U.S. Foreign Policy | Council on Foreign Relations

The End of World Order and American Foreign Policy

The United States should respond to the COVID-19 reordering moment and stop deterioration in the balance of power with China, bolster relations with India and Europe, and reform the way it deals with allies and partners.

Council Special Report by Robert D. Blackwill and Thomas Wright May 28, 2020

Higher Education Webinar: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances

Mira Rapp-Hooper, CFR's Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for Asia Studies and senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, discusses the U.S. system of alliances and its importance for national security.

Conference Call with Mira Rapp-Hooper Jun 18, 2020

Middle East and North Africa

CFR Fellows’ Book Launch Series: The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East by Steven Cook

In The End of Ambition, Steven A. Cook boldly claims that despite setbacks and moral costs, the United States has had a record of success in the Middle East. Yet, beginning in the 1990s, those achievements bred ambitious policies to remake the region that ended in failure and regional instability. While making the case that retrenchment is not the answer to America’s problems in the Middle East, Cook highlights how America’s interests in the region have begun to change and examines alternative approaches to U.S.-Middle East policy. The John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture was inaugurated in 2002 in memory of CFR member John B. Hurford, and features individuals who represent critical new thinking in international affairs and foreign policy. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.

Virtual Event by Steven A. Cook and James M. Lindsay June 12, 2024 John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture
Military Operations

Sea Power: The U.S. Navy and Foreign Policy

The U.S. Navy’s dominance of the world’s oceans has made it an indispensable foreign policy tool and a guarantor of global trade, but a mix of challenges is raising difficult questions about its future.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters June 12, 2024
Politics and Government

The Changing Role of Foreign Policy at the U.S. National Conventions

The quadrennial U.S. presidential nominating conventions often focus on domestic themes. But they have at times been flavored by global economic concerns and national security threats, offering competing Democratic and Republican visions about the United States’ role in the world. In the 2024 race, Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and his challenger, Republican Donald Trump, are projecting starkly different worldviews.

Timeline by Jonathan Masters , Kevin Lizarazo and Jeremy Sherlick June 11, 2024

Experts in this Keyword

Elliott Abrams

Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

Edward Alden

Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow

Robert D. Blackwill

Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy

Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

Esther Brimmer

James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance

Karen B. Brooks

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia

Thomas E. Donilon

Distinguished Fellow

Richard A. Falkenrath

Senior Fellow for National Security

Jendayi E. Frazer

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Studies

Will Freeman

Fellow for Latin America Studies

Gordon M. Goldstein

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Thomas Graham

Distinguished Fellow

Richard Haass

President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations

Martin S. Indyk

Lowy Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-Middle East Diplomacy

Kenneth I. Juster

Distinguished Fellow

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan

Editor, Foreign Affairs; Peter G. Peterson Chair

Farah Pandith

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Stephen Sestanovich

George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies

Ray Takeyh

Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Sue Mi Terry

Senior Fellow for Korea Studies

Christopher M. Tuttle

Senior Fellow

Matthew C. Waxman

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Law and Foreign Policy

China

How the United States Can Effectively Pivot to Asia

After the rise of Chinese power during the 2010s and failed U.S. policies in the Indo-Pacific, the United States should renew the Pivot to Asia and place the region at the center of its grand strategy.*

Expert Brief by Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine June 11, 2024 Asia Program
Asia

Lost Decade

Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine evaluate the limitations of the Pivot to Asia and offer a compelling vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.

Book by Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine June 11, 2024 Asia Program
Middle East and North Africa

U.S. Policy in the Middle East, With Steven A. Cook

Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the United States’ past, present, and future policy in the Middle East.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Steven A. Cook June 4, 2024 The President’s Inbox
Middle East and North Africa

The End of Ambition

A clear-headed vision for the United States' role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of U.S. national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.

Book by Steven A. Cook June 3, 2024 Middle East Program
Venezuela

Will the United States Boost Maduro in Venezuela’s Election?

A forced sale of CITGO oil company just days before Venezuela's July 28 presidential election would be a propaganda bonanza for the Maduro regime, and should be delayed by the United States government.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams June 2, 2024 Pressure Points
U.S. Foreign Policy

Washington’s Ill-Fated Mideast Ambitions

U.S. administrations have backed sweeping efforts for societal change in the Middle East in recent decades, with poor results. But Washington can still achieve more modest, essential goals in the region.*

Expert Brief by Steven A. Cook May 31, 2024 Middle East Program
Democratic Republic of Congo

A Puzzling Attempted Coup in the DRC

A clumsy coup d’état attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo reveals the underlying fragility of U.S.-DRC relations.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 23, 2024 Africa Program
Middle East and North Africa

2024 International Affairs Fellowship Conference: A Conversation With Philip Gordon

Dr. Phil Gordon was the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2009–2011) and Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf Region (2013–2015). He is currently the National Security Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris. For more information about the International Affairs Fellowship (IAF), please visit CFR’s Fellowship Affairs Page.

Virtual Event by Philip H. Gordon, Mona Yacoubian and Michael Froman May 22, 2024
Kenya

A Preview of Kenya’s State Visit

During Kenya’s state visit, the United States should work toward building a more resilient model of U.S.-Africa partnerships.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 21, 2024 Africa in Transition
Chad

An Exercise in Electoral Futility

The United States should resist a “business as usual” approach to Chad.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 13, 2024 Africa in Transition
South Africa

Mutual Suspicion Grates U.S.-South Africa Relations

Tensions in the U.S.-South Africa relationship only heighten as both countries head towards national elections.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 3, 2024 Africa in Transition
Venezuela

Will the Biden Administration Abandon Democracy in Venezuela?

Biden administration policy toward Venezuela has abandoned concern about democracy and human rights, instead placing oil prices, migration, and presidential politics above them. Will it change?

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams March 30, 2024 Pressure Points