The President's Inbox: Recent Episodes
Council on Foreign Relations
This episode unpacks how the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign is accelerating Cuba's economic collapse and what a firsthand trip to the country reveals about life amidst the crisis.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin America Studies, CFR
We Discuss:
- What the Trump administration is ultimately seeking to accomplish with its Cuba policy.
- How secondary sanctions differ from the existing trade embargo.
- What life on the ground in Cuba looks like today, with a mass economic crisis including widespread malnutrition and near-total electricity blackouts.
- Whether ordinary Cubans blame the United States or their own government for the crisis.
- Whether Cuba's government is attempting to pivot toward a China-style state capitalist system.
- What Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) is, why it controls so much of Cuba's economy, and who actually benefits from it.
- Whether the Trump administration's pressure is targeting GAESA directly.
- Why a Venezuela-style external coup or regime collapse is harder to engineer in Cuba.
Mentioned on the Episode:
"Cuba's 176 Market-Liberalization Measures," NBC News, June 20, 2026
"July 11, 2021 Protests in Cuba," WOLA, July 2022
"Miami Herald Investigation: GAESA's Secret Dollar Reserves," Miami Herald, August 6, 2025
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/maximum-pressure-on-cuba
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
U.S.-India relations have struggled despite U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close personal relationship. This episode unpacks why tariffs, security concerns, and a détente with China has reframed the importance of the relationship, and what it could take to put it back on track.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Sadanand Dhume, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, CFR
We Discuss:
- Why U.S.-India relations have been uncertain since mid-2025 after having slowly strengthened over many years.
- How the second Trump administration’s early actions and India’s multipolar diplomacy forced substantive confrontations thatTrump and Modi’s personal relationship could not overcome.
- Why U.S.-India trade negotiations stalled and the Trump administration imposed tariffs, despite India repeatedly offering concessions.
- How the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and Trump’s claim of forcing a ceasefire put Modi in a domestic political bind.
- How Pakistan’s prominent role in brokering the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has amplified Indian anxieties about a U.S.-Pakistan thaw.
- Why Trump’s talk of a Group of Two with China undermines its strategic desire to strengthen India as a counterweight to Chinese power.
- What the state of the Quad—an informal security dialogue among the United States, Australia, India, and Japan—and the United States’ de-emphasis of the Indo-Pacific framework reveal about U.S. strategy in Asia.
- How Modi is normalizing ties with China and whether there is a limit to normalization given the Himalayan border dispute and China’s efforts to constrain India’s growth.
- How India’s dependence on Russian arms has fallen over time, and why India is increasingly skeptical that Russia can act independently of China.
- Why Modi has resisted domestic political pressure to challenge Trump, and what that restraint reveals about India’s calculation of its long-term national interest.
- Where the greatest opportunity lies to rebuild the U.S.-India relationship, and why tech cooperation and Silicon Valley represent the most natural and promising place to start.
Mentioned in the Episode:
“How People in 24 Countries View India,” Pew Research Center
Mathew George, Katarina Djokic, Zain Hussain, Pieter D. Wezeman, and Siemon T. Wezeman, “Trends In International Arms Transfers, 2024,” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks U.S. and Chinese AI strategies, regulation approaches, and the future implications for society and security.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Alvin Wang Graylin, Senior Fellow for Technology, Asia Society; Digital Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Professor of AI/Tech Policy, University of Washington
We Discuss:
- Whether the framing of an AI "race" with China is accurate or helpful, and why it may be producing costly policy distortions.
- The concept of AGI (artificial general intelligence) and the thesis that underpins U.S. policy.
- China's focus on broad industrial adoption over frontier model development.
- How U.S. export controls and visa restrictions spurred the innovations behind DeepSeek.
- Why China turned down the offer to purchase NVIDIA H200 chips.
- Why Beijing regulates AI more extensively than either the United States or Europe.
- The Trump-Xi discussions on AI safety guardrails and the shared interest in preventing non-state bad actors from weaponizing AI.
- The economic bubble risk posed by rapidly rising data center costs.
Mentioned on the Episode:
China's "AI Plus" Initiative, State Council of China, August 2025
China's New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, State Council of China, 2017
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-myth-of-the-ai-race
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the history of 250 years of U.S. foreign policy and examines patterns of the United States’ engagement with the world.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author, Dangerous Nation: America’s Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century and The Ghost at the Feast: America and Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941
We Discuss:
- Why Robert Kagan argues that Americans misunderstand their own history and have long been a “dangerous nation” rather than an insular one.
- How American foreign policy debates have always been entangled with domestic politics, and what the polarized fights of the founding era reveal about the true norm of American political life.
- Which forces have consistently pulled the United States outward, producing an oscillation between intervention and retrenchment.
- Why the era of American imperialism following the Spanish-American War, including the humanitarian motives behind U.S. intervention in Cuba, is among the most misunderstood chapters of U.S. history
- Why Americans tend to enter wars with enthusiasm only to sour on them afterward.
- Whether the United States is forgetting the lessons of the postwar order.
- What the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence should teach Americans about the fragility of liberal democracy.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Robert Kagan, Dangerous Nation: America’s Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, Knopf
Robert Kagan, The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900–1941, Knopf
Robert Kagan, The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World, Knopf
Walter Lippmann, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic, Little, Brown
Norman Angell, The Great Illusion, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man, Free Press
James A. Field Jr., “American Imperialism: The Worst Chapter in Almost Any Book,” American Historical Review
“Declaration of Independence,” National Archives
George Washington, “Farewell Address,” 1796
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/lessons-from-250-years-of-us-foreign-policy
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the unique challenges faced by women leaders, their contributions to democracy, and the critical lessons they offer in the fight against authoritarianism.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by July 8, 2026, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Women in Power by Linda Robinson. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Linda Robinson, Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy, CFR; Author, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism
We Discuss:
- Why women's political representation has stalled at roughly 27 percent in the world's legislatures.
- How right-wing authoritarianism and the normalization of violent misogyny have combined to create ferocious headwinds for women in politics.
- Whether women govern differently from men, and what the research reveals about their attentiveness to health, education, welfare, and climate issues.
- Why rolling back women's rights is central to authoritarian and right-wing movements, and why playing the "misogyny card" proves so effective, even among women voters.
- Why some of the most prominent nationalist movements—in Italy, France, and Germany—are led by women, and how right-leaning figures like Giorgia Meloni complicate the picture.
- How authoritarian governments use hybrid warfare and gendered disinformation against women leaders, including Chinese campaigns against Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen and Russian campaigns against Moldova's Maia Sandu.
- Which common themes emerge among successful women leaders.
- Which policy reforms could strengthen both democracy and women's political participation.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Linda Robinson, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism, Columbia University Press
Sanna Marin, Hope in Action: A Memoir About the Courage to Lead, Scribner
“Freedom in the World 2026: The Growing Shadow of Autocracy,” Freedom House
“Expanding Representation: Reinventing Congress for the 21st Century,” American Academy of Arts and Sciences
“TAKE IT DOWN Act (S.146),” U.S. Congress
“The Digital Services Act,” European Commission
“First Five,” HBO Max
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/women-in-power
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks whether Ukraine has turned the tide against Russia on the battlefield and assesses the new security relationship between Ukraine and Europe.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Liana Fix, Senior Fellow for Europe, CFR
We Discuss:
- The state of the battlefield in Ukraine after four and a half years of war.
- How Ukraine’s drone strategy has evolved from frontline attacks to strikes deep inside Russia.
- Why Russia has failed to achieve its goals on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
- Growing frustration among the Russian elite and what it signals about Putin's position.
- What U.S. intelligence sharing still provides Ukraine and why direct military aid has effectively ended.
- How European countries have filled the military support gap left by the United States.
- Whether European support for Ukraine is politically sustainable.
- What escalation options Putin has left.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Jack Watling, "Ukraine Turns the Tide," Foreign Affairs
Sauli Niinistö, "Safer Together: Strengthening Europe's Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness," European Commission
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/ukraine-turns-the-tide
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks how a major Ebola outbreak in Central Africa exposed critical gaps in global health surveillance and assesses U.S. preparedness for future biological threats.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Thomas J. Bollyky, Bloomberg Chair in Global Health; Senior Fellow for International Economics, Law, and Development; and Director of the Global Health Program
We Discuss:
- The current state of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and why the case count was already high by the time authorities reported it.
- Why governments are often slow to report cases during outbreaks, and what delayed reporting may have cost in this instance.
- Why the WHO has discouraged trade and travel restrictions.
- How the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO is shaping a more limited response.
- Whether China is stepping in to fill the global health leadership gap left by U.S. institutional withdrawal.
- What the politicization of mRNA vaccine technology means for the U.S. ability to respond to future outbreaks that require rapid vaccine deployment.
- How artificial intelligence creates opportunities to accelerate global health responses, but also introduces new risks like engineered pathogens.
Mentioned on the Episode:
CDC Health Alert: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, May 19, 2026
WHO Disease Outbreak News: Ebola caused by Bundibugyo Virus, DRC and Uganda, May 21, 2026
WHO Declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, May 17, 2026
Bollyky et al., "Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis," The Lancet
CDC Mobilizes International Response Following Ebola Disease Outbreak, May 18, 2026
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/americas-ebola-preparedness
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks how the Marshall Plan transformed postwar Western Europe and why security, allied cooperation, and forward thinking were the real keys to its enduring success.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a yearlong series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics, CFR
We Discuss:
- How the British Empire’s rapid collapse in early 1947 forced the United States to assume responsibility for Western European security.
- What George Marshall’s six weeks of negotiations in Moscow revealed about Soviet intentions in Germany and Western Europe.
- How Marshall deliberately crafted the plan’s offer to include the Soviet Union while ensuring Soviet leader Joseph Stalin would reject it.
- How Congress, controlled by Republicans, was persuaded to support a massive foreign aid program from a Democratic administration.
- Whether the Marshall Plan's $13 billion actually explains Western Europe’s economic recovery in the late 1940s.
- What role NATO played in making the Marshall Plan work, and why the French and British insisted on security guarantees before cooperating.
- Why security has to precede economic reconstruction—and what Afghanistan and Iraq reveal about ignoring that lesson.
- What Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.’s 1947 prediction about sustained alliances tells us about the stakes of U.S. foreign policy today.
Mentioned on the Episode:
The 10 Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War
George Kennan’s Long Telegram, February 22, 1946
“Sinews of Peace (‘Iron Curtain’ Speech).” at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946.
Harry Truman, “The Truman Doctrine,” Address to Congress, March 12, 1947
George C. Marshall, Commencement Address at Harvard University June 5, 1947
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-marshall-plan
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks how Africa's demographic surge, critical mineral wealth, and expanding security threats are reshaping its relevance to U.S. foreign policy in the twenty-first century.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, CFR
We Discuss:
- Why U.S. policy has historically treated engagement with Africa as an option rather than a strategic priority.
- How Africa's demographic growth is reshaping its position in the global order.
- Why maritime chokepoints around Africa are increasingly critical to global commerce.
- How other powers, including China, Turkey, and the Gulf states, are outpacing the United States in building African partnerships.
- What Africa's critical mineral resources mean for the green transition and for African domestic politics.
- How the United States can balance working with political elites while remaining relevant to broader African publics.
- What the diminished U.S. response to the current Ebola outbreak reveals about American policy choices.
- Why job creation should be the organizing principle for any coherent U.S. strategy toward the continent.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Michelle Gavin, "The New African Power Map," cfr.org
Michelle Gavin, The Age of Change: How Urban Youth Are Transforming African Politics
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/why-the-us-needs-an-africa-strategy
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the key discussion points from the U.S.-China summit, including Taiwan, the Iran war, AI regulation, and the future of U.S.-China relations.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Former U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2021–2025)
We Discuss:
- Whether the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing represented a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or merely a cooling of tensions without resolving underlying conflicts.
- What the dueling U.S. and Chinese post-summit statements reveal about each country's divergent priorities and negotiating strategies.
- How significant the summit's economic deliverables—agricultural sales commitments, Boeing aircraft sales, and a potential tariff truce—actually are.
- How Xi Jinping's early and deliberate warning about Taiwan set the tone for the summit, and what his decision to leak that statement mid-meeting signals about Chinese tactics.
- Whether President Trump's equivocation about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the One China policy constitutes a major strategic mistake and what it means for American credibility with allies in the Indo-Pacific.
- What the presence of Putin in Beijing immediately after Trump's visit reveals about Chinese strategic alignments.
- Why an emerging U.S.-China dialogue on artificial intelligence regulation could prove to be the most consequential and underappreciated outcome of the Beijing summit.
- What concrete benchmarks—from tariff agreements to arms sales to Chinese follow-through on commitments—will determine whether this summit actually put U.S.-China relations on a more stable footing.
Mentioned on the Episode:
"Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqué)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
"President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan" Congressional Research Service
"Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China" The White House
"Taiwan Relations Act" Pub. L. 96–8, enacted April 10, 1979
"United States-China Joint Communiqué on United States Arms Sales to Taiwan" Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
"U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqué (1979)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the first by a sitting U.S. President in nearly a decade, as the United States and China work through a tense period of détente.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative
We Discuss:
- Whether the Trump-Xi summit will represent continuity or a new phase in the U.S.-China relationship.
- How China assesses the military and economic balance of power with the United States.
- What last year's trade war revealed and how it produced the current period of managed competition.
- As Rush Doshi puts it: “I don’t think there’s going to be a large structural breakthrough.”
- What deliverables the Trump administration is seeking from the summit, and why negotiations are focused on process mechanisms and stability.
- How China has responded to the U.S.-Iran war and why it has stayed on the sidelines despite having clear strategic interests.
- Why China welcomes U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts but fears their effects on global trade and resource access.
- Why China is more exposed than the United States freedom of navigation threats and naval chokepoints.
- Why President Biden never traveled to Beijing, and how China is framing Trump's visit.
- Why American CEOs are joining Trump's trip, and what role they play in the summit.
- Whether the U.S. and China will negotiate agreements on artificial intelligence and its role in great power competition.
- How China has treated seemingly mutually-beneficial crisis communication channels as negotiation ploys in return for U.S. concessions.
- Whether Taiwan will be on the agenda, what concessions China is seeking, and how U.S. policy shifts could affect internal Taiwanese politics on unification.
- How a so-called Board of Trade and other bilateral mechanisms could formalize a lasting state of managed trade between the two countries
Mentioned on the Episode:
“President Xi Jinping Speaks with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the Phone” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Evelyn Cheng, “Trump is taking more than a dozen U.S. executives to China. Jensen Huang isn’t one of them,” CNBC
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-and-xi-in-beijing-with-rush-doshi
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Prediction markets have grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. This episode asks whether they are powerful forecasting tools or gambling platforms in disguise—and what their rise means for how risk and information are priced.
Hosts:
Rebecca Patterson, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Guest:
Christy Goldsmith Romero, Former Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
We discuss:
- How prediction markets are turning the world into a “casino” where you can bet on almost anything, from elections and geopolitics to sports and niche events.
- The evolution of prediction markets from academic tools to mainstream platforms shaping finance, politics, and culture.
- Why these markets sometimes outperform polls, where they fall short, and how they blur the line between forecasting and entertainment-driven gambling.
- As Rebecca Patterson asks: “Are these markets actually useful, or are they just gambling dressed up as forecasting?”
- The legal gray areas that are allowing prediction markets to expand so quickly and the growing risk of manipulation and insider bets.
- An anecdote from France, where someone allegedly tampered with a weather sensor to manipulate the outcome of a prediction market bet.
- How governments and regulators are struggling to keep up.
- Whether these markets truly reflect the “wisdom of crowds” or just loud, well-funded players.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Anthony M. Diercks, Jared Dean Katz, and Jonathan H. Wright, “Kalshi and the Rise of Macro Markets,” Federal Reserve Board
“The Future of Financial Services Regulation: A Conversation with CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero,” Brookings Institution
Adam Hoffer and Jacob Macumber-Rosin, “Expanded Sports Betting Legalization Would Generate Billions in Tax Revenue,” Tax Foundation
Andy Serwer, “Charles Schwab CEO Explains Why Investing Works—and Gambling Doesn’t,” Barron's
Want to keep up with The Spillover? Sign up to receive an email alert when new episodes are released.
The Spillover is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the hosts and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks three enduring pillars that have defined U.S. foreign policy from the nation’s founding to today: ideology, economic statecraft, and democratic accountability.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Michael Mandelbaum, Professor Emeritus of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Author, The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy
We Discuss:
- Whether the United States can be said to have a coherent foreign policy "personality".
- How geographic and geopolitical advantages have historically enabled a more ideological U.S. foreign policy than most countries can afford.
- Whether ideology in U.S. foreign policy represents genuine conviction or merely a veneer for self-interest.
- What the post-Cold War era reveals as the "golden age of foreign policy of ideas”.
- What drives the persistent American tendency toward economic statecraft, sanctions, and “mirror imaging”.
- How public opinion, interest groups, political parties, and elections influence foreign policy decisionmaking.
- Whether President Trump's foreign policy fits within—or represents a departure from—the three enduring American traditions in U.S. foreign policy.
Mentioned on the Episode:
The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy by Michael Mandelbaum (Oxford University Press, 2025)
Embargo Act of 1807
George W. Bush, Second Inaugural Address, January 20, 2005
Vice President JD Vance, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2026
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/how-to-build-an-american-foreign-policy
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the causes, key events, and consequences of the Spanish-American War, highlighting how it shaped U.S. foreign policy into the modern era.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, The University of Texas at Austin
We Discuss:
- What drove the United States toward assertive foreign policy in the 1890s.
- Who the "jingoes" were and how American leaders pushed for American power abroad.
- Whether access to China drove American interest in Spain's Pacific empire.
- Why the USS Maine explosion changed the political calculus for entering a war with Spain.
- What the Teller Amendment accomplished and what its drafters failed to anticipate.
- Whether the annexation of the Philippines was ultimately the least-bad option for the Filipino people.
- What the Spanish-American War's legacy reveals about how the United States became—and chose to remain—a global power.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Monroe Doctrine, December 2, 1823
McKinley's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1897
Theodore Roosevelt, Naval War College Address, June 2, 1897
The Teller Amendment, April 19, 1898
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-spanish-american-war
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and the prospect of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, CFR
We Discuss:
- What transpired during the U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
- Whether both sides abandoned their own preconditions before talks began.
- How unusually senior and small the negotiating delegations were.
- What the logic and mechanics of the U.S. naval blockade are.
- Why other countries have not joined the blockade and may resist it.
- What the Arab Gulf states are privately urging Washington to do.
- Whether Israel and the U.S. share the same goals regarding the Iranian regime.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026
Harry Sekulich and Kate Whannel, "Starmer Says UK Will Not Join Trump's Blockade of Iran's Ports," BBC
Defense Technical Information Agency, "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," October 1, 2007
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-comes-next-after-failed-us-iran-talks
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks the opportunities and risks Moscow is facing amid the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow, CFR
We Discuss:
- Whether Russia and Iran are true allies, or simply friends of convenience.
- How decades of rivalry and recent convergence shaped the current Moscow-Tehran relationship.
- Why Russia's strategic partnership with Iran excludes a mutual defense obligation.
- What role Russian intelligence sharing may be playing on the Middle East battlefield.
- How rising oil prices help Russia in the short term but carry serious long-term economic risks.
- Whether keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed serves Moscow's interest.
- How Operation Epic Fury has stalled peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, and complicated weapons supply to Kyiv.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, July 14, 2015
Russia-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, January 17, 2025
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/russias-stakes-in-the-iran-war
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
This episode unpacks how the war with Iran will affect the future of the Gulf countries’ security and economic prosperity.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, The National
We Discuss:
- Whether Gulf states supported or opposed the war with Iran and their role in the intensive diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict before it began.
- How Iran’s retaliation expanded the war into the Gulf, targeting civilian infrastructure, energy hubs, and global transit points.
- The scale of drone and missile attacks across the region, and what they reveal about modern asymmetric warfare.
- Who is actually in charge in Iran, and how the IRGC is shaping decision-making and escalation.
- Why regime change in Iran remains unlikely, despite internal unrest and external pressure.
- Why Gulf leaders don’t want a simple ceasefire, but rather a long-term security reset that addresses Iran’s missile and drone programs.
- How the war is stress-testing Gulf economies and their long-term bets on stability, globalization, and diversification.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, July 14, 2015
Vibhu Mishra, "Security Council Adopts Gulf-Backed Resolution Condemning Iran Attacks; Russia Bid Fails," United Nations News
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/gulf-states-under-fire
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
We discuss:
- Why U.S. allies are refusing to join the Iran war, and what that signals about weakening alliance cohesion and growing strategic independence.
- How the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil flows, is already reshaping the global economy and raising the stakes for every U.S. partner.
- Europe’s balancing act, publicly rejecting the war while quietly enabling U.S. operations through military bases.
- Japan’s pragmatic hedging, supporting the U.S. diplomatically while using constitutional limits to avoid direct military involvement.
- The cascading global risks of the conflict, from energy shocks and inflation to refugee flows and rising geopolitical instability.
- The long-term erosion of U.S. soft power, especially among younger generations in Europe and shifting public sentiment in Japan.
Mentioned on the Episode:
“Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks at the Munich Security Conference,” The White House
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio Delivers Remarks to the Munich Security Conference,” U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
“G7 Statement on Support to Partners in the Middle East,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/why-allies-arent-following-on-iran
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to analyze what tactical and strategic lessons can be drawn from the U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, Alex Leary, and Vera Bergengruen, "Trump Knew the Risk of Iran Blocking the Strait of Hormuz. He Still Went to War," Wall Street Journal
Hugo Lowell, "U.S. Only Has 25% of All Patriot Missile Interceptors Needed for Pentagon’s Military Plans," The Guardian
Seth Jones, "Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment: The Challenge to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base," Center for Strategic and International Studies
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-strategy-gap-in-iran
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Lynne Olson, acclaimed historian and author of Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939–1941, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the history of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 and the domestic political struggles that shaped the United States’ entry into the Second World War.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Winston Churchill, "Letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt," December 8, 1940
Council on Foreign Relations, The 10 Best and 10 Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy
Charles Lindbergh Testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, January 23, 1941
Lynne Olson, Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941
Wendel Wilkie Testimony to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, February 10, 1941
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-the-lend-lease-act
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles Burkle Center for International Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran, the prospects for regime change, and the consequences for the region.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung, Natalie Allison, and Souad Mekhennet, “Push from Saudis, Israel, Helped Move Trump to Attack Iran,” Washington Post
Dalia Dassa Kaye, Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy
Zolan Kanno-Younge, David Sanger, and Tyler Pager, “Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime,” New York Times
Michael Scherer, “I Have Agreed to Talk,” The Atlantic
Donald Trump Truth Social Post, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY”
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-chooses-war-with-iran
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Michael Bustamante, Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Cuba.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Marc Caputo, “Exclusive: Rubio's Secret Squeeze on Raul Castro's Cuba,” Axios
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/cuba-on-the-brink
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs and Professor of Public Affairs and History at the University of Texas at Austin, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China, which ushered in a new era of U.S.-Sino relations and altered the course of world politics.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Mentioned on the Episode:
James M. Lindsay, The Ten Best and Ten Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions, CFR.org
Richard Nixon, “Asia After Vietnam,” Foreign Affairs
Jeremi Suri, Henry Kissinger and the American Century
Jeremi Suri and Zachary Suri, Democracy of Hope
Jeremi Suri and Zachary Suri, This Is Democracy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-nixon-goes-to-china
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
F. Gregory Gause III, a leading scholar on Saudi Arabia and an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the evolution of U.S.-Saudi relations as Saudi Arabia navigates its role in a Middle East with a more assertive Israel, a weaker Iran, and a less predictable United States.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-new-saudi-strategy
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Jonathan Berkshire Miller, senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Canada's effort to diminish its vulnerability to U.S. economic threats and just how much middle powers like Canada can successfully hedge in a world of great power competition.
Mentioned on the Episode:
“Live From Davos: Exclusive Interview With Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent,” Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec
Mark Carney, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path,” Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
“Canada's Arctic Foreign Policy,” Government of Canada. Updated March 25, 2025
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/canada-hedges-against-the-united-states
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Heather Conley, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Rebecca Pincus, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how President Trump's desire to acquire Greenland has thrown the transatlantic relationship into its latest crisis.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trumps-greenland-ambitions
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Mary Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law at Emory University, and Christopher Nichols, Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies and Professor of History at the Ohio State University, sit down with James M. Lindsay to unpack a new CFR survey of historians on the best and worst foreign policy decisions in U.S. history.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age
Joshua Kurlantzick, A Great Place to Have a War
CFR.org, The Ten Best and Ten Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-best-worst-us-foreign-policy-decisions
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Matthew Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how President Trump has approached foreign policy since returning to the Oval Office last January.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Matthew Kroenig, “To Get to Peace in Ukraine, Trump Should Play the Nuclear Card,” Foreign Policy
Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Has a Strategy for Venezuela,” Foreign Policy
Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Should Oust Maduro,” Foreign Policy
Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Was Right to Oust Maduro,” New York Times
Matthew Kroenig, “Two Cheers for the National Security Strategy,” Foreign Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-foreign-policy-at-one-year-with-matthew-kroenig
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Will Freeman, fellow for Latin America studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of the U.S. seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Antonio Maria Delgado, ”The U.S. Gamble on Chavismo: How a Once-Unthinkable Pact Could Stabilize Venezuela,” Miami Herald
Will Freeman, “The Shock Waves of Venezuela: How Maduro’s Capture Could Transform Latin America,” Foreign Affairs
Jason Lange, ”A Third of Americans Support U.S. Strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds,” Reuters
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/washingtons-venezuela-strategy-after-maduro-with-will-freeman
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
Carla Anne Robbins, senior fellow at the Council, and Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to answer listener questions about the major developments, initiatives, and changes in U.S. foreign policy over the course of 2025.
Mentioned on the Episode:
"2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America," The White House
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The Price of Trump’s Power Politics,” Foreign Affairs
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership
Rebecca Lissner, “America’s Quasi Alliances,” Foreign Affairs
Matthias Matthijs and Nathalie Tocci, "How Europe Lost: Can the Continent Escape Its Trump Trap?" Foreign Affairs
Brad Setser, "How German Industry Can Survive the Second China Shock," Center for European Reform
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/listener-mailbag-2025-review-carla-anne-robbins-and-matthias-matthijs
Kathleen Hicks, former Deputy Secretary of Defense and a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, the Johns Hopkins University’s Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the U.S. defense industrial base has struggled to keep pace with the demands of renewed great power competition.
This is the ninth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Mark Bowden, "The Crumbling Foundations of America's Military," The Atlantic
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-crumbling-defense-industrial-base-kathleen-hicks
Rebecca Lissner, senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Trump administration's new National Security Strategy and its consequences for U.S. foreign and defense policy.
This is the eighth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
"2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America," The White House
Rebecca Lissner, Will Freeman, Liana Fix, Steven Cook, Michelle Gavin and Paul Stares, “Unpacking a Trump Twist of the National Security Strategy,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-trumps-national-security-strategy-rebecca-lissner
Jonathan Hillman, senior fellow for geoeconomics at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the steps the U.S. government should take to protect and support American firms developing critical new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology from predatory foreign challenges without stifling its own growth and innovation.
This is the seventh episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Economic Security: Winning the Race for Tomorrow’s Technologies
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-economic-security-challenge-jonathan-hillman
Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and Mike Kuiken, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission's latest annual report to Congress and how China is working to reshape the global balance of power.
This is the sixth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, "2025 Annual Report to Congress"
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-chinas-campaign-reshape-global-order-hal-brands-and-michael-kuiken
Chris McGuire, senior fellow for China and emerging technologies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether U.S. efforts to deny China advanced semiconductor chips will sustain the U.S. lead in artificial intelligence or unintentionally accelerate Chinese innovation.
This is the fifth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Bethany Allen and Jenny Wong Leung, "Trump's Crackdown on Chinese Students Ignores a Startling New Reality," New York Times
Raffaele Huang, "Chinese Officials Urge Firms to Shun Nvidia AI Chip," Wall Street Journal
Arjun Kharpal, "China’s Key Weapons in Its AI Battle With the U.S.—Massive Huawei Chip Clusters and Cheap Energy," CNBC
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-us-china-chip-war-chris-mcguire
Jessica Brandt, senior fellow for technology and national security at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping cyber operations, influence campaigns, and intelligence gathering, and what those changes mean for U.S. national security.
This is the fourth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-ai-espionage-and-influence-jessica-brandt
Michael Horowitz, Richard Perry professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and senior fellow for technology and innovation at the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how emerging military technologies are revolutionizing the modern battlefield and how the Pentagon is adapting and incorporating these new technologies.
This is the third episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Michael C. Horowitz and Lauren Kahn, “The Cost of the AGI Delusion,” Foreign Affairs
Radha Iyengar Plumb and Michael C. Horowitz, “What America Gets Wrong About the AI Race,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-new-weapons-war-michael-horowitz
Thomas Shugart, founder of Archer Strategic Consulting and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the tools and tactics of warfare have changed in the past decade and whether the U.S. military is adapting fast enough to deter a great power war.
This is the second episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Thomas Shugart, "Blue Planet, Red Planet: A New World of Contested Maritime Power," The Shugart Update
Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Dome: It's Past Time for an Emergency Anti-Drone Hardening Program," The Shugart Update
Thomas Shugart, "Forging Ahead: The PLA Shows Us What It Wants Us to See," The Shugart Update
Thomas Shugart, "Has China Been Practicing Preemptive Missile Strikes Against U.S. Bases?" War on the Rocks
Thomas Shugart, "Mind the Gap, Part 2: The Cross-Strait Potential of China’s Civilian Shipping Has Grown," War on the Rocks
Thomas Shugart, "There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist," War on the Rocks
Thomas Shugart, "The United States Can’t Afford to Not Harden Its Air Bases," War on the Rocks
Thomas Shugart, "Trends, Timelines, and Uncertainty: An Assessment of the Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific," Center for a New American Security
Timothy A. Walton and Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific," Hudson Institute
We Are China, "Forging Ahead - Episode 1: Orders Are Sacred 第一集《军令如山》," Youtube.com
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-next-battlefield-thomas-shugart
Rush Doshi, the C.V. Starr senior fellow for Asia Studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States is reckoning with the rise of China and a world of renewed geopolitical competition.
This is the first episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, Oxford University Press
David J. Lynch, The World’s Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (And What Would Make It Right), PublicAffairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-china-reckoning-rush-doshi
Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of civil-military relations as President Donald Trump remakes the senior leadership of the U.S. military and deploys the National Guard to U.S. cities.
Mentioned on the Episode:
William Manchester, American Ceasar: Douglas McArthur, 1880-1964, Back Bay Books
Kori Schake, The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States, Polity
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:
https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/civil-military-relations-under-trump-kori-schake
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle East studies and the Council, and Ed Husain, senior fellow at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks and whether President Donald Trump's twenty-point peace plan will produce a lasting ceasefire.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Elliott Abrams, "The Teaching of Hate in Jordan," CFR.org
Naftali Bendavid, Scott Clement, and Emily Guskin, "Many American Jews Sharply Critical of Israel on Gaza, Post Poll Finds," Washington Post
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/two-years-since-october-7-elliott-abrams-ed-husain
Matt Waxman, adjunct senior fellow for law and foreign policy and Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia University sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the legality of the Trump administration's military strikes against drug traffickers and the implications for U.S. foreign policy.
