Writing for Different Audiences

Olivia Burd

Persuasive Public Policy Writing

Prof. Baumunk

February 16, 2025

Assignment 2: Writing Different Audiences

Activist Group (Emotional Appeal)

As Trump’s administration takes charge yet again, they have major plans in store for the progression of NATO. Though the plans are all to improve NATO, its capabilities, and its abilities, there are still some major risks and challenges that we should all be made aware of.

The main focus of the new administration is not just to keep us safe from the risks of Russia’s agenda, but to also ensure safety for the other countries that are part of NATO. For example, because of Russia’s plan to invade Ukraine, defense spending has been kicked into higher gear (Berzina, 2025). Increased defense spending has helped keep NATO members safe, but we need to keep in mind that increased spending also comes with increased challenges.

In order for us to be adequately protected against all aggressors, “The second Trump administration should lead NATO efforts on collective investment in supply chains for economic, technological, and defense purposes” (Berzina, 2025). Trump has addressed spending concerns with the countries that are part of NATO, however, it still remains a challenge that not all countries are spending their money on defense. This creates a challenge in terms of not all NATO members being protected.

Government Employee (Scientific Appeal)

NATO’s capabilities and its potential consequences are changing as the new administration is changing. The NATO that we have today is “focused on deterring and defending its members from a Kremlin-led global club of aggressors (Berzina, 2025). But how NATO is accomplishing this is important to understand.

Currently, U.S. military sales are playing a large role in NATO’s plan to defend its members. In fact, there has been a “55.9% increase in US foreign military sales over the previous year” (Berzina, 2025). That amount equals twenty four billion dollars. This increase in military sales goes hand-in-hand with the new level of knowledge from new members Finland and Sweden.

The growth of NATO also comes with some potential major challenges. Trump plans to work with European allies to get military assistance and he hopes to make negotiation with European peacekeeping troops. Both of these goals pose great challenges for the Trump administration and NATO. The first major challenge is that “European peace is impossible without Ukrainian NATO membership” (Berzina, 2025). If Ukraine does not join NATO, Putin, (and Russia) will “continue military incursions into other neighboring countries. The second challenge comes from China, specifically Beijing, where the military threat is large. They pose a great risk for malicious nuclear advancements. The last major challenge comes from the “defense investment gap in the alliance” (Berzina, 2025). Trump plans to address the fact that some countries that are part of NATO aren’t spending their fair share of money on ensuring that each country has enough resources.