The final requirement to graduate from the Bush School of Government and Public Service is a group capstone project where students undertake specialized research to address a specific question for an outside client. My capstone worked for the U.S. Embassy in Panama to assess the historic relationship between the U.S. and Panama. We set out to answer why the relationship between the U.S. and Panama is complicated despite our long history. We then used this information to form future policy recommendations regarding both nations. Through analysis of the current literature on the topic, archival research at the Bush Presidential Library, and by conducting a series of interviews with experts and public servants familiar with the topic we determined that the underlying cause of tension was an inconsistency between U.S. foreign policy in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Using this information we found that under President George H.W. Bush these inconsistencies were corrected, and after Operation Just Cause, the U.S. treated Panama more as a partner than a client state for access to the Panama Canal. The final recommendations were to continue working with Panama as a close partner. This allows the U.S. to maintain a presence in Latin America and assists Panama's determination to continue economic growth and stability. Our final product consisted of a 60 page paper that explored and explained this historic shift. 

This project taught me a lot about group work and what is required to succeed in a professional team setting. Coordination, communication, and the ability to keep the end result in mind are critical to success, especially as unforeseeable issues arise and the group must realign to meet deadlines. 

PLANNING

Our original planning consisted of discovering an underlying theme to go with our historical analysis. To accomplish this, we divided into 4 sections and conducted research on specific time periods. We came together and discussed our findings. We came to the conclusion that we should research the shifting International Relations theory that directed U.S. foreign policy from 1903 to 2017. After finding a theme, we broke the semester into deadlines for work. This incorporated interview scheduling, trip planning, and archival research. We started working after setting our deadlines, planning interviews, and organizing research sections.

WORK

Our methodology started by investigating secondary sources to understand the narrative of U.S. Panamanian relations. After analyzing the literature we compiled a list of potential interviews to add credibility to the research that was being undertaken. I took the lead on writing interview questions that supplemented our research and participated in the interviews as they were conducted. The interview process took approximately a month to complete. While this was being done, each member researched primary documents that pertained to our different sections. My individual section focused on recommendations moving forward. I looked into market projection data, 5 year policy plans and trajectories, the growth of foreign investment in Panama, and the literature on relationship progression between the U.S. and Panama. It was also my responsibility to lead discussions on the theories used to explain U.S. Panamanian relations. I then edited the entire paper. In this role I worked to make sure the central theoretical theme was maintained and that the evidence supporting our claims was relevant and reliable.

PRESENTATION

In April we presented our research 4 different times. Our presentation received positive feedback and different ways to improve our delivery and content. We learned that the more presenters a group has the more probable it is that important information will get left out and the more likely it is that an audience will get distracted. It is difficult to give a succinct presentation that compiles 4 different sections into a cohesive brief. In order to accomplish this, our group met multiple times a week to practice our transitions and ensure our delivery was comprehensive, clear, and adequately explained our research and methodology.

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It was my responsibility to begin the presentation with a description of our client, the introduction of our topic, and the road map that we used to investigate this relationship. The presentation then went through all 4 sections with representatives of each section giving evidence that supported our research. I concluded the brief with recommendations and closing remarks before opening up the floor to questions. 

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We placed 2nd at Student Research Week at Texas A&M University the first time we presented our brief. The second and third time we presented at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. We found multiple areas  to improve for our final audience. At the end of April 2017, we traveled to Panama City, Panama, to disclose our findings and research to the Cultural Office of the U.S. Embassy. Our research is compiled into a relationship assessment that is attached below.