Mentioned on the Episode:
James Madison, “Federalist No. 51,” The Federalist Papers
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/legality-trumps-drug-boat-strikes-matthew-waxman
Liana Fix, senior fellow for Europe at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Russia’s recent drone incursions into Polish airspace, and whether the move signals an expansion of the war in Ukraine.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Liana Fix and Erin D. Dumbacher, “Russia Tests NATO With Poland Drone Breach,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/russia-violates-nato-airspace-liana-fix
Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the feasibility of a multi-layer missile defense system for the United States.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Phillip L. Swagel, “Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile Defense,” Congressional Budget Office
Todd Harrison, “How Much Would a Space-Based Missile Interceptor System Cost and Does It Make Sense?” American Enterprise Institute
Todd Harrison, “Is Trump’s Golden Dome a Brilliant Idea or a Gilded Boondoggle?” American Enterprise Institute
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/golden-dome-missile-defense-system-todd-harrison
Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what urbanization, a youth-heavy population, and social media mean for politics across the African continent.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 23, 2025, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Age of Change by Michelle Gavin. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/africas-urban-youth-revolution-michelle-gavin
Roxanna Vigil, International Affairs Fellow in National Security at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss rising political violence in Colombia and its consequences for the Andean region and beyond.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Paul J. Angelo, From Peril to Partnership: U.S. Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico, Oxford University Press
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:
https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brewing-troubles-colombia-roxanna-vigil
Stephen Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a realist U.S. foreign policy would look like.
Mentioned on the Episode:
John Ikenberry, “A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With G. John Ikenberry," The President's Inbox
John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “The Case for Offshore Balancing: A Superior U.S. Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs
Barry Posen, Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy, Cornell University Press
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-realist-foreign-policy-stephen-walt
Michael Kimmage, professor of history at the Catholic University of America, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on the war in Ukraine.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Michael Kimmage, Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability
Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman, “The Limits of Putin’s Balancing Act," Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trump-putin-summit-michael-kimmage
Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger distinguished professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how and why control of Eurasia affects U.S. national security. This episode is the fifth in a continuing TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
This episode was originally released by The President’s Inbox on January 21, 2025.
Mentioned on the Episode
Hal Brands, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World
H. J. Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History,” The Geographical Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/eurasia-challenge-hal-brands
Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia and if the current ceasefire will hold up.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing’s Global Media Offensive
Joshua Kurlantzick, “Thailand and Cambodia’s Ceasefire: Will It Stop War When Elites Want Conflict?,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/cambodian-thai-border-clash-josh-kurlantzick
Liana Fix, Fellow for Europe at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current status of the fighting in Ukraine and the significance of President Trump’s recent ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Liana Fix, “Can NATO Keep It Together?” Foreign Policy
Liana Fix, “How the Berlin Bubble Failed in the Ukraine War,” Internationale Politik
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/donald-trumps-russia-ultimatum-liana-fix
Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor at the School of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro and what Brazil sees as the group’s purpose.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Oliver Stuenkel, BRICS and the Future of Global Order
Oliver Stuenkel, IBSA: Rise of the Global South
Oliver Stuenkel, Post-Western World
Oliver Stuenkel, “In Rio, BRICS Tries to Play It Safe," Foreign Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brazil-brics-oliver-stuenkel
William Henagan, a research fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current state of U.S. foreign aid programs after President Donald Trump’s reforms.
Mentioned on the Episode:
William Henagan, “Reauthorizing DFC: A Primer for Policymakers,” CFR.org
William Henagan, “Sovereign Funds and American Investment Strategy: How to Responsibly Create a U.S. Strategic Investment Fund,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/future-us-foreign-aid-william-henagan
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the war’s ripple effects across the Middle East.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Elliott Abrams, If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the Twenty-First Century
Elliott Abrams, "Meanwhile, Hamas Is Killing Civilians Who Seek Food," CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/elusive-ceasefire-gaza-elliott-abrams
Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe professor of history and American studies and professor emeritus of political science and law at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States declared independence in 1776 and its meaning for the country today.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution
Jack N. Rakove, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress
1619 Project, New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fourth-july-jack-rakove
Erin Dumbacher, Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities, what the strikes accomplished, and how the conflict might evolve.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/answering-your-questions-us-airstrikes-iran-erin-dumbacher
Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether a return to great power spheres of influence is practical in the twenty-first century.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Sarang Shidore, “Spheres of Influence Are Not the Answer,” Foreign Policy
Sarang Shidore, “The Quiet Development Shaking America’s Power,” New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-return-spheres-influence-sarang-shidore
Steven Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s attacks on Iran’s senior military leadership and on its nuclear infrastructure.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Steven A. Cook, “Israel Is Going for the Death Blow on Iran,” Foreign Policy
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
Steven A. Cook, “The World’s Criticism Doesn’t Bother Israel,” Foreign Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/israel-strikes-iran-steven-cook
Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and a columnist for the Financial Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what we can learn from the life, career, and writings of Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Edward Luce, In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India
Edward Luce,Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent
Edward Luce,The Retreat of Western Liberalism
Edward Luce, Zbig, The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski: America's Great Power Prophet
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century
Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Fragile Blossom: Crisis and Change in Japan
Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/zbigniew-brzezinski-edward-luce
Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at RAND and professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the confrontations between China and the Philippines over their competing claims in the South China Sea and the consequences for the United States.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-philippines-standoff-derek-grossman
Reuben Brigety, President of Busara Advisors and U.S. Ambassador to South Africa from 2022 to 2025, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss relations between Washington and Pretoria in the wake of last week’s meeting between President Donald Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/united-states-and-south-africa-reuben-brigety
Šumit Ganguly, senior fellow and director of the U.S.-India Program at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the origins and consequences of the recent military clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Šumit Ganguly, “What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan?” Foreign Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/india-pakistan-crisis-sumit-ganguly
Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing talks between the United States and Iran over Iran’s nuclear program.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Karim Sadjadpour, “Iran Wants to Avoid Both Peace and War With the United States. Trump Isn’t Having It," Emissary
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/iran-nuclear-talks-karim-sadjadpour
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s response to President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes and what it means for the future of U.S.-China relations.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Zoe Liu, “How China Armed Itself for the Trade War,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/us-china-trade-war-zoe-liu
Carla Anne Robbins, senior fellow at the Council, and Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to answer questions from CFR’s audience about President Donald Trump’s foreign policy during his first one hundred days in office.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-first-100-days-carla-anne-robbins-matthias-matthijs
Varun Sivaram, senior fellow for energy and climate and Director of the Climate Realism Initiative at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the global environment and U.S. climate policies on the occasion of Earth Day 2025.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun
Varun Sivaram, “We Need a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy. It’s Time for Climate Realism," CFR.org
“The Moral Assumptions Embedded in Economic Models of Climate Change,” The Economist
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-change-realism-earth-day-2025-varun-sivaram
Will Freeman, fellow for Latin America studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to retake control of the Panama Canal.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Will Freeman, “A New Monroe Doctrine Is Unlikely to Work for the US in South America,” Financial Times
Will Freeman, “Securing the Panama Canal Requires Diplomacy,” Americas Quarterly
Donald J. Trump, “The Inaugural Address,” January 20, 2025
Donald J. Trump, “Truth Social Post,” December 21, 2024
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-plan-panama-canal-will-freeman
Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, co-founder and former chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, and author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States, its impact on U.S. interests, and how the United States should respond.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Dmitri Alperovitch, World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century
Jeffrey Goldberg, "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans," The Atlantic
Admiral Samuel Paparo, "USINDOPACOM Commander Adresses Honolulu Defense Forum," February 14, 2025.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/confronting-china-challenge-dmitri-alperovitch
Sophia Besch, a senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Germany’s ambitious rearmament plans amidst deepening concerns about the U.S. commitment to European security.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Sophia Besch, "A Zeitenwende for Germany's Defense Industry," U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute
Sophia Besch and Erik Brown, "Who's Going to United Europe on Defense?" Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Sophia Besch and Tara Varma, “A New Transatlantic Alliance Threatens the EU,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/germanys-rearmament-sophia-besch
Edward Fishman, senior research scholar and adjunct professor at Columbia University and author of Chokepoints: American Power in an Age of Economic Warfare, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the United States’ expanded use of financial and trade sanctions in recent years and whether they have enabled Washington to accomplish its foreign policy objectives.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Edward Fishman, Chokepoints: American Power in an Age of Economic Warfare
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-era-economic-warfare-edward-fishman
Mvemba Dizolele, senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the renewed fighting in the Eastern Congo that pits the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Mvemba Dizolele, Into Africa, Center for Strategic and International Studies
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/conflict-eastern-congo-mvemba-dizolele
Nina Armagno, retired United States Space Force lieutenant general, and Jane Harman, former congresswoman and president emerita of the Wilson Center, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the increasing importance of space as a commercial opportunity and strategic vulnerability for the United States.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Council on Foreign Relations, Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/us-space-policy-nina-armagno-jane-harman
Jane Perlez, a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and a longtime foreign correspondent for the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the decline of foreign reporting from Beijing and its consequences for U.S.-China relations.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Jane Perlez and Rana Mitter, with Lingling Wei, “Journalists in China,” Face-Off: The U.S. vs. China
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/reporting-china-jane-perlez
Liana Fix, CFR fellow for Europe, and Charles A. Kupchan, CFR senior fellow and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sit down with James M. Lindsay on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to discuss Trump's evolving policy toward Ukraine.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Scott Bessent, “Economic Partnership Will Protect the Ukrainian People and the US Taxpayer,” Financial Times
Heidi Crebo-Rediker, “The Art of a Good Deal: Ukraine’s Strategic Economic Opportunity for the United States,” CFR.org
Rush Doshi, “The Trump Administration’s China Challenge,” Foreign Affairs
Liana Fix, “Partners in Peacemaking: How the United States and Europe Can End the War in Ukraine," CFR.org
Michael Froman and Charles A. Kupchan, “Supporting Ukraine Is in Trump’s Interest,” Project Syndicate
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-peace-plan-ukraine-liana-fix-charles-kupchan
Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the White House meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump and what it says about current and future state of U.S.-India relations.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Tanvi Madan, Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations During the Cold War
Tanvi Madan, “India Is Hoping for a Trump Bump,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/modi-meets-trump-tanvi-madan
Emerging technologies are transforming international relations and our country’s economy. So how do we connect science and engineering labs with Washington and the world of business?
The Interconnect, a new podcast series from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, brings together leading minds in cutting-edge technology and foreign policy to explore recent ground-breaking developments, what's coming over the horizon, and the implications for U.S. innovation leadership.
In this featured episode, Stanford Emerging Technology Review Faculty Council Member Mark Horowitz and CFR’s technologist-in-residence Sebastian Elbaum discuss where chip manufacturing is heading, how hardware advances are powering the new artificial intelligence (AI) era, and what the United States should prioritize in order to sustain its leadership in this crucial domain.
Host
Martin Giles, Managing Editor of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review
Guests
Mark Horowitz, chair of the Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford University
Sebastian Elbaum, the Technologist in Residence at the Council on Foreign Relations
Robert Kaplan, acclaimed journalist and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the world’s growing interconnectedness is likely to produce greater conflict and chaos. This episode is the sixth in a continuing TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Robert Kaplan, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis
Robert F. Worth, “Narendra Modi’s Populist Facade Is Cracking,” The Atlantic
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:
https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/world-permanent-crisis-robert-kaplan
Adam Segal, the Ira A. Lipman chair in emerging technologies and national security at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the Chinese company DeepSeek's new artificial intelligence (AI) program has challenged the conventional wisdom that the United States leads the AI race and raised critical questions about U.S. policy on AI.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Adam Segal, The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age
Adam Segal and Sebastian Elbaum, "Artificial Intelligence Priorities for the Next Administration," CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/deepseek-upends-ai-competition-adam-segal
Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the Israel-Hamas cease-fire over Gaza came together, what the agreement requires each side to do, and what will come next.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven Cook, “Israel and Hamas Reach Cease-Fire, but Will the War End?” CFR.org
Steven Cook, “Israelis and Palestinians Both Lost Their Futures,” Foreign Policy
Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/gaza-ceasefire-steven-cook
Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger distinguished professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how and why control of Eurasia affects U.S. national security. This episode is the fifth in a continuing TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode
Hal Brands, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World
H. J. Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History,” The Geographical Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/eurasia-challenge-hal-brands
Edward Alden, senior fellow at CFR and co-author of When the World Closed Its Doors: The Covid-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Trump's proposed immigration policies and their likely effects on the economy. This episode is the ninth and final episode in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by January 28, 2025, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of When the World Closed Its Doorsby Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Edward Alden, The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security Since 9/11
Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman, When the World Closed Its Doors: The COVID-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders
Alessandro Caiumi and Giovanni Peri, "Immigration's Effect on US Wages and Employment Redux," National Bureau of Economic Research
Council on Foreign Relations, The Work Ahead: Machines, Skills, and U.S. Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition
Anna Maria Mayda, Francesc Ortega, Giovanni Peri, Kevin Shih and Chad Sparber, "The Effect of the H-1B Quota on Employment and Selection of Foreign-Born Labor," National Bureau of Economic Research
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-immigration-policy-edward-alden-transition-2025-episode-9
Ray Takeyh, the Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Trump’s victory is being viewed in Iran and whether a return to “maximum pressure” will force Tehran to agree to limit its nuclear program. This episode is the eighth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, “Tehran May Tempt Trump With Talks,” Wall Street Journal
Mike Pompeo, “After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy,” Speech at the Heritage Foundation
Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty
Ray Takeyh, “The Untold Story of Jimmy Carter’s Hawkish Stand on Iran,” Wall Street Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/iran-reacts-trumps-victory-ray-takeyh-transition-2025-episode-8
Stephen Heintz, president and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States should adapt to an era of renewed great power competition and domestic disagreement over what it should seek to achieve abroad. This episode is the fourth in a special TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
This episode first aired: August 20, 2024
Mentioned on the Episode
Stephen Heintz, “A Logic for the Future: International Relations in the Age of Turbulence,” Rockefeller Brothers Fund
John F. Kennedy, “Commencement Address at American University,” June 10, 1963
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/case-multipolar-pluralism-stephen-heintz
Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow at CFR and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States should adapt to an era of renewed great power competition and domestic disagreement over what it should seek to achieve abroad. This episode is the third in a special TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
This episode first aired: July 30, 2024
Mentioned on the Episode
“A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With John Ikenberry,” The President’s Inbox
Richard Haass, Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America’s House in Order
Charles A. Kupchan, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World
Jake Sullivan, “Renewing American Economic Leadership”
Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power: A Foreign Policy for a Changed World,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-liberal-realism-charles-kupchan
Zoe Liu, the Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Trump’s victory is being viewed in China and what his presidency will mean for the future of U.S.-China economic relations. This episode is the seventh in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,“Why China Won't Give Up on a Failing Economic Model,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-reacts-trumps-election-zoe-liu-transition-2025-episode-7
Sheila Smith, the John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Trump’s victory is being viewed in Japan and what his presidency will mean for U.S.-Japanese relations and the security situation in northeast Asia. This episode is the sixth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Sheila Smith, Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power
Sheila Smith, "Governing from Weakness: The LDP Under Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru," The Diplomat
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/japan-reacts-trumps-victory-sheila-smith-transition-2025-episode-6
Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Trump’s victory is being viewed in Latin America and what his policies toward the region might be. This episode is the fifth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Will Freeman and Javier Corrales, “How Organized Crime Threatens Latin America,” Journal of Democracy
Claudia Sheinbaum, “Claudia Sheinbaum’s Defiant Letter to Donald Trump: A Blueprint for a New Era in US-Mexico Relations,” Pressenza International Press Agency
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/latin-america-reacts-trumps-election-will-freeman-transition-2025-episode-5
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR and adjunct professor at Georgetown University, and Matthias Matthijs, a senior fellow for Europe at CFR and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how governments across Europe are preparing for a second Trump administration. This episode is the fourth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
“A Second China Shock, With Brad Setser,” The President’s Inbox
Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs
Matthias Matthijs, “Europe’s Leadership Void,” Survival
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/europe-reacts-trumps-victory-liana-fix-and-matthias-matthijs-transition-2025-episode-4
Christopher M. Tuttle, a senior fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the people that President-Elect Donald Trump has nominated for foreign policy and national security positions. This episode is the third in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
“Trump and the Middle East, With Steven A. Cook (Transition 2025, Episode 2),” The President’s Inbox
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/trumps-national-security-appointees-christopher-m-tuttle-transition-2025-episode-3
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Middle Eastern countries are reacting to former President Donald Trump’s election victory and his potential policy for the region. This episode is the second in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership
Jared Kushner, Breaking History: A White House Memoir
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trump-and-middle-east-steven-cook-transition-2025-episode-2
Stephen Hadley, a principal of Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC and former national security advisor to President George W. Bush, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the presidential transition process and the challenges that all incoming presidents face in staffing up their administration. This episode is the first in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Stephen Hadley, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/staffing-new-administration-stephen-hadley-transition-2025-episode-1
Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the nature and significance of growing cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This episode is the seventh in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Daniel R. DePetris and Jennifer Kavanaugh, “The ‘Axis of Evil’ is Overhyped,” Foreign Policy
Richard Fontaine and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, “The Axis of Upheaval: How America’s Adversaries Are Uniting to Overturn the Global Order,” Foreign Affairs
Walter Lippmann, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/axis-autocracies-challenge-jennifer-kavanagh-and-andrea-kendall-taylor-election-2024
Liza Tobin, senior director for economy at the Special Competitive Studies Project, and Jake Werner, acting director of the East Asia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges the next president will face navigating relations with China. This episode is the sixth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Robert Atkinson and Liza Tobin, "The Missing Piece in America's Strategy for Techno-Economic Rivalry with China," Lawfare
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
Jake Werner, "A Program for Progressive China Policy," Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-challenge-liza-tobin-and-jake-werner-election-2024-episode-6
Oriana Mastro, a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S. policy toward Taiwan in light of talk that China might seek to compel the island’s reunification with the mainland. This episode is the fifth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Council on Foreign Relations, China's Belt and Road: Implications for the United States
Council on Foreign Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China
Oriana Skylar Mastro, “The Pivot That Wasn’t,” Foreign Affairs
Oriana Skylar Mastro, “This Is What America Is Getting Wrong About China and Taiwan,” New York Times
Oriana Skylar Mastro, Upstart: How China Became a Great Power
David Sacks, “Taiwan’s Trump Conundrum,” CFR.org.
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/taiwan-challenge-oriana-mastro-and-david-sacks-election-2024-episode-5
Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at CFR, and Amy Hawthorne, independent consultant on the Middle East, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the widening war in the Middle East and the challenges it poses for the United States. This episode is the fourth in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power,” Foreign Affairs
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/middle-east-challenge-steven-cook-and-amy-hawthorne-election-2024-episode-4
Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the CFR and the Ross Distinguished Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, and Ana Swanson, a trade and international economics journalist at the New York Times, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss opportunities and constraints that the next U.S. president will confront on U.S. trade policy. This episode is the third in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Edward Alden, Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy
David Autor, Anne Beck, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson, “Help for the Heartland? The Employment and Electoral Effects of the Trump Tariffs in the United States,” National Bureau of Economic Research
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trade-challenge-edward-alden-and-ana-swanson-election-2024-episode-3
Alice Hill, the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, and Varun Sivaram, a senior fellow for energy and climate at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the United States has done and should do to confront a changing climate. This episode is the second in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Alice C. Hill, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19
Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-challenge-alice-hill-and-varun-sivaram-election-2024-episode-2
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of U.S. policy toward Russia and the risks posed by heightened tensions between two nuclear powers. This episode is the first in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Episode
Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs
The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org
Thomas Graham, Getting Russia Right
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/russia-challenge-liana-fix-and-thomas-graham-election-2024-episode-1
Max Boot, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at CFR and a columnist for The Washington Post, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Ronald Reagan’s life and his impact on U.S. foreign policy.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 24, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Reagan: His Life and Legendby Max Boot. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Max Boot, “Reagan Didn’t Win the Cold War,” Foreign Affairs
Max Boot, Reagan: His Life and Legend
Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam
Shreya Chattopadhyay and Miguel Salazar, "22 Nonfiction Books to Read This Fall," New York Times
Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation About Christmas and the Situation in Poland"
Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger"
Ronald Reagan, “Remarks at a Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day"
“Ronald Reagan, Mastermind,” Saturday Night Live
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/ronald-reagan-us-global-leadership-max-boot
Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the potential for a wider war in the Middle East as Iran vows to retaliate against Israel for the killing of a top Hamas official in Tehran.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/a-wider-middle-east-war-with-steven-cook
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia.
Mentioned on the Episode
Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ukraines-attack-kursk-liana-fix
Stephen Heintz, president and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States should adapt to an era of renewed great power competition and domestic disagreement over what it should seek to achieve abroad. This episode is the fourth in a special TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode
Stephen Heintz, “A Logic for the Future: International Relations in the Age of Turbulence,” Rockefeller Brothers Fund
John F. Kennedy, “Commencement Address at American University,” June 10, 1963
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/case-multipolar-pluralism-stephen-heintz
Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how America should navigate its geopolitical rivalry with China.
Mentioned on the Episode
Graham Allison, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’ Trap?
Hal Brands and Michael Beckley, Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict With China
Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy to Displace American Order
Rush Doshi, et al., “Debating the United States’ China Strategy,” CFR.org
Rush Doshi, et al., “What Does America Want From China?,” Foreign Affairs
Aaron Friedberg, The Weary Titan: Britain and the Experience of Relative Decline, 1895-1905
Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger, “No Substitute for Victory: America’s Competition With China Must Be Won, Not Managed,” Foreign Affairs
William Langley and Gloria Li, “Chinese Robot Maker Says Protectionism Will Not Stop Its March,” Financial Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/americas-china-strategy-rush-doshi
Christopher Kirchhoff, former special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Raj M. Shah, managing partner of Shield Capital, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense to incorporate cutting-edge technology into its operations.
Mentioned on the Episode
Ashton B. Carter, “Keeping America’s Military Edge,” Foreign Affairs
Christopher Kirchhoff and Raj M. Shah,Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/silicon-valley-and-the-future-of-warfare
Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow at CFR and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States should adapt to an era of renewed great power competition and domestic disagreement over what it should seek to achieve abroad. This episode is the third in a special TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode
“A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With John Ikenberry,” The President’s Inbox
Richard Haass, Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America’s House in Order
Charles A. Kupchan, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World
Jake Sullivan, “Renewing American Economic Leadership”
Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power: A Foreign Policy for a Changed World,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-liberal-realism-charles-kupchan
Sir Robin Niblett, distinguished fellow at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss a potential second Cold War between the United States and China.
Mentioned on the Episode
Graham Allison, Destined for War: Can American and China Escape Thucydides’ Trap?
Barry Buzan, “A New Cold War? The Case for a General Concept,” International Politics
Robin Niblett, “The G-7 Must Prepare Now for Trump,” Foreign Policy
Robin Niblett, The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century
Robin Niblett and Leslie Vinjamuri, “The Liberal Order Begins at Home,” Foreign Affairs
Jake Sullivan, “Remarks by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Renewing American Economic Leadership at the Brookings Institution,” April 27, 2023
Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power: A Foreign Policy for a Changed World,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-china-cold-war-robin-niblett
Stephen Flynn, chair of the Committee on Assessing WMD Nuclear Terrorism at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and a political science professor at Northeastern University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the steps the U.S. government should take to prevent and respond to nuclear terrorism.
Mentioned on the Episode
Nuclear Terrorism: Assessment of U.S. Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/threat-nuclear-terrorism-stephen-flynn
Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at CFR and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and Daniela Schwarzer, a member of the executive board of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results and consequences of the snap elections in France and the United Kingdom.
Mentioned on the Episode
Matthias Matthijs, “Pivotal Elections for France—and Europe,” CFR.org
Matthias Matthijs and Mark Blyth, “Don’t Bet on a British Revival,” Foreign Affairs
Daniela Schwarzer, “It’s Time to Reset EU-UK Relations,” Financial Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/elections-britain-and-france-matthias-matthijs-and-daniela-schwarzer
Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe professor of history and American studies and professor emeritus of political science and law at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States declared independence in 1776 and its meaning for the country today.
This episode first aired: July 4, 2023
Mentioned on the Podcast
Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution
Jack N. Rakove, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress
1619 Project, New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fourth-july-jack-rakove
Robert D. Blackwill, the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at CFR, and Richard Fontaine, the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the U.S. response to the rise of China.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by July 8, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Powerby Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine, Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power
Hillary Clinton, “America’s Pacific Century,” Foreign Policy
Philip Zelikow, “Confronting Another Axis? History, Humility, and Wishful Thinking,” Texas National Security Review
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-pivot-asia-robert-d-blackwill-and-richard-fontaine
Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing deadly conflict and humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Mentioned on the Episode
Michelle Gavin, “The World’s Shameful Neglect of Sudan,” CFR.org
“Sudan’s Civil War, With Michelle Gavin,” The President’s Inbox
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/sudans-ongoing-civil-war-michelle-gavin
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the CFR, and Matthias Mattijs, senior fellow for Europe at CFR and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results and consequences of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Mentioned on the Episode
Liana Fix, A New German Power? Germany’s Role in European Russia Policy
Caroline Kapp and Matthias Matthijs, “What’s at Stake in the EU Elections?,” CFR.org
Additional Reading
Liana Fix, “How Will the EU Elections Results Change Europe?,” CFR.org
Matthias Matthijs, “Have European Voters Hamstrung the EU?,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/right-surges-eu-elections-liana-fix-and-matthias-matthijs
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the United States’ past, present, and future policy in the Middle East.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by June 17, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle Eastby Steven A. Cook. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
George H. W. Bush and Brent Scowcroft, A World Transformed
Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the Middle East
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-policy-middle-east-steven-cook
Andrés Rozental, a distinguished retired Mexican diplomat, president of Rozental & Asociados, and the founding president of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the dynamics of Mexico’s upcoming election and its consequences for the Mexican people as well as for U.S.-Mexico relations.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/mexicos-presidential-election-andres-rozental
David Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the post-Cold War ended and why the new era of geopolitical rivalry began.
Mentioned on the Episode
John Maggio, Year One: A Political Odyssey, HBO Max
David E. Sanger, New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West, with Mary K. Brooks
David E. Sanger, The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/americas-new-cold-wars-david-sanger
Andrew Reddie, an associate research professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing warfare.
Mentioned on the Episode
Alan Hickey, Andrew Reddie, Sarah Shoker, and Leah Walker, "New Tools Are Needed to Address the Risks Posed by AI-Military Integration," Lawfare
Max Lamparth and Jacquelyn Schneider, "Why the Military Can't Trust AI," Foreign Affairs
"Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy,” U.S. Department of State
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/impact-ai-warfare-andrew-reddie
John Ikenberry, the Albert G. Milbank Professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether liberal internationalism and U.S. global leadership are fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. This episode is the second in a special TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode
John Ikenberry, A World Safe for Democracy: Liberal Internationalism and the Crises of Global Order
John Ikenberry, Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order
Arthur A. Stein, “The Hegemon’s Dilemma: Great Britain, the United States, and the International Economic Order,” International Organization
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/new-us-grand-strategy-case-liberal-internationalism-g-john-ikenberry
Brad Setser, the Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the causes and consequences of China's export surge.
Mentioned on the Episode
David H. Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson, "The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States," American Economic Review
James M. Lindsay, "Election 2024: The United States Is Facing a Second China Shock," CFR.org
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, "Beijing Needs to Junk Its Economic Playbook,” Foreign Policy
Brad W. Setser, "China Needs More Progressive Taxes and More Spending on Public Health," CFR.org
Brad W. Setser, Michael Weilandt, and Volkmar Baur, "China's Record Manufacturing Surplus," CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/second-china-shock-brad-setser
John Barrientos, a captain in the U.S. Navy and a visiting military fellow at CFR, and Kristen Thompson, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a visiting military fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to provide an inside view on how the U.S. military is adapting to the challenges it faces.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/challenges-facing-us-military-john-barrientos-and-kristen-thompson
Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, and Ray Takeyh, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and the prospects for a broader Middle East war.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven A. Cook, "Iran Attack Means an Even Tougher Balancing Act for the U.S. in the Middle East," CFR.org
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming]
Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, “Keeping U.S. Power Behind Israel Will Keep Iran at Bay,” New York Times
Ray Takeyh, "Iran Attacks on Israel Spur Escalation Concerns," CFR.org
Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/irans-attack-israel-steven-cook-and-ray-takeyh
Michael Kimmage, a history professor at the Catholic University of America and a senior associate with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the origins of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its repercussion for the global order.
Mentioned on the Episode
Michael Kimmage, Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/russia-ukraine-and-global-instability-michael-kimmage
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the prospects for an end to the fighting, and the tensions in U.S.-Israeli relations.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven Cook, “Five Months of War: Where Israel, Hamas, and the U.S. Stand,” CFR.org
Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming]
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/war-gaza-steven-cook
W.J. Hennigan, a correspondent for the Opinion section of the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the risk of nuclear war in an era of growing geopolitical competition.
Mentioned on the Episode
"At the Brink," New York Times
J. Hennigan, "How America Made Nuclear War the President's Decision," New York Times
J. Hennigan, "Nuclear War Is Called Unimaginable. In Fact, It's Not Imagined Enough," New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/confronting-nuclear-threat-wj-hennigan
Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether and where the United States should be less involved in the world. This episode is the first in a special The President’s Inbox series on U.S. grand strategy.
Mentioned on the Episode
Stephen Wertheim, “Internationalism/Isolationism: Concepts of American Global Power [PDF],” in Rethinking U.S. World Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, ed. Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes
Stephen Wertheim, Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy
Stephen Wertheim, "Why America Can't Have It All: Washington Must Choose Between Primacy and Prioritizing," Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/new-us-grand-strategy-case-us-retrenchment-overseas-stephen-wertheim
Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the record surge in migrants and asylum seekers crossing the U.S. southern border.
Mentioned on the Episode
Dara Lind, "What We Know About the Senate Negotiations That Could Wreck Asylum in the U.S.," Immigration Impact
The Weeds, Vox
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/crisis-us-southern-border-dara-lind
Ann Norris, a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss International Women’s Day and the challenges facing adolescent girls around the world and the solutions to address them.
Mentioned on the Episode
Ann Norris, Renewing the Global Architecture for Gender Equality
United Nations, "SDG 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls"
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/international-womens-day-ann-norris
Kate Schecter, president and CEO of World Neighbors, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss progress and setbacks in promoting economic development in some of the world’s poorest countries.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/combating-global-poverty-kate-schecter
Miriam Elder, the Edward R. Murrow press fellow at CFR, and Carla Anne Robbins, a senior fellow at CFR and co-host of CFR’s The World Next Week podcast, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the war between Russia and Ukraine is headed as it enters its third year.
Mentioned on the Episode
“House Republicans Fear Trump Too Much to Aid Ukraine,” Economist
Simon Shuster, The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky
The World Next Week, Council on Foreign Relations
“Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief on the Breakthrough He Needs to Beat Russia,” Economist
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/year-three-ukraine-war-miriam-elder-and-carla-anne-robbins
Kat Duffy, a senior fellow for digital and cyberspace policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the capacity of the U.S. government to lead in creating a framework for regulating artificial intelligence (AI).
Mentioned on the Episode
Kat Duffy and Katie Harbath, "Defending the Year of Democracy," Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/governance-artificial-intelligence-kat-duffy
Ray Takeyh, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at CFR, and Robin Wright, a contributing writer and columnist for the New Yorker, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ramifications of U.S. retaliation against Iranian-backed militias after the killing of three U.S. service members in Jordan on January 28.
Mentioned on the Episode
Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty
Robin Wright, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-airstrikes-iraq-and-syria-ray-takeyh-and-robin-wright
Enter the CFR book giveaway by February 13, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The World That Wasn’t: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Centuryby Benn Steil. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Danny Rocco, Convention
Benn Steil, The Battle for Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order
Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War
Benn Steil, The World That Wasn’t: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century
Oliver Stone, The Untold Story of American History
Henry Wallace, “Text of Wallace Letter to Stalin Calling for Peace Program,” New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/henry-wallace-and-origins-cold-war-benn-steil
Jessica Brandt, policy director for the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution, where she is a fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence might affect the 2024 U.S. elections.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ais-impact-2024-us-elections-jessica-brandt
This episode first aired: September 12, 2023
Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea.
Mentioned on the Episode
Alan Beattie, “Why Red Sea Attacks Won’t Derail Globalisation (Probably),” Financial Times
Kenneth M. Pollack and Katherine Zimmerman, “Washington Can't Let the Houthis Take Yemen,” Wall Street Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/houthi-threat-red-sea-shipping-katherine-zimmerman
David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the potential geopolitical consequences of Taiwan’s presidential race.
Mentioned on the Episode
Council on Foreign Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China, 2023
Hou Yu-ih, “Taiwan’s Path Between Extremes,” Foreign Affairs
James M. Lindsay, “Ten Elections to Watch in 2024,” CFR.org
David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing Hou Yu-ih’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org
David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing Ko Wen-je’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org
David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing William Lai’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/taiwans-presidential-election-david-sacks
Bruce Hoffman, the Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at CFR, and Jacob Ware, a research fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the rise of far-right violent extremism in the United States and abroad.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by January 16, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in Americaby Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware, God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America
Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/far-right-terrorism-bruce-hoffman-and-jacob-ware
Shannon O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to answer questions submitted by listeners to The President’s Inbox.
Mentioned on the Episode
Walter Issacson, The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/year-end-qa-special-shannon-oneil
Kori Schake, a senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the fighting in Ukraine is headed.
Mentioned on the Episode
Leon Aron, “The Sanctions Against Russia Are Starting to Work,” The Atlantic
Kori Schake, America Vs the West: Can the Liberal World Order be Preserved?
Kori Schake, “The Case for Conservative Internationalism,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/future-war-ukraine-kori-schake
Scott A. Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the importance of the U.S.-South Korea military alliance and how domestic and international forces could be undermining it.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by December 26, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The United States–South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Notby Scott Snyder. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Episode
Scott A. Snyder, The United States–South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-south-korea-alliance-scott-snyder
Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the collapse of the temporary ceasefire in Gaza and the future of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Mentioned on the Episode
Steven Cook, “The War Won’t Solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict,” Foreign Policy
Fred Iklé, Every War Must End
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/renewed-fighting-gaza-steven-cook
Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Michelle Gavin, Climate Change and Regional Instability in the Horn of Africa
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/what-climate-change-means-horn-africa-michelle-gavin
This episode first aired: February 14, 2023
Peter Trubowitz, a professor of international relations and director of the Phelan U.S. Center at the London School of Economics and an associate fellow at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the reasons for the rise of anti-globalism in Western countries and its consequences for world order.
Mentioned on the Episode
Peter Trubowitz and Brian Burgoon, Geopolitics and Democracy: The Western Liberal Order from Foundation to Fracture
Peter Trubowitz and Brian Burgoon, “Make the Center Vital Again,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/anti-globalization-backlash-peter-trubowitz
Matthew Goodman, a distinguished fellow for global economic policy and director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2023 forum in San Francisco, California.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/apec-summit-matthew-goodman
Nicholas Eberstadt, the Henry Wendt Chair in political economy at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how demographic trends in China, Russia, and the United States will shape and constrain global geopolitical competition.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Nicholas Eberstadt, “America Hasn’t Lost Its Demographic Advantage,” Foreign Affairs
Nicholas Eberstadt, “Can America Cope with Demographic Decline?,” National Review
Nicholas Eberstadt, “China’s Collapsing Birth and Marriage Rates Reflect a People’s Deep Pessimism,” Washington Post
Nicholas Eberstadt, Russia’s Peacetime Demographic Crisis: Dimensions, Causes, Implications
Nicholas Eberstadt, “Russian Power in Decline,” Milken Institute Review
Nicholas Eberstadt, “The China Challenge: A Demographic Predicament Will Plague the Mainland for Decades,” Discourse
Nicholas Eberstadt, “With Great Demographics Comes Great Power,” Foreign Affairs
Nicholas Eberstadt and Ashton Verdery, “A Revolution Is Coming for China’s Families,” The Wall Street Journal
Nicholas Eberstadt and Ashton Verdery, “China’s Shrinking Families,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/demography-and-world-power-nicholas-eberstadt
Description: Matthew Waxman, adjunct senior fellow for law and foreign policy at CFR and the Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the laws of warfare and how they apply to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/laws-war-matthew-waxman
Linda Robinson, a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the diplomatic and political challenges triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Linda Robinson, One Hundred Victories: Special Ops and the Future of American Warfare
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/future-israel-hamas-war-linda-robinson
Christopher M. Tuttle, a senior fellow and director of the Renewing America Initiative at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the efforts of U.S. House Republicans to elect a new speaker of the House. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations, Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-house-republican-speaker-battle-christopher-m-tuttle
Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at CFR, and Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the context and consequences of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Elliott Abrams, "The Hamas Attack Changes Everything," National Review
Steven A. Cook, "Surprise Palestinian Attack Spawns Fears of Wider Mideast War," CFR.org
Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming]
Summer Said, “Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks,” Wall Street Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/israel-hamas-war-elliott-abrams-and-steven-cook
Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how U.S.-Russia relations have evolved since the Cold War.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by October 17, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Getting Russia Rightby Thomas Graham. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Thomas Graham, Getting Russia Right
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/getting-russia-right-thomas-graham
Ian Johnson, the Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Chinese filmmakers, journalists, and artists are challenging the Chinese Communist Party’s version of history.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by October 11, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future by Ian Johnson. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Ian Johnson, Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future
Ian Johnson, Wild Grass: Three Portraits of Change in Modern China
Ian Johnson, “Xi’s Age of Stagnation: The Great Walling Off of China,” Foreign Affairs
Liu Cixin, The Three-Body Problem
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-underground-historians-ian-johnson
Max Boot, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow in national security studies at CFR and a columnist for the Washington Post, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the progress Ukraine is making in its ongoing effort to retake the territory Russia seized in its 2022 invasion.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam
Max Boot, “Ukraine May Have a Better Chance to Win in 2024, a Retired U.S. General Says,” The Washington Post
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ukraines-2023-counteroffensive-max-boot
Jessica Brandt, policy director for the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution, where she is a fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence might affect the 2024 U.S. elections.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ais-impact-2024-us-elections-jessica-brandt
Matthias Mattijs, senior fellow for Europe at CFR and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and Sophie Meunier, a senior research scholar at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the European Union has transformed its approach to economics and the implications for transatlantic relations.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Matthias Matthijs and Sophie Meunier, “Europe’s Geoeconomic Revolution,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/europes-geoeconomic-revolution-matthias-mattijs-sophie-meunier
Fiona S. Cunningham, assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s expanding nuclear weapons program and the likelihood of an arms race with the United States.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Fiona S. Cunningham, “Cooperation Under Asymmetry? The Future of U.S.-China Nuclear Relations,” The Washington Quarterly
Fiona S. Cunningham, “Strategic Substitution: China's Search for Coercive Leverage in the Information Age,” International Security
M. Taylor Fravel, Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949
M. Taylor Fravel and Evan S. Medeiros, “China’s Search for Assured Retaliation: The Evolution of Chinese Nuclear Strategy and Force Structure [PDF],” International Security
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-nuclear-forces-fiona-s-cunningham
This episode first aired: February 28, 2023
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing negotiations to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Steven A. Cook, “How Sisi Ruined Egypt,” Foreign Policy
Steven A. Cook and Martin Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact
Andrew Exum, “The Israeli Saudi Deal Had Better Be a Good One,” The Atlantic
Thomas Friedman, “Biden Is Weighing a Big Middle East Deal,” New York Times
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/israeli-saudi-peace-deal-steven-cook
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, the Maurice R. Greenberg fellow for China studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the causes and consequences of China’s faltering economy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“China’s Economy Is Slowing. Here’s Why That Matters,” Bloomberg
Thomas Hale and Andy Lin, “Chinese Economy Falls Into Deflation as Recovery Stumbles,” Financial Times
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, “Zero-COVID Is the Least of Xi's Economic Problems,” Foreign Policy
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, “Beijing Needs to Junk Its Economic Playbook,” Foreign Policy
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, “China's Pensions System Is Buckling Under an Aging Population,” Foreign Policy
Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Benn Steil, “Xi's Plan for China's Economy Is Doomed to Fail,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-economic-downturn-zongyuan-zoe-liu
Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Kremlin’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative threaten global food security.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint Coordination Centre, United Nations
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/global-food-insecurity-caitlin-welsh
Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss spiking crime rates across Latin America and their consequences for the region and the United States.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“Informe Latinobarómetro 2023: La Recesión Democrática de América Latina,” Latinobarómetro
“The Fentanyl Epidemic, With Vanda Felbab-Brown,” The President’s Inbox
Will Freeman, “A Surge in Crime and Violence Has Ecuador Reeling,” World Politics Review
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/latin-americas-crime-surge-will-freeman
Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the deadly struggle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for control of Sudan.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Michelle Gavin, “Seeking Urgency on Sudan,” CFR.org
Michelle Gavin, “Sudan’s Two Truths,” CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/sudans-civil-war-michelle-gavin
Ivo H. Daalder, the chief executive of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the decisions reached at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Ivo H. Daalder, “How to Ensure a Strong, Independent Ukraine,” Politico
Ivo H. Daalder, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and Stefano Stefanini, “Ex-NATO Leaders: Alliance Must Invite Ukraine in Next Year,” Semafor
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The West Holds Firm,” Foreign Affairs
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “Why Putin Underestimated the West,” Foreign Affairs
Maggie Haberman, Charlie Savage, and Jonathan Swan, “Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025,” New York Times
“Vilnius Summit Communiqué,” North Atlantic Treaty Organization
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/assessing-nato-summit-ivo-h-daalder
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on climate change, Sarang Shidore, the director of studies and senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Bay of Bengal region. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Sarang Shirdore, Climate Security and Instability in the Bay of Bengal Region
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/what-climate-change-means-bay-bengal-sarang-shidore
Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe professor of history and American studies and professor emeritus of political science and law at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States declared independence in 1776 and its meaning for the country today.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution
Jack N. Rakove, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fourth-july-jack-rakove
Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay upon completing two decades leading CFR to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the United States.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order
Richard Haass, Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America's House in Order
Richard Haass, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens
Richard Haass, The Bureaucratic Entrepreneur: How to Be Effective in Any Unruly Organization
Richard Haass, “The Dangerous Decade: A Foreign Policy for a World in Crisis,” Foreign Affairs
Richard Haass, The Opportunity: America's Moment to Alter History's Course
Richard Haass, The Reluctant Sheriff: The United States After the Cold War
Richard Haass, The World: A Brief Introduction
Richard Haass, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars
Michael Mandelbaum, “Foreign Policy as Social Work,” Foreign Affairs
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/future-us-foreign-policy-richard-haass
Susan M. Gordon, former principal deputy director of National Intelligence, and Admiral Michael G. Mullen, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the nature and extent of U.S. support for Taiwan in the face of growing Chinese power.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Council on Foreign Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China, June 2023
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/future-us-taiwan-relations-susan-m-gordon-and-michael-g-mullen
Nora Bensahel, a visiting professor of strategic studies and senior fellow of the Merrill Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges the U.S. armed services are having in attracting new recruits and what can be done about it.
Mentioned on the Podcast
David Barno and Nora Bensahel, “Addressing the U.S. Military Recruiting Crisis,” War on the Rocks
David Barno and Nora Bensahel, Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-military-recruiting-crisis-nora-bensahel
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the reelection of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan means for U.S.-Turkey relations and the future of NATO.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Sinan Ciddi and Steven A. Cook, “Why Turkey Experts Got the Election All Wrong,” Foreign Policy
Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East
Thomas Frank, What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/erdogans-victory-steven-cook
Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States is struggling to stop the flood of fentanyl entering the country.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Vanda Felbab-Brown, “Why America Is Struggling to Stop the Fentanyl Epidemic,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fentanyl-epidemic-vanda-felbab-brown
Sadanand Dhume, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a South Asia columnist for the Wall Street Journal, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the political, economic, and climate crises roiling Pakistan.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Sadanand Dhume, “Imran Khan’s Arrest, the Army and Pakistan’s Perennial Crisis,” Wall Street Journal
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/pakistan-crisis-sadanand-dhume
Ashley J. Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges inherent in the evolving relationship between the United States and India.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Ashley J. Tellis, “America’s Bad Bet on India,” Foreign Affairs
Ashley J. Tellis, Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-india-relations-ashley-j-tellis
Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at CFR and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the status of the war in Ukraine and whether it is time for the United States and the West to rethink their strategy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The West Holds Firm,” Foreign Affairs
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “Why Putin Underestimated the West,” Foreign Affairs
Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan, “The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine,” Foreign Affairs
Charles Kupchan, Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself From the World
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-strategy-ukraine-charles-kupchan
Scott Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies and the director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s recent state visit with U.S. President Joe Biden and its implications for the U.S.-South Korean alliance.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Soyoung Kim, Ju-min Park, and Hyonhee Shin, “Exclusive: South Korea's Yoon Opens Door for Possible Military Aid to Ukraine,” Reuters
Don McLean, “American Pie”
Scott Snyder, South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers
Scott Snyder, The United States-South Korea Alliance: Why It Might Fail and Why It Must Not (forthcoming, November 2023)
“South Korean President Yoon sings 'American Pie',” Associated Press
The Animals, “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at:https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/biden-yoon-summit-scott-snyder
Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute and a professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why critical minerals have emerged as a major issue in the U.S.-China geopolitical competition.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Morgan D. Bazilian and Gregory Brew, “The Missing Minerals: To Shift to Clean Energy, America Must Rethink Supply Chains,” Foreign Affairs
Geological Survey 2022 Final List of Critical Minerals[PDF], U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/critical-minerals-and-china-morgan-bazilian
Christopher Nichols, professor of history and Wayne Woodrow Hayes chair in National Security Studies at The Ohio State University, Emily Conroy-Krutz, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, and Jay Sexton, professor of history and Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair of Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how ideology has historically influenced and shaped U.S. foreign policy.
This episode originally aired on November 1, 2022.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Emily Conroy-Krutz, Christian Imperialism: Converting the World in the Early American Republic
Kathryn Gin Lum, Heathen: Religion and Race in American History
David Hollinger, Protestants Abroad: How Missionaries Tried to Change the World but Changed America
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
Karl Marx, The German Ideology
Melanie McAlister, The Kingdom of God Has No Borders: A Global History of American Evangelicals
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age
Christopher McKnight Nichols and David Milne, eds., Ideology in U.S. Foreign Policy: New Histories
Jay Sexton, A Nation Forged by Crisis: A New American History
The White House, Biden-Harris Administration's National Security Strategy: October 2022
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ideology-us-foreign-policy-christopher-nichols-emily-conroy-krutz-and-jay-sexton
Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and the director of Stimson’s 38 North program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss North Korea’s nuclear advances and their consequences for the security situation in Northeast Asia.
