of a larger strategy that has emerged over the past couple of years of undocumented youth “coming out of the shadows” to contest their illegality, risking their own deportation and creating a meaningful social movement.

Read more http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/16/obamas-immigration-move-bold-but-not-enough/