James M. Lindsay argues that while the United States remains the most significant military, diplomatic, and economic power in a changing geopolitical environment, it faces increasing difficulty in driving the global agenda.

Despite international pressure, Iran appears to be continuing its march toward getting a nuclear bomb.

America Unbound argues that President Bush has redefined how America engages the world, shedding the constraints that friends, allies, and international institutions have traditionally imposed on its freedom, insisting that an America unbound is a more secure America.

President Obama today used his bully pulpit to press Republicans for a deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling but both sides appear set to take their dispute to the final moments, as financial markets watch anxiously, writes CFR's James Lindsay.

President Obama's competing deficit-cutting plan stimulates a crucial debate with Republicans that will have major consequences for U.S. and global growth, but no compromise appears imminent, says CFR's James Lindsay.

The mounting budget battle in Washington and looming federal debt limit raises concerns about the ability of U.S. lawmakers to tackle the country's enormous deficit and debt, writes CFR's James Lindsay.

The new Congress, featuring a GOP-controlled House and a Democratic-led Senate, is likely to be dominated by partisan squabbles over debts and deficits, sidelining foreign policy, says CFR's James Lindsay.

The electoral tide that brought Republicans into control of the U.S. House could frustrate the Obama administration's efforts on arms control and potentially encourage them on trade, says CFR's James Lindsay.

President Obama's UN General Assembly speech exhorted delegates to support human rights, democratic reforms, and the Mideast peace process. He will likely see a sluggish response, writes CFR's James Lindsay.

The Security Council's approval of tougher sanctions on Iran marks a diplomatic victory for the Obama administration. But Iran retains momentum, too, and the ability to continue its uranium enrichment program, writes CFR's James Lindsay.

A Pew-CFR survey shows a surge in Americans' isolationist sentiment, stimulated by the financial crisis. CFR's James Lindsay says this poses added hurdles for President Obama's new Afghan strategy.

In this First Take, CFR's James M. Lindsay says President Obama's decision to alter missile defense plans in Eastern Europe makes sense from a military standpoint but he faces challenges in selling the strategy to Americans.

In this interview, CFR's James Lindsay discusses three major foreign policy challenges confronting the United States in 2013, including tumult in the Middle East, rising tensions in East Asia, and the U.S. fiscal cliff.

No matter who wins the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday, an array of foreign policy challenges await, says CFR's James Lindsay.

Foreign policy has not played a major role in the presidential campaign so far, but a close race could make it a factor in courting "the moveable middle," says CFR's James Lindsay.

Looking ahead to the Iowa caucuses and upcoming primaries in January, CFR's James Lindsay says Republican candidates are taking aim at President Obama's foreign policies, yet it's unclear what they would do differently.

Global markets' reaction to eurozone turbulence and S&P's downgrade of U.S. debt add uncertainty to U.S. foreign policy, raising questions about which goals the country has the means to pursue, says CFR's James M. Lindsay.

President Obama's decision to intervene in Libya is hobbled by poor timing and muddled objectives, but charges that the war is illegal are unfounded, says CFR's James Lindsay.

President Obama's foreign policy triumphs so far include getting support for tougher Iran sanctions but there were also missteps in the Middle East and elsewhere, and the failure to restore fiscal stability has undercut U.S. power, says CFR's James M. Lindsay.

Foreign policy is taking a backseat to the economy in the midterm elections, says CFR's James Lindsay, with issues like START, immigration, and trade on hold.

CFR's James M. Lindsay summarizes President Obama's first year as "great expectations running smack into daunting realities," including the Afghan war, China's rise, and Iran's nuclear program.

James M. Lindsay, an expert on U.S. foreign policy, and a former director of studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the first presidential debate between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama.

James M. Lindsay, an expert on U.S. politics and foreign policy, says President Bush will be regarded as “a below-average president” due to issues like Iraq and immigration reform.