Programs
American Statecraft
Programs
American Statecraft
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About the Program

The American Statecraft Program develops and advances ideas for a more disciplined U.S. foreign policy aligned with American values and cognizant of the limits of American power in a more competitive world.

Cover image for Preventing an Era of Nuclear Anarchy: Nuclear Proliferation and American Security
report
Legacy or Liability? Auditing U.S. Alliances to Compete with China
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Projects

Program experts
Afreen Akhter

Afreen Akhter

Visiting Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Cecily Brewer

Cecily Brewer

Nonresident Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Christopher S. Chivvis

Senior Fellow and Director, American Statecraft Program

Suzanne DiMaggio

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Peter Harrell

Nonresident Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Aaron David Miller

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Jeffrey Prescott

Jeffrey Prescott

Visiting Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Brett Rosenberg

Nonresident Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Christopher Shell

Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Katie Tobin

Nonresident Scholar, American Statecraft Program

Stephen Wertheim

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

collection
Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Strategy

Innovative foreign policy recommendations grounded in reality

see the collection
collection
Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Strategy

Innovative foreign policy recommendations grounded in reality

see the collection
report
Strategic Change in U.S. Foreign Policy

How large foreign policy shifts happen despite pressures to maintain the status quo.

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report
Strategic Change in U.S. Foreign Policy

How large foreign policy shifts happen despite pressures to maintain the status quo.

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In The Media
in the media
The Fragile Axis of Upheaval

When the war in Ukraine ends, the United States should seize opportunities to weaken the ties between China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

Foreign Affairs
In The Media
in the media
The Fragile Axis of Upheaval

When the war in Ukraine ends, the United States should seize opportunities to weaken the ties between China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

Foreign Affairs
Cover image for Preventing an Era of Nuclear Anarchy: Nuclear Proliferation and American Security
report
Legacy or Liability? Auditing U.S. Alliances to Compete with China

Alliances remain crucial to American statecraft in an era of great-power competition, but Washington needs to be clear eyed about their costs and benefits. 

  • +3
Cover image for Preventing an Era of Nuclear Anarchy: Nuclear Proliferation and American Security
report
Legacy or Liability? Auditing U.S. Alliances to Compete with China

Alliances remain crucial to American statecraft in an era of great-power competition, but Washington needs to be clear eyed about their costs and benefits. 

  • +3
collection
A More Disciplined American Global Leadership

Challenging assumptions about America’s global priorities to serve the needs of the future.

see the collection
In The Media
in the media
Trump Is a Situational Man in a Structural Bind

The United States needs to do more than merely avoid the most spectacular blunders of old: It must make a new place for itself in global affairs

New York Times
In The Media
in the media
America Isn't Leading the World

Never in the years since the Cold War has the United States looked less like a leader of the world and more like the head of a faction — reduced to defending its preferred side against increasingly aligned adversaries

The New York Times
In The Media
in the media
How U.S. Forces Should Leave Europe

For decades, collective European self-defense was merely an aspiration. Today, the time to realize this goal seems to be at hand.

Foreign Affairs
collection
A More Disciplined American Global Leadership

Challenging assumptions about America’s global priorities to serve the needs of the future.

see the collection
In The Media
in the media
Trump Is a Situational Man in a Structural Bind

The United States needs to do more than merely avoid the most spectacular blunders of old: It must make a new place for itself in global affairs

New York Times
In The Media
in the media
America Isn't Leading the World

Never in the years since the Cold War has the United States looked less like a leader of the world and more like the head of a faction — reduced to defending its preferred side against increasingly aligned adversaries

The New York Times
In The Media
in the media
How U.S. Forces Should Leave Europe

For decades, collective European self-defense was merely an aspiration. Today, the time to realize this goal seems to be at hand.

Foreign Affairs
collection
American Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy

Ensuring that American foreign policy serves the needs of its citizens

see the collection
Photo of members of the Congressional Black Caucus sitting at a desk covered in papers.
article
Lessons from Congressional Black Caucus Members’ Leadership in U.S. Foreign Policy

The legacy of thought leaders in the CBC reveals how Congress can make space for meaningful democratic debate on the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

University of Michigan students walk on the UM campus on April 3, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan
article
What Gen Z Thinks About U.S. Foreign Policy

Although the coming-of-age generation is broadly internationalist, most prefer a more modest U.S. role in the world, including with China, Israel, and Ukraine.

Capitol building at twilight
paper
The Promise and Peril of Threat Politics

There has been a long bipartisan tradition of seeking to persuade through fear appeals. But there are risks in addition to rewards with this approach, as shown by two examples: China and climate change.

collection
American Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy

Ensuring that American foreign policy serves the needs of its citizens

see the collection
Photo of members of the Congressional Black Caucus sitting at a desk covered in papers.
article
Lessons from Congressional Black Caucus Members’ Leadership in U.S. Foreign Policy

The legacy of thought leaders in the CBC reveals how Congress can make space for meaningful democratic debate on the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

University of Michigan students walk on the UM campus on April 3, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan
article
What Gen Z Thinks About U.S. Foreign Policy

Although the coming-of-age generation is broadly internationalist, most prefer a more modest U.S. role in the world, including with China, Israel, and Ukraine.

Capitol building at twilight
paper
The Promise and Peril of Threat Politics

There has been a long bipartisan tradition of seeking to persuade through fear appeals. But there are risks in addition to rewards with this approach, as shown by two examples: China and climate change.

collection
Economic Statecraft

Aligning U.S. foreign policy with changing domestic and global economic realities

see the collection
US Capitol building at dusk
commentary
Emissary
America’s Development Bank Needs to Bet Big

Instead of allowing the DFC’s authorization to lapse, Congress could make the bank more nimble than before.

  • Afreen Akhter
In The Media
in the media
The Legal Bases for Government Stakes in Private Firms

The political shift toward government equity in companies raises complex policy issues regarding the government’s role in the economy.

Lawfare
In The Media
in the media
This Is No Way to Run a Trade War

Trump is misusing a statute to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico that hurt American interests.

Wall Street Journal
collection
Economic Statecraft

Aligning U.S. foreign policy with changing domestic and global economic realities

see the collection
US Capitol building at dusk
commentary
Emissary
America’s Development Bank Needs to Bet Big

Instead of allowing the DFC’s authorization to lapse, Congress could make the bank more nimble than before.

  • Afreen Akhter
In The Media
in the media
The Legal Bases for Government Stakes in Private Firms

The political shift toward government equity in companies raises complex policy issues regarding the government’s role in the economy.

Lawfare
In The Media
in the media
This Is No Way to Run a Trade War

Trump is misusing a statute to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico that hurt American interests.

Wall Street Journal
Podcast Series

Carnegie Connects

Carnegie Connects is our premier live podcast hosted by Aaron David Miller. Every other week, he tackles the most pressing foreign policy issues of the day in conversations with journalists, policymakers, historians, and experts.

Explore the podcast
Video Series

How Can the U.S. and China Reach a Realistic Coexistence?

Tensions between the United States and China have made many strategists pessimistic about the future of their relationship. With the two powers competing in nearly every domain, there is a real risk of conflict over the next decade. If there is to be any possibility of stability in their relationship, we need a positive vision for how to get there. In the Carnegie Endowment’s new edited volume, ten experts present their ideas about positive and realistic scenarios for the U.S.-China relationship over the next decade. 

Explore the Videos