Short Essay Introduction Example
Note the "tight" and focused nature of the above introduction. This is the standard students should strive for. As discussed, it is also acceptable to include a scene-setter "state of the world" sentence preceding this, possibly with a quote (which should, of course, have a citation). However, due to the word-count constrained nature of USAWC essays, students should only add such scene setters after having written the rest of the essay and ensuring there is a clear and well-supported argument.
Here is the Thesis, which answers the overarching question(s) from the essay prompt:
The tenets of realism inform the 2017 National Security Strategy (NSS).
After the thesis statement, include the "Road Map" to the assertions that will follow in the essay. These assertions will further answer the questions in the essay prompt. Note that each of these assertions answers part of the question. Each main body paragraph will then start by again laying out the assertion, ideally in slightly different or expanded words.
Here is the first assertion:
The document lays out a strategy of "principled realism," framing the United States as a self-interested actor seeking power to secure its interests in an anarchic world.
Here is the second assertion:
According to liberal international relations theory, this "America First" approach risks unwinding US alliances and undervaluing the cooperative benefits of multilateral institutions.
Note how this introduction gives the reader—in this case, the evaluator—a comprehensive understanding of the argument in each of the subsequent paragraphs.