Sample Models
Decision making at the national level
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Model 4.1: ANP BOCR - Fixing Social Security Shortfall
This project is about determining a course of action for the US Social Security program. Opinions on how to best address this problem range from doing nothing to eliminating the Social Security system altogether. The impact of change on the system is likely to stretch over generations, and carry both national and international economic repercussions.
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Model 4.2: ANP BOCR - Public Transportation in Sao Paulo
The purpose of this study is to decide which new transportation mean the city of São Paulo should adopt between the city and its international airport
Given that tourism, traffic and safety are key decision factors,... -
Model 4.3: ANP BOCR - Should Poland join the EMU? (2011)
In this project we evaluated whether Poland should join the European Monetary Union (EMU) of the European Union. We considered the benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks of alternative decisions using economic, social, and political control criteria.
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Model 4.4: ANP BOCR - Should the US have organic subsidies?
Taking into consideration the benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks involved in creating a special subsidy in the U.S. for organically certified farms, this model seeks to determine whether subsidies should be enforced. The three alternatives that were considered were no organic subsidies, partial subsidies for specific organic goods, and subsidies for all certified organic goods.
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Model 4.5: ANP BOCR - What should future of nuclear energy be in the US? (2011)
This study was created due to the crossroads that USA’s energy policy is at, due to the recent nuclear accident that occurred in Japan. The following study gives insight into the nuclear energy industry currently and analyzes four different options that can be employed with respect to the industry.
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Model 4.6: ANP BOCR - The future of Andra Pradesh Province in India
This model describes and outlines an AHP based approach to make a decision about the future of Andhra Pradesh, a state belonging to the Republic of India. The alternatives were: a) Do not split the State (Status Quo), b) Do not split the State, but create a Development Committee for the betterment of the Telangana Region, c) Split the State, keeping Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and develop a new capital for Andhra, and d) Spilt the State and convert Hyderabad into a Union Territory
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Model 4.7: ANP BOCR - Should The U.S. Eliminate the Penny?
This study determined whether the US should discontinue the penny. The decision was made using a complex ANP model with BOCR (Benefits, Opportunities, Costs, and Risks) merit. The model overwhelmingly indicated that eliminating the penny is the best option.
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Model 4.8: ANP BOCR - Drug Offenses - Jail or Alternative Punishment?
This model looks at two alternatives for dealing with non-violent drug offenses in the United States; jail based punishment or alternative punishments. The US currently jails many individuals for non-violent drug offenses; this has a large price in terms of financial costs to taxpayers, loss of freedom to prisoners, associated emotional and family losses to relatives, and overall societal losses.
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Model 4.9: ANP BOCR - The 2013 United States National Debt Problem
In October 2013, the U.S. Congress is debating on the best decision to make in regards to how to fund the national budget. Limit for the amount the government can borrow ($16.4 trillion) has been reached in December 2012, and lack of reform over the last year forced the Treasury to resort to extraordinary measures, which are due to be exhausted by the end of the month. It is unclear what would be the result of the current discussion between lawmakers and government.
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Model 4.10: ANP BOCR - Imposed Excise Tax on Medical Devices by the U.S. Government
The primary goal of this model is to utilize an Analytical Network Process (ANP) to determine what the U.S. Government should do regarding the 2.3% Excise Tax on medical devices. Alternatives in consideration are the following: 1. Keep the Tax; 2. Repeal the Tax; 3. Adjust Tax to be based on Profit. The ANP uses a combination of strategic criteria against the Benefits, Costs, Opportunities, and Risks (BCOR) of alternatives in order to prioritize outcomes and determine the best possible course of actions.
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Model 4.11: ANP BOCR - Gun Control
This research details a BOCR model designed to solve the current gun control debate in America. After a December 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 26 dead, including 20 children, gun control emerged as a national issue. Democrats desire significant gun control that includes an assault weapons ban, the limitation of high capacity magazines, and extended background checks.
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Model 4.12: ANP BOCR - The Future of Belgium
The partition of Belgium is a hypothetical situation which has been discussed by both Belgian and international media, especially in the context of events such as the 2007–11 Belgian political crisis.The status of Brussels in a partitioned Belgium is unclear and controversial. According to a poll (March 13th 2013), about a third of Belgians no longer believe that the country can or should survive. One of the main leaders of the New Flemish Alliance, ...
