About Security Policy Working Group

How do we define security in a post 9-11 world? What policies, doctrines and approaches will truly make the United States – and the world – more secure? What role and voice do concerned citizens and organizations have in answering these most critical questions?

Founded in September 2002, Security Policy Working Group (SPWG) aims to reshape and expand the public and policy discourse on what constitutes true security in a post 9-11 world. Comprised of leading defense and security policy researchers, analysts and non-governmental organizations, SPWG participants believe that sound public policy and effective governance derive from sustained research, analysis and critical thinking.

The goals of the Security Policy Working Group include:

  • development of credible, independently-developed alternative security ideas, policies and approaches; and
  • conveyance of these alternatives to key audiences through deeper, more consistent engagement -- resulting in broader public participation in the security debate.

SPWG's uniqueness as a collaborative enterprise is found in the breadth and depth of research and policy expertise brought to a broad spectrum of issues and policy areas, all of which must be considered in any fundamental reformulation of security policy, including:

  • Budget and economic considerations, including the defense budget, taxation issues and opportunity cost analysis;
     
  • Military strategy and options, including analysis of weapons, force structure and use of the military in U.S. foreign policy;
     
  • Institutional reform and decisionmaking, including the role of Congress and the public as well as the reform of security-related agencies to better address post-Cold War and 9-11 realities;
     
  • International relations and diplomacy, including multilateral institution reform, international agreement reform, US leadership, and foreign aid;
     
  • Homeland security and terrorism, including analysis of military and non-military responses, weapons of mass destruction policy, arms trade and arms control; and
     
  • Media issues and opinion formation, both of which are essential factors in the formulation and implementation of policy alternatives

Security Policy Working Group is managed and coordinated by Proteus Fund, a public foundation based in Amherst, Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1994, Proteus Fund has funded programs that reinvigorate civic engagement and expand access to our democracy with the goal of building and strengthening the social justice movement. Initial funding for SPWG has been provided by Ford Foundation. Contact SPWG.