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/north-koreas-nuclear-program-jenny-town
Esther Brimmer, The James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance at The Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss a recent multilateral agreement reached at the United Nations to protect biodiversity in the world’s oceans.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“What’s Cracking in The Arctic,” Why It Matters
UN General Assembly, Draft Agreement Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction [PDF]
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/the-un-high-seas-treaty-with-esther-brimmer
Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping great power competition and intensifying the geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“Killer Robots and Autonomous Weapons With Paul Scharre,” The President’s Inbox
Paul Scharre, Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War
Paul Scharre, Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/artificial-intelligence-and-great-power-competition-paul-scharre
Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at CFR and Ross Dist Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the crisis at the U.S. southern border and the domestic debates over U.S. immigration policy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Edward Alden, Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy
Edward Alden, “When Goods Move but People Don't,” Barron’s
Edward Alden, When the World Closed Its Doors: The COVID Pandemic and the Future of Border Control [Forthcoming]
Edward Alden and Tess Turner, “More Lost Chances for Immigration Reform,” CFR.org
Jeb Bush, Thomas F. III McLarty, and Edward Alden, U.S. Immigration Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-immigration-policy-edward-alden
Shannon K. O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Mexico’s new electoral law and other developments that may be eroding the country’s democratic governance.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Shannon K. O’Neil, “More Soldiers Won’t Curb Mexico’s Rampant Violence,” CFR.org
Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
Shannon K. O’Neil, Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead
“The Globalization Myth with Shannon K. O’Neil,” The President’s Inbox
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/mexicos-democratic-backsliding-shannon-k-oneil
Ebenezer Obadare, the Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of Nigeria’s presidential election and their consequences.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Africa in Transition, CFR.org
Ebenezer Obadare, “A Chance to Consolidate,” CFR.org
Ebenezer Obadare, Pastoral Power, Clerical State: Pentecostalism, Gender, and Sexuality in Nigeria
Ebenezer Obadare, “What’s at Stake in Nigeria’s General Elections?,”CFR.org
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/nigerias-general-election-ebenezer-obadare
Fiona S. Cunningham, assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s expanding nuclear weapons program and the likelihood of an arms race with the United States.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Fiona S. Cunningham, “Cooperation Under Asymmetry? The Future of U.S.-China Nuclear Relations,” The Washington Quarterly
Fiona S. Cunningham, “Strategic Substitution: China's Search for Coercive Leverage in the Information Age,” International Security
Taylor Fravel, Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949
Taylor Fravel and Evan S. Medeiros, “China’s Search for Assured Retaliation: The Evolution of Chinese Nuclear Strategy and Force Structure [PDF],” International Security
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-nuclear-forces-fiona-s-cunningham
Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, and Miranda Priebe, director of the Center for Analysis of U.S. Grand Strategy and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the war in Ukraine is headed and how U.S. foreign policy should respond.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Samuel Charap and Miranda Priebe, Avoiding a Long War: U.S. Policy and the Trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/long-war-ukraine-samuel-charap-and-miranda-priebe
Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Michelle Gavin, Climate Change and Regional Instability in the Horn of Africa
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/what-climate-change-means-horn-africa-michelle-gavin
Jonathan Berkshire Miller, senior fellow and director of foreign affairs, national defense, and national security at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Canada’s first Indo-Pacific strategy and the implications for its allies.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy [PDF],” Government of Canada
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/canadas-indo-pacific-strategy-jonathan-berkshire-miller
Sheila Smith, the John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the reasoning behind Japan’s new defense strategy and the Japanese government’s decision to double defense spending.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“National Defense Strategy of Japan [PDF],” Ministry of Defense of Japan
“National Security Strategy of Japan [PDF],” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
“SIPRI Military Expenditure Database,” SIPRI.org
Sheila Smith, “Financing Japan’s Defense Leap,” CFR.org
Sheila Smith, “How Japan Is Doubling Down on Its Military Power,” CFR.org
Sheila Smith, Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/japan-rearmed-sheila-smith
Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss his new book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Richard Haass, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens
Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order
Richard Haass, The World: A Brief Introduction
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/obligations-american-citizens-richard-haass
Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council and professor and director of global health studies at Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a fellow for international political economy at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of China’s decision to end its zero-COVID policy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Yanzhong Huang, “China’s Struggle With Covid Is Just Beginning,” New York Times
Yanzhong Huang, Toxic Politics: China's Environmental Health Crisis and Its Challenge to the Chinese State
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Can BRICS De-dollarize the Global Financial System?
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, “Zero-COVID Is the Least of Xi’s Economic Problems,” Foreign Policy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-covid-surge-yanzhong-huang-and-zongyuan-zoe-liu
Martin S. Indyk, the Lowy distinguished fellow in U.S.-Middle East diplomacy at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of Benjamin Netanyahu’s return as Israel’s prime minister.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Steven A. Cook and Martin S. Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact
Martin S. Indyk, Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/israels-new-government-martin-indyk
Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how China uses its media power to influence the domestic politics of countries around the world.
Enter the CFR book giveaway by Jan 17, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the Worldby Joshua Kurlantzick. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World
“How Many Confucius Institutes Are in the United States?” National Association of Scholars
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/chinas-global-influence-campaign-joshua-kurlantzick
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on climate change, Paul J. Angelo, the director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in Central America. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Paul Angelo,Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America
“Country Index,” Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/what-climate-change-means-central-america-paul-j-angelo
Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at CFR and Ross Dist Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the Biden administration’s economic policies are creating rifts with some of the United States’ closest allies.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Edward Alden, “Biden’s ‘America First’ Economic Policy Threatens Rift With Europe,” Foreign Policy
Edward Alden, Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy
Wendy Cutler and Clete Willems, Reimagining the TPP: Revisions That Could Facilitate U.S. Reentry, Asia Society
Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
“The U.S.-China Economic Cold War, With Sebastian Mallaby,” The President’s Inbox
White House, National Security Strategy
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/bidens-america-first-economic-policy-edward-alden
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Michael Kimmage, a history professor at the Catholic University of America and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current status of the war in Ukraine and to assess the strategies that Russia, Ukraine, and the West are pursuing.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Liana Fix, Germany’s Role in European Russia Policy: A New German Power?
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “Go Slow on Crimea: Why Ukraine Should Not Rush to Retake the Peninsula,” Foreign Affairs
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, The Ukraine Scenarios, Foreign Affairs
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “What If the War in Ukraine Doesn’t End?,” Foreign Affairs
Michael Kimmage, The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy
“Putin’s Choices,” The President’s Inbox
Olaf Scholz, “The Global Zeitenwende,” Foreign Affairs
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/war-ukraine-liana-fix-and-michael-kimmage
Sebastian Mallaby, the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council and a columnist at the Washington Post, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the likely consequences of the recent U.S. ban on the export of advanced semiconductor chips and technology to China.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Sebastian Mallaby,The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-china-economic-cold-war-sebastian-mallaby
Scott A. Snyder, senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the global implications of North Korea’s recent missile tests.
This episode originally aired on March 22, 2022.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Scott Snyder, “A ‘Political Novice’ Will Soon be in Charge of South Korean Foreign Policy,” CFR.org via Forbes
Scott Snyder, South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/north-korea-challenge-scott-snyder
Daniel Silverberg, managing director at global strategy firm Capstone and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and Christopher Tuttle, senior fellow and director of the Renewing America Initiative at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections and its impact on U.S. foreign policy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Chris Tuttle, “What the Midterm Elections Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy”
Robert Draper, “The Problem of Marjorie Taylor Greene,” The New York Times Magazine
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on climate change, Beza Tesfaye, director of Research and Learning for Migration and Climate Change at Mercy Corps and senior associate for the Project on Fragility and Mobility at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Sahel region. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Beza Tesfaye, Climate Change and Conflict in the Sahel
Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the causes and consequences of the recent protests in Iran.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Suzanne Maloney, ed., The Iranian Revolution at Forty
Christopher Nichols, professor of history and Wayne Woodrow Hayes chair in National Security Studies at The Ohio State University, Emily Conroy-Krutz, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, and Jay Sexton, professor of history and Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair of Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how ideology has historically influenced and shaped U.S. foreign policy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Emily Conroy-Krutz, Christian Imperialism: Converting the World in the Early American Republic
Kathryn Gin Lum, Heathen: Religion and Race in American History
David Hollinger, Protestants Abroad: How Missionaries Tried to Change the World but Changed America
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
Karl Marx, The German Ideology
Melanie McAlister, The Kingdom of God Has No Borders: A Global History of American Evangelicals
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age
Christopher McKnight Nichols and David Milne, eds., Ideology in U.S. Foreign Policy: New Histories
Jay Sexton, A Nation Forged by Crisis: A New American History
The White House, Biden-Harris Administration's National Security Strategy: October 2022
Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia in the wake of the decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Jason Bordoff and Meghan L. O’Sullivan, “Green Upheaval: The New Geopolitics of Energy,” Foreign Affairs
Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East
Steven A. Cook and Martin Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact
Steven A. Cook and Martin Indyk, “Go Big In Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Affairs
Shannon K. O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how regionalization, not globalization, has been the biggest trend of the past forty years—and why that matters.
Show Notes
Enter the CFR book giveaway before November 2, 2022, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter by Shannon K. O'Neil. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
Shannon K. O’Neil, Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead
Pietra Rivoli, The Travels of T-Shirt in a Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade
Chrystia Freeland, “Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.”
Ian Johnson, Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the Chinese Communist Party’s upcoming 20th National Congress means for China and its approach to the world.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“China’s Domestic Challenges, With Ian Johnson,” The President’s Inbox
Ian Johnson, “How Xi Will Consolidate Power at China’s Twentieth Party Congress,” CFR.org
Ian Johnson, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao
Ian Johnson, Wild Grass: Three Stories of Change in Modern China
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China, “The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era”
Liana Fix, a CFR fellow for Europe, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how German foreign policy has changed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether the Kremlin’s decision to halt natural gas exports will force Berlin to end its support for Kyiv.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “Putin’s Next Move in Ukraine,” Foreign Affairs
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs
Suzanne Nossel, the Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss growing threats around the world to free expression and how the fight to protect human rights needs to adapt to succeed in a world of great power competition.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Freedom House, Tracking Democracy and Freedom Around the World
PEN America, PEN Freedom to Write Index
Reporters Without Borders, World: Abuses in Real Time
Suzanne Nossel, Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All
Suzanne Nossel, “Salman Rushdie’s Entire Life Has Been an Act of Defiance,” The Guardian
Suzanne Nossel, “The Old Human Rights Playbook Won’t Work Anymore,” Foreign Policy
Suzanne Nossel and Leslie Vinjamuri, “Some Assembly Required: Why the UN’s Broadest Forum Matters More Than Ever,” Foreign Affairs
Suzanne Nossel, the Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss growing threats around the world to free expression and how the fight to protect human rights needs to adapt to succeed in a world of great power competition.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Freedom House, Tracking Democracy and Freedom Around the World
PEN America, PEN Freedom to Write Index
Reporters Without Borders, World: Abuses in Real Time
Suzanne Nossel, Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All
Suzanne Nossel, “Salman Rushdie’s Entire Life Has Been an Act of Defiance,” The Guardian
Suzanne Nossel, “The Old Human Rights Playbook Won’t Work Anymore,” Foreign Policy
Suzanne Nossel and Leslie Vinjamuri, “Some Assembly Required: Why the UN’s Broadest Forum Matters More Than Ever,” Foreign Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and the Americas programme and Dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a new monarch, a new prime minister, and the legacy of Brexit mean for Britain’s future.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Charles A. Kupman and Leslie Vinjamuri, eds., Anchoring the World: International Order in the Twenty-First Century
Leslie Vinjamuri, “How Brexit and Boris Broke Britain,” Foreign Affairs
The Government of the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy
Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and the Americas programme and Dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a new monarch, a new prime minister, and the legacy of Brexit mean for Britain’s future.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Charles A. Kupman and Leslie Vinjamuri, eds., Anchoring the World: International Order in the Twenty-First Century
Leslie Vinjamuri, “How Brexit and Boris Broke Britain,” Foreign Affairs
The Government of the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy
Max Boot, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Washington Post columnist, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the success of Ukraine's recent military counteroffensive and how Russia is likely to respond.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Max Boot, “Putin Wants to Terrorize Ukraine Into Submission. It’s Not Working,” Washington Post
Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam
Tim Lister and Darya Tarasova, “Russia’s Collapse in Northeast Ukraine Ignites Fury From Putin Loyalists,” CNN
Max Boot, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Washington Post columnist, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the success of Ukraine's recent military counteroffensive and how Russia is likely to respond.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Max Boot, “Putin Wants to Terrorize Ukraine Into Submission. It’s Not Working,” Washington Post
Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam
Tim Lister and Darya Tarasova, “Russia’s Collapse in Northeast Ukraine Ignites Fury From Putin Loyalists,” CNN
Evan Greenberg, chairman and CEO of Chubb, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss growing tensions in U.S.-China economic relations, the importance of trade to the U.S. economy, and the steps needed to sustain the competitiveness of the American economy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Evan Greenberg, “Championing Global Trade Is in America’s National Interest,” Economist
Evan Greenberg, chairman and CEO of Chubb, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss growing tensions in U.S.-China economic relations, the importance of trade to the U.S. economy, and the steps needed to sustain the competitiveness of the American economy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Evan Greenberg, “Championing Global Trade Is in America’s National Interest,” Economist
Gernot Wagner, climate economist at Columbia Business School, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss progress in the green energy transition and the risks and benefits of carbon capture and solar geoengineering technologies.
Mentioned on the Podcast
“America’s Domination of Oil and Gas Will Not Cow China,” The Economist
Jason E. Box, et al, “Greenland Ice Sheet Climate Disequilibrium and Committed Sea-Level Rise,” Nature Climate Change
Isabel Schnabel, “Looking Through Higher Energy Prices? Monetary Policy and the Green Transition,” remarks delivered to the American Finance Association
Isabel Schnabel, “A New Age of Energy Inflation: Climateflation, Fossilflation and Greenflation,” remarks delivered to The ECB and Its Watchers XXII
Gernot Wagner, Geoengineering: The Gamble
Ian Johnson, CFR’s Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss economic, political, and demographic developments within China.
This episode originally aired on February 8, 2022.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Li Yuan, “A coronavirus infection illuminates a migrant worker’s tale of inequality in China.” New York Times, January 31, 2022.
Books Mentioned
Elizabeth Economy, The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future (2004)
Ian Johnson, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao (2017)
Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies at CFR and Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis professor of international diplomacy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current course of the war in Ukraine and the potential for a diplomatic settlement to end the fighting.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Tom Friedman, “Why Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Is Utterly Reckless,” New York Times
Alexey Levinson, “Frozen in Excitement,” Riddle
Stephen Sestanovich, Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama
James M. Lindsay sits down with Ali Wyne, senior analyst of Global Macro-Geopolitics at Eurasia Group, to discuss great power competition and the growing rivalry between the United States and China, and Russia.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Ali Wyne, America’s Great Power Opportunity, 2022
Gerald Segel, “Does China Matter?,” Foreign Affairs, September/October 1999
Nadège Rolland, “China’s Southern Strategy: Beijing Is Using the Global South to Constrain America,” Foreign Affairs, June 9, 2022
Bonny Lin and Jude Blanchette, “China on the Offensive: How the Ukraine War Has Changed Beijing’s Strategy,” Foreign Affairs, August 1, 2022
Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Liberman, Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy, 2020
Suzanne Mettler, “Democracy Tested: Democratic Crises in U.S. History,” The President’s Inbox, August 3, 2022
James M. Lindsay sits down with Bonnie S. Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, to discuss House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and its impact on U.S.-China relations.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Bonnie Glaser, China Global Podcast, German Marshall Fund of the United States
James M. Lindsay sits down with Michael R. Gordon, national security correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, to discuss the U.S. war against ISIS.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, 2006
Michael R. Gordon, Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, 2022
Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor, The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, 2012
Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor, The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf, 1996
Becca Wasser et al, “The Air War Against the Islamic State: The Role of Airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve,” RAND Corporation, 2021
Jami Miscik, CEO of Global Strategic Insights, Inc., and Adam Segal, director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the fragmentation of the internet, cybercrime and cyber espionage, and the future of U.S. cyberspace policy.
