Module 7:Accountability and Mitigation Discussion Essay: Abu Gharaib Prison Case StudyRead:RequiredModule Notes: The Buck Stops Here!The Electronic Hallway [PDF, File Size 137 KB], (http://hallway.eva

Module 7:

• Accountability and Mitigation Discussion

• Essay: Abu Gharaib Prison Case Study

  Read:

• Required

  • Module Notes: The Buck Stops Here!

  • The Electronic Hallway [PDF, File Size 137 KB], (http://hallway.evans.washington.edu) (2004) Donald Rumsfeld and Prisoner Abuse at Abu Ghraib, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University Of Washington, Seattle, WA.

    View:

• Required

  • The PBS Video (Frontline), The Torture Question (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video, 90 minutes]

    Submit:

• M7D1: Accountability and Mitigation Discussion

• M7A1: Essay: Abu Ghraib Prison Case

  Use the EC resources for research assistance and to properly cite your work:

• • National Security Research Guide (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

  • Excelsior OWL Research Page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

  • Plagiarism and Copyright (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

  • Excelsior Library Writing Help (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

  • APA Citation Help (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

  • Excelsior OWL Citation & Documentation Page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

    M7D1: Accountability and Mitigation:Introduction to the Activity

    The purpose of this discussion is to examine the concepts of responsibility and accountability and to look at how our leaders impact society with what they do or don’t do.  In our work places, we have people who are responsible either because of their positions or because they step up and accept it.  How is that different than being accountable?  When looking at these two concepts, you will want to also look at the mitigating factors that place responsibility and accountability on certain individuals.  You may want to even give personal examples of how you are responsible and/or accountable and how you deal with those concepts. 

    The module learning outcomes addressed in this activity are:

• Differentiate between responsibility and accountability;

• Analyze ethical, values-based leadership essential for the credibility of the government (public) service leader and impacts on society;

• Analyze mitigating factors that cause you to hold an individual or individuals more or less responsible and accountable and what happens when these factors are breached.

  M7A1: Essay: Abu Gharaib Prison Case Study

  This activity addresses module outcomes 1 & 2. Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:

  Analyze ethical, values-based leadership essential for the credibility of the government (public) service leader and impacts on society;

  Analyze mitigating factors that cause you to hold an individual or individuals more or less responsible and accountable and what happens when these factors are breached.

  The purpose of this activity is for you to examine a real-world case of abuse of power and the consequences that resulted.  Most of you are familiar with the Abu Ghraib Prison (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. case and what happened when abuse of power went unchecked.  Let's look at the case in some detail and share your thoughts and opinions in a 2-3 page essay.

  Some have argued that the Abu Ghraib prison scandal became a symbol of the military’s unpreparedness to deal with the chaos and insurgency of a post-war Iraq. Having read the case study and viewed the video tape reflect for a few moments on the events and climate that permitted such activities to take place. Then answer the questions outlined below in a 2-3 page APA format essay. In your essay, consider the following questions

• • First, when considering the actions that took place at Abu Ghraib, who should be held responsible? Who should be held accountable?

  • Describe the mitigating factors that cause you to hold an individual or individuals more or less responsible. Accountable? 

  • Discuss what caused/allowed Abu Ghraib to happen.

  • Explain if what happened at Abu Ghraib was the result of just a “few bad apples”…or was it something more systemic?

  • Why you do suppose that those who were troubled by what they knew was taking place did not stop it? Report it? Why did some apparently go along who really didn’t want to?

  • Finally, if there is one overarching lesson to be learned from Abu Ghraib it is…?

    Compose your work in a .doc or .docx file type using a word processor (such as Microsoft Word, etc.) and save it frequently to your computer. For those assignments that are not written essays and require uploading images or PowerPoint slides, please follow uploading guidelines provided by your instructor.

    Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. When you are ready to submit your work, click “Upload Submission.”  Enter the submission title and then click on “Select a file to upload.” Browse your computer, and select your file. Click “Open” and verify the correct file name has appeared next to Submission File. Click on “Continue.”  Confirm submission is correct and then click on “Accept Submission & Save.”

    Turnitin®

    This course has Turnitin fully integrated into the course dropbox. This means that you should only submit your assignments to the dropbox below. Please do not submit your assignment directly to Turnitin.com.