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President Trump sent U.S. troops to the border with Mexico to supplement the work of authorities there. President Biden pledges a new approach as pressures mount along the boundary.
About the Expert
Expert Bio
James M. Lindsay is senior vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he oversees the work of the more than six dozen fellows in the David Rockefeller Studies Program. He is a leading authority on the American foreign policymaking process and the domestic politics of American foreign policy.
Before returning to CFR in 2009, Lindsay was the inaugural director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin, where he held the Tom Slick chair for international affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. From 2003 to 2006, he was vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at CFR. He previously served as deputy director and senior fellow in the foreign policy studies program at the Brookings Institution. From 1987 until 1999, he was a professor of political science at the University of Iowa.
From 1996 to 1997, Lindsay served as director for global issues and multilateral affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. He has also served as a consultant to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century (Hart-Rudman Commission) and as a staff expert for the United States Institute of Peace's congressionally mandated Task Force on the United Nations.
Lindsay has written widely on various aspects of American foreign policy and international relations. His most recent book, co-authored with Ivo H. Daalder, is The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership. His previous book with Ambassador Daalder, America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy, was awarded the 2003 Lionel Gelber Prize, named a finalist for the Arthur S. Ross Book Award, and selected as a top book of 2003 by the Economist. Lindsay’s other books include Agenda for the Nation (with Henry J. Aaron and Pietro S. Nivola), which was named an "Outstanding Academic Book of 2004" by Choice Magazine, and Congress and the Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy. He has also contributed articles to many major newspapers and magazines, including Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He writes the blog The Water's Edge, which discusses the politics of American foreign policy and the domestic underpinnings of American global power. He hosts the weekly podcast, The President’s Inbox, and co-hosts the weekly podcast, The World Next Week.
Lindsay holds an AB in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and an MA, MPhil, and PhD from Yale University. He has been a fellow at the Center for International Affairs and the Center for Science and International Affairs, both at Harvard University. He is a recipient of the Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs and CFR International Affairs Fellowship. He is a member of CFR.
Lindsay was born and raised in Massachusetts and lives in Washington, DC.
Featured
A comprehensive list of each episode of The President's Inbox organized by topic.
As 2021 comes to a close, here are five foreign policy news stories to follow in the coming year.
As 2021 comes to a close, here are the top ten most notable world events of the past year.
As 2021 comes to a close, here are ten influential U.S. foreign policy figures who passed away this year.
Looking for something to read or watch? Here is a list of all the books and films recommended on The Water’s Edge.
As 2021 comes to a close, here are ten notable historical anniversaries to mark in 2022.
Ten people who passed away this year who shaped world affairs for better or worse.
Numerous countries will hold elections in 2022. Here are ten to watch.
As 2021 comes to a close, here are five positive stories on the foreign policy front that happened in the past year.
A list of all blog posts and videos reflecting on historical events from The Water's Edge.
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The Fight for Climate After COVID-19 draws on the troubled and uneven COVID-19 experience to illustrate the critical need to ramp up climate resilience rapidly and effectively on a global scale. After years of working alongside public health and resilience experts crafting policy to build both pandemic and climate change preparedness, CFR Senior Fellow Alice C. Hill exposes parallels between the underutilized measures that governments should have taken to contain the spread of COVID-19—such as early action, cross-border planning, and bolstering emergency preparation—and the steps leaders can take now to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows.
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The Conference on Diversity in International Affairs brings together college and graduate students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds for plenaries on foreign policy topics, seminars on professional development, and opportunities to interact virtually with senior foreign policy professionals. The 2021 conference featured a keynote session with President of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker. The 2021 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs is a collaborative effort by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Global Access Pipeline, and the International Career Advancement Program. For information about the conference in previous years, please click here
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Stephen Biddle discusses his new book, Nonstate Warfare, a comprehensive account of combat methods and military rationale which offers a new understanding for wartime military behavior of armed nonstate actors. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows.
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The Investing in a Sustainable Future virtual symposium was held on March 9 and 10, 2021. The event convened experts to examine how financial markets currently assess climate risk, as well as potential measures to ensure better incorporation of climate considerations. Keynote speaker Larry Fink of BlackRock discussed how investors and businesses can adapt to the challenges posed by a changing climate. Presented as part of the Rita Hauser Annual Event, the symposium was made possible by the generous support of the Hauser Foundation
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Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses her new book, The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice. In an unlikely showdown in northeastern Syria in 2014, an all-female militia faced off against ISIS in the little-known town of Kobani. From this conflict emerged a fighting force that would wage war against ISIS across northern Syria. The Daughters of Kobani introduces the women fighting on the front lines, playing a central role in the territorial defeat of ISIS and, in the process, they worked to make women’s equality a reality. The Daughters of Kobani shines a light on a group of women intent on not only defeating the Islamic State on the battlefield, but also changing women’s lives in their corner of the Middle East and beyond. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows.
