Civil liberties will present the winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential elections with challenges related to counterterrorism powers and practices, as well as challenges related to privacy rights, says CFR's Matthew C. Waxman.

The winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election will have to address shifting priorities and maintain the relevancy and impact of U.S. foreign aid as government assistance is dwarfed by other forms of capital flows and new donor countries emerge, says CFR's Isobel Coleman.

The winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election must be prepared to deal with a potential reemerging crisis between India and Pakistan, engage with India over its relations with Iran and interests in Afghanistan, and face an upcoming leadership transition in the country, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

The winner of the 2012 presidential election will continue to rely on the UN as a foreign policy tool to serve U.S. interests, but navigating the U.S.-UN relationship will be one of the president's biggest foreign policy challenges, says CFR's Stewart M. Patrick.

The winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election will risk "unpleasant surprises" if he fails to pay sufficient attention to Africa, says CFR's John Campbell.

North Korea may be on the verge of a "transformative moment," which will require the time, attention, and resources of the winner of the U.S. presidential election, says CFR's Scott Snyder.

The winner of the U.S. presidential election will face at least three sets of climate challenges including reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, facing international pressure, and developing climate-friendly technology, says CFR's Michael Levi.

The winner of the 2012 presidential election faces an important leadership test on trade, which will have challenges and opportunities, says CFR's Thomas Bollyky, including leveling the playing field with China and finalizing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The winner of the presidential election will face at least three sets of energy challenges: continuing to reduce oil dependence, increasing U.S. supplies sustainably, and addressing acute crises such as supply disruptions, says CFR's Michael Levi.

Drug trafficking, changing immigration trends, and rising economic opportunities are the major issues the winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election faces in dealing with Latin America, says CFR's Shannon O'Neil.

China's rising global prominence, increasing assertiveness and upcoming leadership transition may pose significant challenges for the next U.S. president, says CFR's Elizabeth C. Economy.

Immigration reform remains a hot topic in the 2012 presidential race, but the winner will have to move beyond an enforcement-only approach in dealing with illegal immigrants, says CFR's Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow Edward Alden, in a video issue brief.

The next U.S. president will have to navigate between grand ambition and the realities of the world economy, says CFR international economics expert Sebastian Mallaby. This video is part of a special Council on Foreign Relations series that explores the top foreign policy issues debated in the run-up to the 2012 elections.

The winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election will likely confront a greatly changed Middle East political landscape due to ongoing civillian upheaval, says Steven A. Cook, CFR's senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies. This video is part of a special Council on Foreign Relations series that explores the top foreign policy issues debated in the run-up to the 2012 elections.

This video is part of a special Council on Foreign Relations series that explores the top foreign policy issues debated in the run-up to the 2012 elections. In this video, Daniel Markey, CFR's senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, discusses the strategic importance of Pakistan.