Fortifying National Security Through Procedural Fairness: Reforming the Department of Defense's Exemption from 5 U.S.C. §§ 554, 556–557

This graduate policy and data analytics memo examines how the Department of Defense’s exemption from the formal adjudicative procedures of 5 U.S.C. §§ 554, 556-557 may contribute to disparities in administrative decision-making, disciplinary outcomes, promotions, and separations. The memo proposes a quantitative analysis framework using administrative separation records, personnel data, operational readiness metrics, regression analysis, Difference-in-Differences, and matching techniques to evaluate the relationship between procedural exemptions, demographic disparities, and military readiness.

This memo was written for Data Analytics I: Quantitative Analysis, a University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy course taught by Professor Yukiko Asai, Ph.D. The assignment invited students to apply data analytics concepts to a workplace or policy issue by proposing a data-driven approach to evaluating the problem and informing decision-making.