Comprehensive Framework for Integrating the Nuclear Debate

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What is the Comprehensive Framework?

Over the past two years, there has been renewed interest in nuclear issues, which has led to a virtual explosion of commissions, task forces, and self-initiated studies intended to shape the national debate. Integrating the results of these studies into an overarching conceptual framework that puts each effort into an appropriate context and makes the relationships between the studies therefore poses a challenge.

CSIS has addressed this issue by creating a two-part analytic tool called the Comprehensive Framework which disaggregates the nuclear studies and reports, then synthesizes the findings by issue area or nuclear policy issue, rather than author. CSIS also provides policy analysts with an on-call ability to integrate the findings of all studies included in the Comprehensive Framework effort.

It is hoped that this tool – the Framework and its associated database – eases the burden of synthesizing a large amount of complex information for decisionmakers, policy analysts, researchers, academics and others. It is only through careful examination and thorough understanding of these interstices of issues, such as extended deterrence and nuclear nonproliferation, that purposeful and integrated nuclear policy will be formed; thus, it is in this area that the Comprehensive Framework – in particular – adds value and should be put to use.

How is the Comprehensive Framework Organized?

The Comprehensive Framework provides two parallel tracks for users to obtain information:

Issue Areas, Issues and Key Relationships

• Form the main structure of the Framework
• Provide a full and coherent depiction of the nuclear debate

Key Nuclear Policy Issues

• This list organizes information in the nuclear studies in a way that is more accessible to users with less experience or understanding of nuclear issues
• Based on nuclear policy priorities for the current Administration

Example Section of the Framework

Below is an image of one small section of the comprehensive framework diagram that visually depicts our project.  For an image of the complete project click on the sample below. This opens in a large pop-up window, depending upon your browser you may need to click on the image to see it full screen in this new window.

Download here.