Taking Charge

A report prepared by Transition 2001, a bipartisan panel of about 60 American leaders in the areas of foreign and defense policy, outlining the most important national security challenges for the new administration, suggesting priorities, and recommending specific courses of action that the new president could take in the early days of his administration. Such decisive early action will be critical for setting U.S. foreign and national security policy on the right path for the balance of his term and beyond. This summary is based on more than 25 discussion papers on key issues and areas, prepared by RAND staff and others, analyzing the most critical foreign and national security issues facing the United States, both during the first part of the new administration and in the long term. The discussion papers are published in a companion report, RAND MR-1306/1-RC.