📋 Written Ability Test (WAT) / Essay Analysis Guide
🌐 Topic: Should Countries Limit Their Defense Spending in Favor of Social Welfare Programs?
🌟 Understanding the Topic
This topic highlights the pressing need for a strategic balance between defense and welfare spending, emphasizing economic priorities, social equity, and global stability.
📝 Effective Planning and Writing
- ⏳ Time Allocation:
- 📖 Planning: 5 minutes
- ✍️ Writing: 20 minutes
- 🔍 Review: 5 minutes
- 📚 Structure:
- Introduction: 70 words
- Body: 350 words (Achievements, Challenges, Recommendations)
- Conclusion: 70 words
📚 Introduction Techniques for Essays
- Template A:
“As military expenditures hit $2.44 trillion in 2023, many nations struggle to fund social welfare. Balancing these priorities remains one of the 21st century’s biggest challenges.”
- Template B:
“While Nordic countries allocate up to 30% of GDP to welfare, others spend disproportionately on defense. This contrast sparks a vital debate about resource allocation.”
📖 Structuring the Essay Body
- 🎉 Achievements:
- Discuss technological advances and welfare successes in Nordic countries.
- ⚠️ Challenges:
- Highlight opportunity costs and social inequities caused by excessive defense spending.
- 🔮 Future Outlook:
- Recommend strategies like reducing arms races and increasing international cooperation.
🔑 Concluding Effectively
- Balanced Perspective:
“Balancing defense and welfare spending is not just about national priorities but global responsibilities.”
- Global Comparison:
“From Nordic welfare successes to US defense dominance, nations can learn from contrasting approaches.”
📊 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings
🎉 Key Achievements:
- Technological innovations.
- Welfare-driven development models.
⚠️ Ongoing Challenges:
- Opportunity costs.
- Global arms races.
🌍 Global Context:
- Contrast between defense-heavy and welfare-focused nations.
💡 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress
- 🌐 Promote international disarmament to reduce defense expenditures.
- 🏥 Prioritize investments in health, education, and infrastructure.
- 🔬 Encourage innovations in dual-use technologies for both defense and welfare.
📝 Sample Short Essays
- Balanced Perspective:
“Balancing defense spending with welfare investment is essential for sustainable development. While security ensures stability, welfare enhances human capital, laying the foundation for equitable growth.”
- Solution-Oriented:
“Redirecting resources from arms races to welfare programs can address inequities without compromising national security. Global treaties can facilitate this transition.”
- Global Comparison:
“The US emphasizes defense, while Nordic countries prioritize welfare. Both offer lessons on balancing national security with human development, highlighting the need for a nuanced approach.”