Mentioned on the Podcast
David Cattler and Daniel Black, “The Myth of the Missing Cyberwar,” Foreign Affairs, April 6, 2022
Council on Foreign Relations, Confronting Reality in Cyberspace: Foreign Policy for a Fragmented Internet, July 2022
Erica D. Lonergan, “The Cyber-Escalation Fallacy,” Foreign Affairs, April 15, 2022
Adam Segal, The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age, November 2015
Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Russian and Ukrainian military strategies, equipment, and the likely future course of the war.
The President’s Inbox is pleased to present an episode from Foreign Affairs’ new podcast, The Foreign Affairs Interview. In this episode, Jason Bordoff, co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School, and Meghan O’Sullivan, Jeane Kirkpatrick professor of the practice of international affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, sit down with Foreign Affairs Editor Dan Kurtz-Phelan to discuss the geopolitics of energy in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the transition to clean energy.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan, “Green Upheaval: The New Geopolitics of Energy,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 2022)
Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan, “The New Energy Order: How Governments Will Transform Energy Markets,” Foreign Affairs (July/August 2022)
Podcasts Mentioned
Jason Bordoff and Kadri Simson, “Europe’s Difficult Energy Decisions,” Columbia Energy Exchange, May 10, 2022
Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, The Foreign Affairs Interview
Julie Dorf, co-chair of the Council for Global Equality, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the United States has done and could do to advance LGBTQI+ rights around the world.
Documents and Speeches Mentioned
Hillary Clinton, “Human Rights Day Speech” (2011)
Hillary Clinton, “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” (1995)
Joseph R. Biden, Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons Around the World (2021)
Aaron L. Friedberg, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States got China wrong and what the Biden administration can do to rectify its China strategy.
Books and Articles Mentioned
Aaron L. Friedberg, Getting China Wrong (2022)
Samuel P. Huntington, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late 20th Century (1993)
Michael Mandelbaum, The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower (2022)
David Shambaugh, China's Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation (2008)
Francis Fukuyama, “The End of History?” The National Interest (1989)
David Sacks, research fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Biden administration’s strategy toward Taiwan amid growing threats from China.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Richard Haass and David Sacks, “The Growing Danger of U.S. Ambiguity on Taiwan,” Foreign Affairs, December 13, 2021
Michael Mandelbaum, Christian A. Herter professor emeritus of American foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the continuities and changes in U.S. foreign policy over the last two and a half centuries.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Michael Mandelbaum, The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower (2022)
Michael Mandelbaum, The Rise and Fall of Peace on Earth (2019)
Jamie Jones Miller and Shelly O’Neill Stoneman, executive committee co-chairs of The Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LCWINS), sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges of achieving gender parity in the U.S. national security community.
Websites Mentioned on the Podcast
The Leadership Council for Women in National Security (2022)
Heidi Crebo-Rediker, adjunct senior fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to assess the Biden administration’s “worker-centric” foreign economic policies.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Heidi Crebo-Rediker and Doug Rediker, “A Real Foreign Policy for the Middle Class,” Foreign Affairs (May/June 2022)
Sheila A. Smith, CFR’s John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies, and Scott A. Snyder, senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what to expect from U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to Japan and South Korea.
Books and Blogs Mentioned on the Podcast
Asia Unbound, CFR.org
Sheila A. Smith, Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power (2019)
Scott A. Snyder, Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers (2018)
Statements Mentioned
“U.S.-ROK Leaders’ Joint Statement,” The White House, May 21, 2021
Steven A. Cook, CFR’s Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how countries throughout the Middle East are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Steven Cook, “The Middle East Kumbaya Moment Won’t Last,” Foreign Policy, May 6, 2022
Books Mentioned
Steven Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East (2019)
Derek H. Chollet, Counselor of the U.S. Department of State, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Biden administration’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Derek H. Chollet, The Middle Way: How Three Presidents Shaped America’s Role in the World (2021)
Statements and Polls Mentioned
Ashley Parker, et al, “Big majority of Americans back sanctions on Russia, aid to Ukraine, poll finds,” May 2, 2022
“Secretary Antony J. Blinken on Russia’s Threat to Peace and Security at the UN Security Council,” U.S. State Department, February 17, 2022
Ebenezer Obadare, Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how African countries are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Ebenezer Obadare, “Analyzing the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from an African Standpoint,” CFR.org, March 3, 2022
Ebenezer Obadare, “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine May Drive a Wedge Between the West and Africa,” CFR.org, March 22, 2022
Blogs & Books Mentioned
Ebenezer Obadare, Africa in Transition, CFR.org
Ebenezer Obadare, Christianity, Sexuality and Citizenship in Africa (2019)
Yascha Mounk, senior fellow at CFR and professor of the practice of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges that ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse democracies face. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
Enter the CFR book giveaway before May 4, 2022, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure by Yascha Mounk. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Yascha Mounk, The Great Experiment (2022)
Yascha Mounk, The People Vs. Democracy (2018)
Articles and Reports Mentioned
Dillingham Commission Reports, U.S. Senate via Hathi Trust (1911)
Publius Decius Mus [Michael Anton], “The Flight 93 Election,” Claremont Review of Books, September 5, 2016
Ivo H. Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the Russian invasion of Ukraine means for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Articles and Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast
Ivo H. Daalder, "The Return of Containment,” Foreign Affairs, March 1, 2022
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, "Why Putin Underestimated the West," Foreign Affairs, April 7, 2022
Ivo H. Daalder, World Review with Ivo Daalder, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Books Mentioned
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership (2018)
Ivo H. Daalder, Getting to Dayton: The Making of America's Bosnia Policy (2000)
Audrey Kurth Cronin, distinguished professor at American University’s School of International Service and founding director of the Center for Security, Innovation and New Technology, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how technology, innovation, and social media are shaping Russia’s war in Ukraine and what it might mean for the future.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Audrey Kurth Cronin, Great Power Politics and the Struggle over Austria, 1945-1955 (1986)
Audrey Kurth Cronin, Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists (2020)
Michael Kimmage, professor of history at the Catholic University of America and visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the choices Russian President Vladimir Putin faces in Ukraine.
Articles and Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “What If Russia Loses?” ForeignAffairs.com, March 4, 2022
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “What If Russia Makes a Deal?” ForeignAffairs.com, March 23, 2022
Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “What If Russia Wins?” ForeignAffairs.com, February 18, 2022
Michael Kimmage, The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020)
Speeches and Podcasts Mentioned
Joe Biden, “Remarks by President Biden on the United Efforts of the Free World to Support the People of Ukraine,” Warsaw, Poland, March 26, 2022
Liana Fix, "Germany's Foreign Policy," The President's Inbox, February 15, 2022
Scott A. Snyder, senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the global implications of North Korea’s recent missile tests.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Scott Snyder, South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers (2018)
Articles Mentioned
Scott Snyder, “A ‘Political Novice’ Will Soon be in Charge of South Korean Foreign Policy,” CFR.org via Forbes, March 7, 2022
Patricia M. Kim, David M. Rubenstein fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center and the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how China views Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Yoon Suk-yeol, “South Korea Needs to Step Up: The Country’s Next President on His Foreign Policy Vision,” Foreign Affairs, February 8, 2022
Statements Mentioned
Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development, The Kremlin, February 4, 2022
Thomas Graham, distinguished fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine and whether the fighting might spread beyond its borders.
Reports Mentioned on the Podcast
Thomas Graham, “Preventing a Wider European Conflict,” Council on Foreign Relations, March 8, 2022
Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at CFR and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how European capitals are reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Statements Mentioned on the Podcast
“A French-German Initiative for the European Recovery from the Coronavirus Crisis,” Élysée, May 18, 2020
Charles A. Kupchan, senior fellow at CFR and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its sweeping ramifications for global order.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Charles A. Kupchan, “Why Putin’s War With Ukraine Is a miscalculation,” CFR.org, February 24, 2022
Charles A. Kupchan, “The Right Way to Split China and Russia,” Foreign Affairs, August 4, 2021
Books Mentioned
Charles A. Kupchan, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World (2020)
Shannon K. O’Neil, CFR’s vice president, deputy director of studies and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss recent developments in Mexico and U.S.-Mexico relations.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Shannon O’Neil, Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United Staes, and the Road Ahead (2013)
Articles Mentioned
Edward Alden, “Decades Late, NAFTA’s Promise on Workers’ Rights Comes Good,” Foreign Policy via CFR.org, February 8, 2022
Liana Fix, resident fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Germany’s new government is approaching foreign policy.
Ian Johnson, CFR’s Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss economic, political, and demographic developments within China.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Li Yuan, “A coronavirus infection illuminates a migrant worker’s tale of inequality in China.” New York Times, January 31, 2022.
Books Mentioned
Elizabeth Economy, The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future (2004)
Ian Johnson, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao (2017)
Sebastian Mallaby, CFR’s Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists are shaping the future of innovation and the global economy.
Enter the CFR book giveaway before February 16, 2022, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future by Sebastian Mallaby. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Sebastian Mallaby, More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite (2010)
Sebastian Mallaby, The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan (2016)
Sebastian Mallaby, The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future (2022)
Sebastian Mallaby, The World's Banker: A Story of Failed States, Financial Crises, and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations (2004)
Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger distinguished professor of global affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what lessons the United States can draw from the Cold War for understanding our new era of great power rivalry.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast
Hal Brands, The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today (2022)
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Hal Brands, “Containment Can Work Against China, Too,” Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2021
Hal Brands, “The Overstretched Superpower,” Foreign Affairs, January 18, 2022
Richard Fontaine, “Washington’s Missing China Strategy,” Foreign Affairs, January 14, 2022
“X” (George Kennan), “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” Foreign Affairs (July 1947)
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to assess how the Biden administration has handled foreign policy in its first year in office.
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
Richard Haass, The World: A Brief Introduction (2020)
Podcasts Mentioned
Richard Haass, Nine Questions for the World, Council on Foreign Relations
Anne Appelbaum and Richard Haass, “Can Democracy Survive?” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021
Fei-Fei Li and Richard Haass, “Can Societies Keep Up with Technology?” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021
Michelle McMurry-Heath and Richard Haass, “Can Biotech Be Harnessed?” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021
Elizabeth Perry and Richard Haass, “Will This Century Belong to China?” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021
Michael Krepon, cofounder of and distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the rise, demise, and possible revival of arms control efforts across the globe.
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
Michael Krepon, Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise, and Revival of Arms Control (2021)
Statements Mentioned
“Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races,” The White House, January 3, 2022
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Suzanne Mettler, John L. Senior professor of American Institutions in the Government Department at Cornell University, places the current crisis of American democracy in historical perspective. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy. (This is a rebroadcast.)
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman, Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy (2020)
Host James M. Lindsay sits down with senior advisor at the Marathon Initiative and chairman of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Matt Pottinger, to discuss China’s ambitions and what they mean for the United States. (This is a rebroadcast.)
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast
Michael Beckley and Hal Brands, “The End of China’s Rise,” Foreign Affairs, October 1, 2021
Bilahari Kausikan, “In U.S.-China Standoff, Is America a Reliable Ally?,” Foreign Policy, October 18, 2021
Matt Pottinger, “Beijing’s American Hustle,” Foreign Affairs (September/October 2021)
Liza Tobin, “Xi’s Vision for Transforming Global Governance: A Strategic Challenge for Washington and Its Allies,” Texas National Security Review (November 2018)
Books Mentioned
Dan Blumenthal, The China Nightmare: The Grand Ambitions of a Decaying State, (AEI Press, 2020)
Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, (Brookings Institution Press, 2021)
Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what's happening across the Middle East as 2021 comes to a close.
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East (2019)
Events Mentioned
“A Conversation with Jake Sullivan,” Council on Foreign Relations, December 17, 2021
Mary Elise Sarotte, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis distinguished professor of historical studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the United States got right, and wrong, in its relations with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast
George Kennan, “Long Telegram” to the State Department, February 22, 1946
“X” (George Kennan), “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” Foreign Affairs (July 1947)
Vladimir Putin, “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” The Kremlin, July 12, 2021
M.E. Sarotte, “Containment Beyond the Cold War: How Washington Lost the Post-Soviet Peace,” Foreign Affairs (November/December 2021)
Books Mentioned
M.E. Sarotte, Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate (2021)
M.E. Sarotte, The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall (2014)
Helima Croft, managing director and head of global commodity strategy and Middle East and North Africa research at RBC Capital Markets, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss trends in the energy world.
Relevant Articles of Interest
Jason Bordoff and Meghan L. O’Sullivan, “Green Upheaval: The New Geopolitics of Energy,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 2022)
Robinson Meyer, “The Energy Crunch, in Six Paragraphs,” The Atlantic, October 13, 2021
Daniel Yergin, “Why the Energy Transition Will Be So Complicated,” The Atlantic, November 27, 2021
Ambassador Mark Lippert, vice chairman of the Halifax Forum and senior advisor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies Korea Chair, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S.-South Korean relations and the Biden administration’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy.
Polls Mentioned in the Podcast
Karl Friedhoff, “South Koreans See China as More Threat than Partner, But Not the Most Critical Threat Facing the Country,” Chicago Council, April 6, 2021
Hong Suk-ji, “Survey Results of South Korean Perception on the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, November 2, 2021
Richard Wike et al., “What People Around the World Like–and Dislike–About American Society and Politics,” Pew Research Center, November 1, 2021
Statements Mentioned
“U.S.-ROK Leaders’ Joint Statement,” The White House, May 21, 2021
Webcasts Mentioned
Mark Lippert, The Capital Cable, CSIS Korea Chair
Sophia Besch, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current state of transatlantic relations and whether Europeans think America is “back,” as President Joe Biden claims.
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast:
Wolfgang Münchau, “Germany's message to Europe,” EuroIntelligence, October 17, 2021
Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute in Sydney, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the trilateral security agreement that Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States signed in September 2021, and the broader state of affairs in the Indo-Pacific.
Articles, Documents, and Speeches Mentioned in the Podcast
China’s dossier of fourteen disputes with Australia via The Sydney Morning Herald, November 18, 2020
Natasha Kassam, Lowy Institute Poll 2021, Lowy Institute, June 23, 2021
“Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Morrison of Australia, and Prime Minister Johnson of the United Kingdom Announcing the Creation of AUKUS,” The White House, September 15, 2021
Jake Sullivan, “2021 Lowy Lecture,” delivered virtually at the Lowy Institute, November 11, 2021
Books Mentioned
Michael Fullilove, Rendezvous with Destiny: How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America into the War and into the World (2013)
Fiona Hill, Robert Bosch senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S. policy toward Russia, and her new book, There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast
Fiona Hill, “The Kremlin’s Strange Victory,” Foreign Affairs (November/December 2021)
George Kennan, “Long Telegram” to the State Department, February 22, 1946
“X” (George Kennan), “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” Foreign Affairs (July 1947)
Books Mentioned
Fiona Hill, Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin (2015)
Fiona Hill, There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century (2021)
Martin S. Indyk, distinguished fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy reshaped the politics of the Middle East and continues to offer lessons for U.S. foreign policy today.
