Prepare for the U.S. Presidential Debates

Before the U.S. presidential candidates have their first debate on Monday, get up to speed on their foreign policy stances with the Council on Foreign Relations’ award-wining interactive hub, Campaign 2016: The Candidates and the World.

Track and compare the platforms of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and learn about eleven major issues facing the next president, including immigration, the self-proclaimed Islamic State, trade, defense, and relations with North Korea, China, and Russia. 

What to Watch for in the Presidential Debates

As the presidential debate season opens, expect plenty of contrasts between how Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump view U.S. interactions in the world, writes CFR’s Elizabeth Saunders. 

Watch Video Primers on the Issues

The next president will play a critical role in shaping the country’s climate policy, deciding whether and how to reduce emissions while minimizing any impact on economic growth. This video explains the domestic and global challenges of environmental policy. Watch all the videos in the series, covering trade policy, immigration, the self-proclaimed Islamic State, and U.S. policy toward China. 

The Next President’s Inbox

Absent wise American leadership, the world will remain in disarray, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass. It is in the interest of Americans to find out what those wanting to be president think about a wide range of challenges and what they might do about them. 

Vice Presidents in Foreign Policy

Explore the platforms of vice presidential candidates Tim Kaine and Mike Pence on a range of issues. Learn about the vice president’s role in foreign policy and about the policies of six vice presidents in the modern era. Watch last week’s discussion at CFR with Vice President Joe Biden on the future of U.S. foreign policy and read his essay in the recent issue of Foreign Affairs. 

How Does America Stack Up?

How has the United States responded to rising global economic competition? How America Stacks Up, by CFR’s Edward Alden and Rebecca Strauss, benchmarks the United States against other advanced economies across nine critical issues.

In his new book, Failure to Adjust, Alden details the last four decades of U.S. trade policies and offers a blueprint for keeping the United States competitive in a globalized economy. 

Foreign Affairs’ Election Coverage

ForeignAffairs.com offers a range of essays on the 2016 presidential election, including a comparison of Clinton’s foreign policy proposals to those of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Recognition for CFR’s Election Coverage

CFR’s "Campaign 2016: The Candidates and the World" website has won the 2016 Online News Association award in the category of Planned News/Events, Small Site. Explore the site!