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Model 4.13: ANP BOCR - Reevaluating the Legal Drinking Age in the United States
US legal drinking age currently set at 21.Stricter standards than other countries. Worldwide legal drinking age ranges from 16 to 21, if one exists 1984 law set the drinking age at 21; all states abided by 1988. The legal drinking age in the United States is a controversial topic, ...
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Model 4.14: ANP BOCR - how do you fix the economy? (2012)
The purpose of this model was to answer the question, how do you fix the economy? To begin, with we identified the criteria that would be used to make our decision.
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Model 4.15: ANP BOCR - Should U.S. Financial Reporting System Adopt IFRS?
In this model we evaluated whether the United States financial reporting system should adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). We considered the benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks of alternative decisions using economics, corporate governance, ...
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Model 4.16: ANP BOCR - The Death Penalty in The United States of America
The questions are raised to examine the human rights dimensions of the application of the death penalty. What are the potential benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks invovled with abolishment? How does retaining legalization compare to abolishment? The BOCR model is applied to this issue to determine the best results.
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Model 4.17: ANP BOCR - Should Brazil legalize marijuana
In this project, we developed a BOCR model to help decide whether Brazil should legalize marijuana or not, based on the characteristics and the needs of the country, considering the following aspects: social accord, economic development, public well-being and the public opinion. The results obtained showed that the legalization of marijuana is beneficial to Brazil considering long term aspects, but it is not advised in the short term, mainly due to the fact that 80% of the population of the country is against the legalization of this drug.
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Model 4.18: ANP BOCR - Chinese Alternatives in North Korea Nuclear Weapon Issue
The purpose of this model is to determine the best alternatives for China regards to the North Korean nuclear weapon program issue.
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Model 4.19: ANP BOCR - US student debt balance and rising costs of undergraduate tuition
Tuition costs in the United States have been rapidly increasing over the last few decades. The goal of the model was to Understand the impacts of these trends, and potentially enact a policy/program that will best impact the US student debt balance. The Analysis is completed from the government perspective and will explore the impacts of these rising tuition costs (Private institutions excluded).
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Model 4.20: ANP BOCR - Whether build the wall across the U.S.-Mexico border?
The decision to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border is a hotly debated current topic. The SuperDecisions BOCR model described in this example assumes the U.S. Government point of view to calculate a long-term and short-term best decision option regarding building a wall on the U.S. southern border.
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Model 4.21: ANP BOCR - BOCR Model of Carbon Tax in the United State
In the U.S. there are a number of political and economic arguments related to why the U.S. should or shouldn’t implement a carbon tax. This model explores the BOCR of the decisions.
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Model 4.22: ANP BOCR - Should high-speed rail be launched in the United States?
This is a model to determine if cities in the US should be connected by high-speed rail.
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Model 4.23: ANP BOCR - Choosing the Best Energy Source
This model is to determine the best energy source for the U.S.
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Model 4.24: ANP BOCR - Should Marcellus Shale Drilling continue?
The problem analyzed in this model was the conflict with regards to Marcellus Shale drilling in the region.
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Model 4.25: ANP BOCR - Production of Alternate Sources of Fuel
Our model seeks to predict the best investment potential for automobile fuels.
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Model 4.26: ANP BOCR - Should Indonesia Invest in Nuclear Power?
The Analytical Network Process (ANP) model was developed to determine if Indonesia’s decision to invest in nuclear power was correct for the island of Java
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Model 4.27: ANP BOCR - United States Immigration Law: A BOCR Analysis
This model seeks to examine the possible alternatives for addressing this issue, ranging from open borders or total amnesty, on the one hand, to even stricter laws on the other.
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Model 4.28: ANP BOCR - Should Women be permitted to Serve in “Combat Positions” in the Military?
This model attempts to answer the question of if all positions should be open to women in the military.
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Model 4.29: ANP BOCR - Berlin Airport
This model try to assess the situation and the key issues that drive the decision, come up with hypothetical solutions and evaluate these solutions using a BOCR-model (Benefits, Opportunities, Costs and Risks).
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Model 4.30: ANP BOCR - Tomorrow’s Energy: The Question of Global Energy Trends
This analysis is an attempt to rationalize myriad interrelated factors using a proven methodology to determine which energy sources will prevail in the coming 15-20 years.
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Model 4.31: ANP BOCR - Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The United States government was at a critical situation as it needed to choose a path. The four alternatives that we saw as a possibility are as follows: 1. Approve the original version of the bailout plan 2. Approve the revised version of the bailout plan 3. Proceed with government intervention on an institution-by-institution basis 4. Stop government intervention all together
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Model 4.32: ANP BOCR - Mandatory National Service
The purpose of this study, is to derive whether the US should adopt a 2-year mandatory service requirement, and if so, what form of mandatory public service should be adopted.
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Model 4.33: Regulation of Executive Compensation
Based on stock market performance during the recession, as well as recent media coverage, we felt that this needs to be dealt with in a logical and methodical matter, such as by employing the use of SuperDecisions software. Like the current regulations employed by the ARRA
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Model 4.34: China-Tibet Conflict
This complex Analytic Network Process (“ANP”) model, utilizing strategic criteria and sub-networks, evaluates the following alternatives with respect to the China and Tibet relationship
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Model 4.35: ANP BOCR - Parental Leave Policies in the US
The purpose of this project was to analyze the various options available to the employers and the employees for parental leave and decide whether US should change its policy on parental leave.
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Model 4.36: ANP BOCR - Energy Security in the US
The importance of energy in our society is undeniable. As long as humanity is driven to materialistic consumption and develops technologies that are powered by and depend on energy, something must be done to counteract the energy crisis.
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Model 4.37: ANP BOCR - Social Security Stabilization in the Long-Term
The goal of this analysis is to determine the best available option for stabilizing Social Security over the long-term.
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Model 4.38: ANP BOCR - Health Care in US
The current healthcare system in America is facing many problems. A thorough analysis must take into account the costs associated with a plan of this nature as well as other viable solutions.
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Model 4.39: ANP BOCR - Illegal Immigration Bills in the US Congress
The problem comes down to choosing and implementing the best possible legislation that would minimize illegal immigration and protect legal US employment without having extreme effects throughout society, security, and the economy.
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Model 4.40: ANP BOCR - Broad Illegal Immigration Policy in the US
This analysis also addresses the issue of illegal immigration into the US. Rather than look at the current legislation, it attempted to provide a broader range of alternatives.
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Model 4.41: ANP BOCR - Government Supported Car Technology
This analysis attempts to select the most appropriate technology in which the government should invest.
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Model 4.42: ANP BOCR - Predicting the 2004 US Presidential Election Winner
The Presidential election in 2004 is bound to be a major event in the history of politics.
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Model 4.43: ANP BOCR - Selecting the Most Effective Airline Security Measures
This analysis hopes to discover if the current security measures are ideal, and if not, whether more lenient or stricter measures should be implemented.
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Model 4.44: ANP BOCR - Prescription Drugs for the Elderly
This analysis attempts to answer the question of whether the government should in fact subsidize the coverage of prescription drugs, or whether the elderly should be expected to pay for their own prescription drugs.
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Model 4.45: ANP BOCR - Reducing the Negative Effects of Smoking
Every ten seconds, someone dies of a tobacco related disease. This fact is disturbing because tobacco is one of the leading preventable causes of death and disability in adults worldwide.
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Model 4.46: ANP BOCR - Importing Non-US Pharmaceuticals
If pharmaceutical companies’ revenues were to decrease, so would the amount of new drugs. This analysis looks at potential options that could lower the stress on low-income citizens, while considering the impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
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Model 4.47: ANP BOCR - The Vice President of Indonesia
The importance of electing good leadership through the upcoming elections is critical. This analysis attempts to look at the potential candidates for the Vice Presidency to discover who would best be fit for the role.
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Model 4.48: ANP BOCR - Public Transportation to Sao Paulo Airport
The new transportation method will connect the route between the Berrini area, which is the main business district, and the international airport, a distance of approximately 30 miles. This analysis attempts to discover the best method of transportation to connect the two areas.
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Model 4.49: ANP BOCR - Updating Aviation Security in the UK
In an effort to continuously provide top-notch security, airports are consistently being updated with new technology and processes. This analysis investigates a new technology option to see if it is worth implementing.
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Model 4.50: ANP BOCR - Fixing the German Retirement System
With the number of retired citizens per 100 workers increasing from 44/100 to 78/100 in the next 40 years, the contract of generations is in trouble. Academics are now trying to find incentives to increase the number of children born, as immigration cannot balance the gap in demographics.
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Model 4.51: ANP BOCR - Uruguay's Emergency Plan
The election outcome was very tight, mainly because of this plan, which many in the population consider to bear a very high risk to the economy. If the plan doesn’t work, it could plunge the country into a new financial crisis, with the already known disastrous results. This model is an attempt to validate the government’s decision for the Emergency Plan.
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Model 4.52: ANP BOCR - The President's Course of Action in Taiwan
President Chen insists that he is capable of leading the country, since only his family members have been accused of corruption. Others no longer have confidence in his abilities. this analysis investigates several possible courses of action for the remainder of his Presidency.
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Model 4.53: ANP BOCR - Genetically Modified Organisms in Brazil
Agricultural production is becoming increasingly knowledge-based and scienceintensive. New strategic research areas have emerged and developed, with profound effects on the capacity to produce food and manage natural resources and the environment.
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Model 4.54: ANP BOCR - Energy Policy in the UK
There are currently 12 nuclear power stations operating in the UK (2005). These stations are now approaching the end of their useful lives and will need to be replaced, if a shortfall in generating capacity is to be avoided. This analysis investigates which energy source should replace the power stations once they are decommissioned.
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Model 4.55: ANP BOCR - Myanmar's Treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi
Since the early 1990s, Aung San Suu Kyi’s movement has been restricted. Instead of leading the country, she has been in and out of government detention, and currently is forced into house arrest. This analysis seeks to determine the best course of action for Aung San Suu Kyi from a human rights and economic/political perspective.
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Model 4.56: ANP BOCR - Managing Brazilian Interest Rates
Due to hyper-inflation, Brazilian interest rates have been as high as 44%; the highest in the entire world. After the interest rates peaked in 2003, they began to progressively decrease to the current level of 17.5%. This analysis investigates how the rates should change during the 2004 fiscal year.
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Model 4.57: ANP BOCR - Affirmative Action Policies (1999)
Affirmative action is adopted to provide opportunities to a class of qualified individuals who have either historically or have actually been denied those opportunities. Also it is used to prevent the recurrence of discrimination in the future. Affirmative action does not mean quotas, reverse discrimination, or the hiring of unqualified women and minorities. It does permit taking positive steps to end discrimination, to prevent its recurrence, and to open up opportunities too long denied to qualified women and minorities.
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Model 4.58: ANP BOCR - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2002)
The first Bush Administration likewise was unsuccessful. The Clinton Administration designated the area for protection and it has been since. The second Bush Administration, in response to ongoing Middle East violence and terrorist attacks in 9/11, 2001 sees drilling in ANWR as vital not only for economic but national security reasons. Several environmental groups consider ANWR a great American natural treasure and one of the last places on earth where an intact expanse of arctic and sub- arctic lands remain protected. They feel the habitat, the wildlife, and the culture need to be protected from the exploration of gas and oil. This analysis was done as a way to come to a decision regarding the use of this land.
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Model 4.59: ANP BOCR - City Selection for the National Maglev Program (2002)
In this study it is attempted to capture the criteria that influence the city selection decision for the National Maglev program. With the purpose of adding more complexity and to determine if another city should have been selected to participate in the next stage of the project.
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Model 4.60: ANP BOCR - Legal Drinking Age (2002)
Today, approximately eleven million American young adults under the age of 21 consume alcoholic beverages regularly. Furthermore, underage drinking is a major factor in nearly half of all teenager automobile crashes, the leading cause of death among teenagers. Other consequences of alcohol use result in youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries. Research has shown that a higher minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is effective in preventing alcohol- related deaths and injuries among youth. This project aims at determining the ideal minimum legal drinking age.
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Model 4.61: ANP BOCR - Legalization of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes (2002)
The Supreme Court has voiced concerns that the argument of medicinal benefit is simply an excuse to legalize a recreational drug of choice. The issue remains in heavy debate today. The following analysis is designed to attempt to rationalize the validity, or lack of validity, to the claim that legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes would benefit the population more than harm it.
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Model 4.62: ANP BOCR - Should the Death Penalty be Abolished? (2001)
The Unites States represents the only major western industrialized country that still employs the death penalty. The question is should capital punishment be abolished in the United States? Different societies and people have varying opinions (whether independent or influenced by religious or civil rights organizations) based on their personal beliefs. Since personal beliefs are as varied as the individuals that have them, a general consensus of the subjective factors used in determining the best decision is difficult.
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Model 4.63: ANP BOCR - Should the US Influence the IMF and World Bank to Provide Debt Relief to HIPC? (2002)
Should the US push no debt relief, partial debt relief as defined by the IMF & the World Bank with possibly some of their own conditions, or full debt relief with some conditions attached? This is a complicated decision with many incomparable influences.
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Model 4.64: ANP BOCR - The Best Alternative to Improve a Transportation System (2003)
The municipality of Eskişehir decided to make new investments to city transportation system. Four alternatives have been determined. The first alternative is a tram project involving some central regions of the city. Another alternative is to improve the current transportation system using relatively less capital or the municipality can decide to enlarge or narrow the extent of the tram project.
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Model 4.65: ANP BOCR - The Best Policy for People Who Have Left Welfare (2001)
The goal of this project is to determine the best policy that state and local governments need to take to deal with people who have left welfare since welfare reform.
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Model 4.66: ANP BOCR - the National Missile Defense System (2002)
The idea explored in this project is to develop and illustrate the three phases with a timely example, the intricate and very costly decision regarding a National Missile Defense system. Because of the possibility of dependence and feedback, the Analytic Network Process and its software Super-Decisions with its sensitivity analysis option have been used to examine the decision. The reality of terrorism does not diminish the importance of NMD.
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Model 4.67: ANP BOCR - Value of a National Identification System (2002)
For many people, the trade-off of less privacy for more security now seems reasonable. Today, we live in a society that is rapidly changing due to technology. With the advances that have already been made and considering growing concerns related to individual privacy and safety, should the United States implement a singular full-proof national identification system or continue with current systems - separate state and federal means of identification.
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Model 4.68: ANP BOCR - Who should be next Vice President of Indonesia (2003)
This model used to predict who should be next Vice President of Indonesia.
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Model 4.69: ANP BOCR - Data Mining: How should the U.S. regulate companies? (2020)
Data mining is allowing companies to store massive amounts of data about citizens. This can increase the harm done to citizens when there is a data breach. Should a GDPR-like regulation be institute at the federal level in the U.S.?
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Model 4.70: ANP BOCR - Should Federal Law Enforcement Have a Presence at Protests(2020)
The goal of the model and analysis is to determine what the best possible response (If any) can be given by the Federal Government. The analysis utilized the BOCR model which found that sending Federal Advisors to assist Local Law Enforcement with strategy and planning to be the best option considered. The least beneficial option considered was Physical Intervention/Presence by Federal Law Enforcement at future protests.
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Model 4.71: ANP BOCR - 2020 Presidential Election (2020)
2020 is a tumultuous year plagued by a pandemic and economic uncertainty. The Presidential election offers a chance at change, Each candidate presents an array of Opportunity and Risk. This case examined the Benefits, Opportunities, Costs, and Risks of each candidate.
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Model 4.72: ANP BOCR - Climate Change and United State (2017)
Effects due to climate change and global warming are becoming an significant threat to U.S. security and national wellbeing, this model suggests actions the U.S. should take in order to migrate and/or eliminate risks associated with unpredictable changing climate.
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Model 4.73: ANP BOCR - Chinese Alternatives in North Korea Nuclear Weapon Issue (2017)
The purpose of our project is to determine the best alternatives for China regards to the North Korean nuclear weapon program issue.
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Model 4.74: ANP BOCR - When should senate republicans vote on the nominee? (2020)
The purpose of this project is to evaluate when Senate Republicans should hold a vote on President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee. The decision to vote on a nominee at this point so near to the election is fraught with potential tripwires and the goal of this paper is to determine if and when the vote should be held.
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Model 4.75: ANP BOCR - Should US continue “War on drugs”? (2016)
The goal is to reduce number of drug users in US and in the same time reduce the number of inmates related to drug crimes. In order to do that we will develop a BOCR model with strategic criteria and potential solutions.
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Model 4.76: ANP BOCR - Decision making in the south China sea (2016)
The purpose of our project was to determine the best alternative choices for China in regards to the South China Sea territorial dispute.