America's ability to encourage innovative ideas has helped to establish it as the world's economic and military leader. However, technological developments over the past thirty years have spawned an increasingly globalized world and created new challenges to American pre-eminence. This roundtable series investigates how the government's response to these challenges will affect America's global economic and political standing.

This roundtable series explores current issues at the intersection of U.S. foreign policy and private sector activity. Meetings in the past have focused on the possible effects of anti-Americanism in Europe on U.S. brands, the negotiations between the European Union and the United States over genetically modified foods, and the impact of the European Union's satellite navigation system (Galileo) on U.S. strategic interests. The aim of the series is to inform the current debate on those policies important to both corporate executives and government officials, and to provide them with constructive and thoughtful recommendations.

Made possible by the generosity of Bernard L. Schwartz, this roundtable series explores issues that affect the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. Meetings have addressed issues such as the sustainability of the U.S. current account deficit, the effectiveness of the WTO dispute settlement process, and intellectual property rights.

This roundtable series explored the influence of multinational corporations and business leaders in the Middle East and North Africa and discussed whether the private sector, as a byproduct of its operations, could influence development.

Financial markets, institutions, and instruments are playing an increasing role in American foreign policy, both as servants of traditional foreign policy aims, such as national security, and as objects, in their own right, of foreign trade and market access negotiations. Tensions and contradictions abound in this formulation, and are apparent in fierce policy debates over the merits of IMF bailouts, dollarization, financial sanctions, and market access restrictions. The project director is writing a book that examines the growing role of finance in foreign policy, why it is important, where its effects are misunderstood, and how institutional reforms can help in managing incompatible goals. Sessions of this study group will provide feedback on draft chapters.

This Study Group is organized around chapters of Steven Cook’s recently completed book manuscript titled: Ruling, But Not Governing: The Military and Political Development in Egypt, Turkey, and Algeria. Historically, Egypt, Turkey, and Algeria have exhibited a fairly predictable and similar set of political patterns which reflected the stability of authoritarian politics in these countries. In late 1990s and early 21st century, Turkey was able to break the political logjam of authoritarianism. What accounts for regime stability in Egypt, Algeria, and previously Turkey? Why was Turkey successful and Egypt and Algeria not successful? This book is intended to combine a scholarly approach to interesting questions concerning regime stability, Islamist political activity, civil-military relations, and transitions to and from democracy; yet it also contains a conscious policy edge that is relevant to current debates about democracy in the Arab and wider Muslim world.

The Study Group is made possible by the generous support from the Kauffman Foundation.

This roundtable series examines the prospects for regional monetary integration and other developments likely to affect the organization and functioning of the international monetary system.

Financial markets, institutions, and instruments are playing an increasing role in American foreign policy, both as servants of traditional foreign policy aims, such as national security, and as objects, in their own right, of foreign trade and market access negotiations. Tensions and contradictions abound in this formulation, and are apparent in fierce policy debates over the merits of IMF bailouts, dollarization, financial sanctions, and market access restrictions. The project director is writing a book that examines the growing role of finance in foreign policy, why it is important, where its effects are misunderstood, and how institutional reforms can help in managing incompatible goals. Sessions of this study group will provide feedback on draft chapters.

In this book, the author analyzes how the U.S. ought to manage immigration, taking into account politics, sociology, economics, and international relations. He calls for a benign attitude toward illegal immigration, a policy stance he supports even in the wake of September 11.

Expected publication date: Spring 2006

This study group examines Russia's considerable influence in international gas markets and proposes strategies that the United States might pursue to either reform or out-manuever Russia's dominant gas supplier, Gazprom. Particular attention will be paid to the role of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the gas markets of future, as well as the role of domestic power consumption, regulation, and conservation in determining future demand.

The findings from this study will help Dr. Victor write a scholarly article to be placed in a major foreign policy journal.

The activities carried out under this study group during previous years have supported the development of the project director’s recently published book, The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-first Century. Throughout the Fall, the project director will promote his by holding Council meetings in New York, Washington, and across the country. Following this book promotion, the project director will begin research on a new book, building on the first, related to America’s role in the world.