Enter the CFR book giveaway before November 16, 2021, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy by Martin S. Indyk. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
Martin Indyk, Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy (Knopf, 2020)
Henry Kissinger, A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace, 1812–22 (Houghton Mifflin, 1957)
Henry Kissinger, World Order (Penguin Books, 2014)
Lynn Kuok, Shangri-La Dialogue senior fellow for Asia-Pacific Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Biden administration’s policy toward the Asia-Pacific, and how those policies are viewed in southeast Asia.
Articles Mentioned on the Podcast
Lee Hsien Loong, “The Endangered Asian Century,” Foreign Affairs (July/August 2020)
Adam Posen, “The Price of Nostalgia,” Foreign Affairs (May/June 2021)
Documents and Speeches Mentioned
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific [PDF], ASEAN, June 22, 2019
Joseph R. Biden, Interim National Security Strategic Guidance [PDF], The White House, March 2021
Mike Pompeo, “Communist China and the Free World’s Future,” delivered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, July 23, 2020
Sharon Seah et al., The State of Southeast Asia: 2021 [PDF], ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, January 2021
Matt Pottinger, senior advisor at the Marathon Initiative and chairman of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s ambitions and what they mean for the United States.
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast
Michael Beckley and Hal Brands, “The End of China’s Rise,” Foreign Affairs, October 1, 2021.
Bilahari Kausikan, “In U.S.-China Standoff, Is America a Reliable Ally?,” Foreign Policy, October 18, 2021.
Matt Pottinger, “Beijing’s American Hustle,” Foreign Affairs 100, no. 5 (September/October 2021).
Liza Tobin, “Xi’s Vision for Transforming Global Governance: A Strategic Challenge for Washington and Its Allies,” Texas National Security Review 2, no. 1 (November 2018).
Books Mentioned
Dan Blumenthal, The China Nightmare: The Grand Ambitions of a Decaying State, (AEI Press, 2020).
Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, (Brookings Institution Press, 2021).
Miles Kahler, senior fellow for global governance at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the recent Pandora Papers leak, and the broader problem of global corruption.
Manjari Chatterjee Miller, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at CFR, speaks with James M. Lindsay about what India sees as its interests, threats, and opportunities in the world.
Constanze Stelzenmüller, Fritz Stern chair on Germany and trans-Atlantic relations in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the end of the Angela Merkel era means for Germany and its relations with the world.
Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States has become less open to trade in recent decades and why calls for even more protectionism will further undermine the American middle class.
Elbridge A. Colby, cofounder and principal of the Marathon Initiative, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether and how the United States should revise its defense strategy to face its current challenges. Colby’s new book, The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, hits bookstore shelves today.
Peter Martin, defense policy and intelligence reporter for Bloomberg News, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the growing assertiveness of China’s diplomacy in recent years. Martin’s new book, China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, was released this past June.
Alice C. Hill, David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the steps policymakers, business leaders, and others need to take to address the changing climate. Hill’s new book, The Fight For Climate After COVID-19, will be published in September 2021.
Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the fighting in northern Ethiopia between federal government forces and regional Tigrayan forces.
Oriana Skylar Mastro, center fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and non-resident senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether China might use force to compel Taiwan’s reunification with the mainland. Mastro’s recent article, “The Taiwan Temptation: Why Beijing Might Resort to Force” is available on foreignaffairs.com.
Frances Z. Brown, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and co-director of Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Biden’s vow to put democracy at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. Brown recently co-authored the article, “Washington’s Democracy Dilemma: Crafting a Democracy Strategy in an Age of Great-Power Politics.” This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO and Payne distinguished lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and its Center for International Security and Cooperation, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the efforts to regulate, if not eliminate, nuclear weapons.
Paul J. Angelo, fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, and Carmen Sesin, Miami-based NBCNews.com and NBCLatino reporter, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the historic protests that swept across Cuba and around the globe.
Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to assess the Biden administration’s foreign policy successes and shortcomings six months into the Biden presidency.
Rachel B. Vogelstein, CFR’s Douglas Dillon senior fellow and director of the Women and Foreign Policy program, and Meighan Stone, adjunct senior fellow in the Women and Foreign Policy program at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of the #MeToo Movement across the globe. Vogelstein and Stone’s book, Awakening: #MeToo and the Global Fight for Women’s Rights, hits bookstore shelves today.
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the international community can hold accountable governments and terrorist groups that kill or brutalize civilians. Miliband’s recent Foreign Affairs article, “The Age of Impunity: And How to Fight It,” is available on foreignaffairs.com.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, CFR’s Senior Fellow for Europe, Matthias Matthijs, and Senior Fellow for Japan studies, Sheila A. Smith, assess the prospects for repairing America’s relations with allies in Europe and Asia. (This is a rebroadcast.)
Rozlyn Engel, distinguished professor of the practice in economics at the U.S. Naval Academy, nonresident scholar in the Geo-Economics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the relationship between foreign policy and the success of the middle class.
Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what’s at stake when Iranians head to the polls later this week.
Nicholas Wade, former editorial writer, science reporter, and science editor for The New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the theory that COVID-19 originated in an accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Belarus’s decision to force a commercial airliner to land in Minsk in order to arrest Belarusian journalist and blogger Roman Protasevich.
Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill, CFR’s Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy and a member of Harvard Kennedy School’s Applied History Project, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the debate over U.S. strategy toward Taiwan. Ambassador Blackwill, with Philip Zelikow, recently co-authored the Council Special Report, The United States, China, and Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War.
Rob Knake, CFR’s Whitney Shepardson senior fellow, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences and lessons of the recent ransomware attack on the owner of the largest fuel pipeline system in the United States.
Steven A. Cook, CFR’s Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Beverly Gage, Christopher Nichols, and Andrew Preston sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what grand strategy means and its role in U.S. history. Beverly Gage is professor of twentieth century American history and director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale University. Christopher Nichols is director of the Center for the Humanities and the Sandy and Elva Sanders Eminent professor in the Honors College at Oregon State University. Andrew Preston is professor of American history at the University of Cambridge, where he is a fellow of Clare College.
Rear Admiral James Bynum, Rear Admiral Pat DeQuattro, and Major General Paul J. Rock Jr. sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the new Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, which was released in December 2020. Rear Admiral Bynum currently serves in a dual capacity as the assistant deputy chief of naval operations for war fighting development, and the director of warfare development in the office of the chief of naval operations. Rear Admiral DeQuattro is the Coast Guard deputy for Operations, Policy and Capabilities. Major General Rock is the director of Plans, Policies & Operations in the Strategy and Plans division at Marine Corps Headquarters.
Max Boot, CFR's Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow in national security studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Biden's recent announcement to completely withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan before September 11, 2021.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew, managing partner at Lindsay Goldberg, and retired Admiral Gary Roughead, Robert and Marion Oster distinguished military fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what China’s global infrastructure initiative means for the United States and the world. Secretary Lew and Admiral Roughead co-chaired the CFR Task Force Report, China’s Belt and Road: Implications for the United States.
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Steven Levitsky, professor of government at Harvard University, breaks down the health of democracy in countries across Latin America. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, leading scholar of political theory, constitutional law, international affairs, and society and politics in India, breaks down the health of democracy in India. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Ivan Krastev, chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria, and permanent fellow at the Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna, Austria, discusses democratic backsliding across Europe. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Suzanne Mettler, John L. Senior professor of American Institutions in the Government Department at Cornell University, places the current crisis of American democracy in historical perspective. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
In this special series of The President’s Inbox on the future of democracy, James M. Lindsay speaks with experts to discuss whether and where democratic governance is faltering around the world. This week, Yascha Mounk, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the signs of a worldwide democratic recession. This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
Rachel B. Vogelstein, CFR’s Douglas Dillon senior fellow and director of the Women and Foreign Policy program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss women’s rights, gender equality, and the significance of International Women’s Day, which is marked on March 8th.
Landry Signé, senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program and the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S. interests in Africa and the prospects for strategic cooperation between the United States and African countries. Signé’s most recent book is Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential: Trends, Opportunities, Risks, and Strategies.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, adjunct senior fellow in CFR’s Women and Foreign Policy program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Kurdish women fighting ISIS and her experience on the ground in northeast Syria. Lemmon’s most recent book on women in Syria, The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice, hits bookstore shelves today.
Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy in the Foreign Policy program and director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss India’s foreign policy and relations with the United States. Madan’s most recent book is Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped U.S.-India Relations During the Cold War.
Maria Lipman, senior associate for the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia at George Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the protests that have swept across Russia in recent weeks and the arrest of the opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
David Shambaugh, Gaston Sigur professor of Asian studies, political science, and international affairs and director of the China Policy Program at George Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s growing power and ambition across the globe. Shambaugh’s most recent book is Where Great Powers Meet: America and China in Southeast Asia.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Algene T. Sajery, founder and chief executive officer of Catalyst Global Strategies, and Christopher M. Tuttle, managing director at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what challenges the incoming Biden administration will likely face in Congress.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Thomas J. Bollyky, director of the global health program and senior fellow for global health, economics, and development at CFR, and Jennifer Nuzzo, CFR senior fellow for global health, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the incoming Biden administration’s likely approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President-Elect Joe Biden recently nominated Ambassador William J. Burns to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In June of 2019, Ambassador Burns and James M. Lindsay discussed American diplomacy and international cooperation in the age of America first on The President’s Inbox.
Ambassador William J. Burns is the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a former deputy secretary of state, and author of the book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal. (This is a rebroadcast.)
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Edward Alden, CFR’s Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness, trade, and immigration policy, and Jennifer Hillman, senior fellow for trade and international political economy at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the incoming Biden administration’s likely approach to trade policy.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Alice C. Hill, CFR’s David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment, and Todd Stern, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution concentrating on climate change, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the incoming Biden administration’s likely approach to climate change policy.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Paul J. Angelo, CFR fellow for Latin America Studies, and Shannon K. O'Neil, vice president, deputy director of studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the incoming Biden administration’s likely approach to Latin America.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Steven A. Cook, CFR’s Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies, and Martin S. Indyk, distinguished fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the incoming Biden administration’s likely approach to the Middle East.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, CFR President Richard Haass assesses the world that President-Elect Biden will inherit. Haass’s most recent book is The World: A Brief Introduction. (This is a rebroadcast.)
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Heather A. Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss a Biden administration’s approach to U.S.-Russia relations.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, Elizabeth C. Economy, senior fellow for China studies at CFR and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and Adam Segal, CFR’s Ira A. Lipman chair in emerging technologies and national security, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss a Biden administration’s approach to U.S.-China relations.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, CFR’s Senior Fellow for Europe, Matthias Matthijs, and Senior Fellow for Japan studies, Sheila A. Smith, assess the prospects for repairing America’s relations with allies in Europe and Asia.
In this special Transition 2021 series of The President’s Inbox, James M. Lindsay sits down each week with experts to discuss the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. This week, CFR President Richard Haass assesses the world that President-Elect Biden will inherit. Haass’s most recent book is The World: A Brief Introduction.
Hervé Lemahieu, director of the Asian Power and Diplomacy Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how political and economic influence is shifting among states in Asia. Lemahieu leads the team responsible for the Institute’s annual Asia Power Index, a data-driven assessment that maps the changing distribution of power in Asia.
Charles A. Kupchan, CFR senior fellow and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the long history of American efforts to avoid foreign entanglements. Kupchan’s newest book, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World, hit bookstore shelves earlier this month.
Margaret MacMillan, professor of history at the University of Toronto, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how war has shaped culture and society throughout history. MacMillan’s new book, War: How Conflict Shaped Us, hit bookstore shelves earlier this month.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of American University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how the world can prepare for future public health emergencies. Burwell recently co-chaired the CFR Independent Task Force report “Improving Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons From COVID-19.”
Daniel Yergin, a leading authority on energy, international politics, and economics, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the changing face of global power dynamics. Yergin’s most recent book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations, recently hit bookstore shelves.
Luciana Borio, vice president of In-Q-Tel and senior fellow for global health at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the process of developing and distributing a coronavirus vaccine.
Rebecca Lissner, assistant professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department at the U.S. Naval War College, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States might revamp its foreign policy. Lissner recently coauthored, with CFR senior fellow Mira Rapp-Hooper, An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order.
Aaron L. Friedberg, professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States should respond to China’s growing strength and ambition. Read Friedberg’s article "An Answer to Aggression: How to Push Back Against Beijing" on ForeignAffairs.com.
Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the political protests in Belarus.
Sheila A. Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to step down. Smith most recently authored Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power.
Martin S. Indyk, distinguished fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Abraham Accord, which was brokered by the United States and will begin normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Rachel B. Vogelstein, CFR’s Douglas Dillon senior fellow and director of the Women and Foreign Policy program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss women’s political participation in the United States and across the world, and CFR’s Women’s Power Index. Today marks the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the nineteenth amendment.
Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, who is currently a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S. diplomacy since the War for Independence. Ambassador Zoellick has served as deputy secretary, under secretary, and counselor of the State Department; ambassador and U.S. trade representative; deputy chief of staff at the White House; and president of the World Bank. His new book, America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, hit the bookstore shelves last week.
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the abuses against Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar.
Jamille Bigio, senior fellow for CFR’s Women and Foreign Policy program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the spread of and international response to human trafficking. July 30 marks the United Nations’ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur journalist for Radio Free Asia, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the Chinese government’s repression of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region.
Victoria Tin-bor Hui, associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the new national security law China has imposed on Hong Kong.
Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, international affairs advisor at the law firm Squire Patton Boggs, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the role diplomacy plays in confronting some of the challenges facing the United States today. Wisner formerly served as U.S. ambassador to India, Egypt, the Philippines, and Zambia.
Nick Schifrin, foreign affairs and defense correspondent for PBS NewsHour, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s role in the world. Schifrin is the host of PBS NewsHour’s 2019 documentary series China: Power and Prosperity. An update to the series on how the coronavirus has redefined U.S.-China relations will air on July 8th.
Martin S. Indyk, distinguished fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s possible move to annex parts of the West Bank.
Bruce Hoffman, CFR’s Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss domestic terrorist entities, groups, and movements.
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for Asia studies at CFR and senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether America’s military alliances still serve national interests. Rapp-Hooper’s book, Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances, is available today.
Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, the British ambassador to the United States, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S.-UK relations, Britain’s post-Brexit foreign policy, and the merits of multilateralism.
Stewart M. Patrick, CFR’s James H. Binger senior fellow in global governance and director of the International Institutions and Global Governance program, discusses with James M. Lindsay how the World Health Organization works.
Alyssa Ayres, CFR senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the effects of the coronavirus on India’s 1.3 billion people.
Read “A Field Guide to U.S.-India Trade Tensions” on CFR.org.
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the new book The World: A Brief Introduction, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why it’s important to get smarter about the world around us.
Frank M. Snowden, Andrew Downey Orrick professor emeritus of history and history of medicine at Yale University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how epidemics have shaped world history. Snowden’s most recent book, which was released in October 2019, is Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present.
Philip H. Gordon, CFR’s Mary and David Boies senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether the United States should do more internationally to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Read Gordon’s article “‘America First’ Is a Dangerous Fantasy in a Pandemic: Foreign Aid and Global Leadership Will Be Integral to Any Solution” on ForeignAffairs.com.
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter for Axios, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of U.S.-China relations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Michelle D. Gavin, CFR’s senior fellow for Africa studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the novel coronavirus is affecting Angola, Botswana, Sudan, and other nations throughout Africa.
Steven A. Cook, CFR’s Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the novel coronavirus’s impact in Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and other nations in the Middle East and North Africa.
Shannon K. O’Neil, CFR vice president, deputy director of studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the coronavirus pandemic means for international supply chains and trade. Read O’Neil’s article, “How to Pandemic-Proof Globalization: Redundancy, Not Reshoring, Is the Key to Supply Chain Security,” on ForeignAffairs.com.
Amy Myers Jaffe, CFR’s David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment and director of the Energy Security and Climate Change program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the standoff between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil prices.