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Ray Takeyh discusses his new book, The Last Shah. Offering a new view of one of America's most important and widely misunderstood relationships, The Last Shah significantly revises our understanding of the United States and Iran's complex and difficult history. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows.
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Steven A. Cook discusses Turkish politics. How did Turkey go from promising EU candidate to a model of authoritarian populism? What is next as Turks look forward to general elections in 2023? The CFR Master Class Series is a biweekly 45-minute session in which a CFR fellow will take a step back from the news and discuss the fundamentals essential to understanding a given country, region of the world, or issue pertaining to U.S. foreign policy or international relations.
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Since the end of World War II, the United States has set out to oust governments in the Middle East on an average of once per decade—in places such as Iran, Afghanistan (twice), Iraq, Egypt, Libya, and Syria. Though pursued for a wide range of reasons, these operations all failed to achieve their ultimate goals, produced a range of unintended and even catastrophic consequences, carried heavy financial and human costs, and often left the countries in question worse off than they were before. Losing the Long Game: The False Promise of Regime Change in the Middle East gives readers a look at the U.S. experience with regime change over the past seventy years, and an insider’s view on U.S. policymaking in the region at the highest levels. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows.
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This workshop, held with generous support from the Sejong Institute, brings together prominent U.S. and South Korean specialists to discuss what can be done to break the diplomatic stalemate with North Korea.
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Please join James M. Lindsay for CFR's inaugural Master Class Series virtual meeting. This first meeting will focus on the role of Congress in shaping U.S. foreign policy, relationships with other countries, and America’s standing in the world. The CFR Master Class Series is a weekly 45-minute session hosted by Vice President and Deputy Director for Studies Shannon O’Neil in which a CFR fellow will take a step back from the news and discuss the fundamentals essential to understanding a given country, region of the world, or issue pertaining to U.S. foreign policy or international relations.
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Panelists provide an update on the 2020 presidential race, the role of foreign policy in the upcoming primaries, and the international challenges the Democratic presidential candidates will need to address if they are elected president.
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Alice C. Hill and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz discuss their new book, Building A Resilient Tomorrow: How To Prepare For The Coming Climate Disruption. Decision-makers at all levels of government and business have been actively seeking ways to help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. In their book, Hill and Martinez-Diaz offer concrete, actionable policy recommendations and behind-the-scenes stories from their personal experiences in the U.S. government.
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The 2019 CFR annual Back-to-School Event celebrated the tenth anniversary of the podcast The World Next Week with a live taping before a student audience. CFR Senior Vice President James M. Lindsay, CFR.org Managing Editor Robert McMahon, and Deborah S. Amos of NPR and Princeton University looked back at the last decade and discussed the decline of democracy, the Middle East, and U.S.-China relations.
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As the opening session of the 2019 College and University Educators Workshop, Reuben E. Brigety II, Elizabeth C. Economy, and Suzanne Maloney discuss the global outlook for the year ahead, with James M. Lindsay.
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This symposium will convene CFR scholars and experts from think tanks and academic institutions to examine the state of democratic governments around the world, the roles of economics, identity, and technology in empowering or undermining democracy, and what steps governments can take to protect and promote democracy at home and abroad. This symposium is made possible by the generous support of the Hauser Foundation.
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Chike Aguh, principal of strategy and product integration at McChrystal Group; Diana Farrell, founding president and chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase Institute; and Alexandra Fuenmayor Starr, Spencer fellow at Columbia Journalism School, discuss U.S. economic competitiveness.
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Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay present their new book, The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership, which argues that the world order the United States created and led for seven decades was fraying when Donald J. Trump took office.
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This is the keynote session of the 2018 International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) Conference.
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As the opening plenary session of the 2018 College and University Educators Workshop, Tamar Gutner and Stewart M. Patrick discuss the current state of global governance and the Trump administration's approach to international organizations and multilateralism, with James M. Lindsay.
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Panelists discuss the fiftieth anniversary of the Tet Offensive, launched in late January 1968, and the lessons learned or forgotten from the Vietnam War for the United States today.
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Scott Snyder discusses his new book, South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers. Snyder examines the trajectory of fifty years of South Korean foreign policy and offers predictions—and a prescription—for the future.