America's National Critical Infrastructure Assurance Plan: Can Compromise Win in an Uncompromising World

摘要

The United States Constitution was generated with considerable difference of opinion as to how the U.S. government ought to be organized, and was the product of significant compromise. The Constitution established a federal government of separate institutions sharing powers-a system of checks and balances that throughout U.S. history, has fostered tension among these branches of government. Yet, in order to effect policy for U.S. national interests, this form of government has also required a mix of cooperation and compromise among the branches. The National Critical Infrastructure Assurance Plan is likewise the product of significant coordination and compromise among the branches of government, as well as numerous industry players and the American people. This paper is but one chapter in a larger effort to analyze the effectiveness of the U.S. government's policies on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). Using a practitioner's framework for decision making, I will describe the contextual elements, institutional equities, and spirit of compromise that led to Presidential Decision Directive 63 (PDD-63) and the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan.