📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide: Should Governments Prioritize Privacy Over National Security?

🌐 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

Balancing privacy and security is central to democratic governance. Essays on this topic showcase analytical skills and understanding of policy complexities.

🕒 Effective Planning and Writing

• Time Allocation:
  • Planning: 5 minutes
  • Writing: 20 minutes
  • Review: 5 minutes

💡 Introduction Techniques

• Contrast Approach:

  “Governments worldwide face a dilemma: prioritize privacy, a cornerstone of democracy, or security, the bedrock of sovereignty.”

• Problem-Solution:

  “Recent cyberattacks and data breaches expose a critical governance question: how to secure nations without undermining individual freedoms?”

📚 Structuring the Essay Body

• Achievements: Highlight successes like thwarting terrorism.
• Challenges: Privacy infringements, trust deficit.
• Future Outlook: Propose balanced policies, referencing GDPR or Estonia’s model.

🎯 Concluding Effectively

• Balanced Template:

  “Both privacy and security are essential. Governments must create transparent frameworks ensuring accountability without compromising safety.”

• Global Example Template:

  “Learning from GDPR’s privacy standards or Estonia’s secure systems can help create equitable policies.”

✍️ Sample Short Essays

• Balanced Perspective:

  “Governments must ensure safety without infringing individual freedoms. Policies like GDPR offer hope for achieving this balance.”

• Solution-Oriented:

  “Transparent frameworks and technological solutions like encryption can help balance privacy and security effectively.”

• Global Comparison:

  “While China’s model prioritizes security, Estonia showcases how privacy and security can coexist with robust systems.”