What are the major goals of US foreign policy?

  • Making Sense of Midterm America

    The midterm elections will have ramifications for U.S. foreign policy.

  • How Much Influence Does Iran Have in Iraq?

    Iran has built considerable political clout in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Its wide sphere of influence could be expanding, raising domestic tensions and alarming U.S. policymakers.

  • Lessons From History Series: The Legacy of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

    In early 1947, Harry Truman announced that the United States would give assistance to countries under threat from authoritarian forces. Later that year, George C. Marshall addressed Harvard University on the urgent need to help European recovery. In the year that followed the Marshall plan was enacted. Please join our panelists as they discuss the legacy of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine seventy-five years later and the lessons to be learned for U.S. foreign policy today. The Lessons From History Series uses historical analysis as a critical tool for understanding modern foreign policy challenges by hearing from practitioners who played an important role in a consequential historical event or from experts and historians. This series is made possible through the generous support of David M. Rubenstein.

  • Waiting for Thermidor: America’s Foreign Policy Towards Iran

    The Islamic Republic of Iran may be on an accelerated schedule for revolutionary decay, at least if compared to the USSR.

  • Why “Reforming” the United Nations Security Council is a Bad Idea

    President Biden has embraced "reforms" of the United Nations Security Council that are impractical and would undermine U.S. interests.

  • The President's Inbox Episodes by Topic

    A comprehensive list of each episode of The President's Inbox organized by topic. 

  • TPI Replay: China’s Domestic Challenges, With Ian Johnson

    Ian Johnson, CFR’s Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss economic, political, and demographic developments within China.

  • TWNW Special: What to Read and Listen to This Summer (Rebroadcast)

    In this special episode of The World Next Week, Heather A. Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the podcasts they’re listening to for fun this summer. (This is a rebroadcast.) Read more about Jim, Bob, and Heather’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

  • Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense

    Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. And Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations.

  • What Is U.S. Policy on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?

    The United States has long tried to negotiate a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but several factors, including deep divisions between and within the parties and declining U.S. interest in carrying out its traditional honest-broker role, hurt the chances of a peace deal.

  • The "Two-State Solution" as Panacea Never Fades Away

    President Biden showed strong support for Israel during his recent visit, but never explained how the "two-state solution" would be possible without damaging Jordanian and Israeli security.

  • 7/7 CFR Virtual Press Briefing: Previewing Biden's Trip to the Middle East

    ROBBINS: Thanks so much. Hi. I’m Carla Robbins. I’m a senior fellow here at the Council, and I also run a master’s program at the City University of New York and I am a fallen journalist. Anyway, …

  • The Time is Ripe to Reset U.S.-Saudi Relations.

  • Oil Dependence and U.S. Foreign Policy

    The United States’ dependence on oil has long influenced its foreign policy. U.S. oil development spans three major periods: the rise of oil as a commodity, beginning in 1850; the post–World War II age of geopolitical competition; and the post–Cold War era of deregulation and diversification. Most recently, Russia’s war with Ukraine has aggravated geopolitical tensions and revived the debate about U.S. energy independence.

  • The World Next Week: What to Read and Listen to This Summer

    The annual summer entertainment recommendations from The World Next Week podcast.