American diplomacy is in shambles under Trump, but beneath the daily chaos is an erosion of the postwar order that is even more dangerous.
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, Dr. 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, Dr. 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.
Dr. 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. Dr. 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.
Dr. 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.
Dr. Lindsay was born and raised in Massachusetts and lives in Washington, DC.
Affiliations:
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Featured
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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.
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Philip H. Gordon, Farah Pandith, and James M. Lindsay discuss the future of the Middle East.
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Experts discuss the state of the world.
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Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon discuss their new book.
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Robert D. Blackwill and Jennifer M. Harris discuss War by Other Means, their new book on why the United States must strategically integrate economic and financial instruments into its foreign policy or risk losing ground as a world power.
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Experts address current transformations of Asia’s strategic landscape, and how the return of geopolitics affects regional peace and security.
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Fred Kaplan discusses his new book, 'Dark Territory.'
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Micah Zenko discusses his new book, "Red Team: How to Succeed By Thinking Like the Enemy."
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CFR Senior Fellow Gayle Tzemach Lemmon launches her new book.
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CFR Senior Fellow Gayle Tzemach Lemmon introduces her new book, Ashley's War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield.
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Andrea Glorioso, Jeferson Nacif, and Eric Osiakwan join Aparna Sridhar, counsel at Google, Inc., to discuss internet governance issues and the role of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
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Stephen Sestanovich, CFR's senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, discusses his new book, Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama.