Framing ethical perspectives
As countries grapple with global issues, such as climate change and the impact of emerging technology, the way that nations interact has never been more consequential. Our experts, programming, and impact initiatives work to analyze the foreign policy of the United States and other nations with an aim to explore shared values and produce agenda-setting resources.
Foreign Policy Resources
International affairs, global governance, and more
DEC 15, 2025 • Video
The Ethics of Decision-Making in National Security
APR 9, 2026 • Article
Realism vs. Pragmatism: Understanding America’s New Rhetorical Landscape
Amid Trump's fiery rhetoric and debates over "realism," Professor Jason Ralph writes that "pragmatism" may offer a better alternative for the American public.
AUG 14, 2025 • Podcast
Values, Realism, and U.S. Foreign Policy, with Alexander Vindman
Alexander Vindman joins "Values & Interests" to discuss the critical interplay between morality and power in the practice of geopolitics.
Related Initiatives
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Model International Mobility Convention
The primary goal of the Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC) is to formulate new rules for migration and asylum that can benefit both migrants and refugees as well as their states of origin, transit, and destination.
Explore Our Foreign Policy Resources
MAR 26, 2010 • Podcast
Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East
1.9 million Sunni Muslims have been forced into exile following the Iraq War, says Deborah Amos. What impact is this having on these people's lives, on ...
MAR 11, 2010 • Podcast
Superpower Illusions: How Myths and False Ideologies Led America Astray--and How to Return to Reality
Jack Matlock, American ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991, corrects a number of pervasive myths about the Cold War, including the belief that it ...
FEB 26, 2010 • Podcast
Is Public Diplomacy Beneficial for all Participants?
One goal of public diplomacy is to create allies inside other states through education programs or cultural exchanges. Should this be viewed as enriching individuals, ...
FEB 18, 2010 • Podcast
Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security--From World War II to the War on Terrorism
According to historian Julian Zelizer, partisan fighting has always shaped American foreign policy, and the issue of national security has always been part of our ...
FEB 5, 2010 • Podcast
Do People Matter in U.S. Foreign Policy?
Is U.S. foreign policy determined by individual policy-makers and core values, or by external threats and domestic pressures?
JAN 29, 2010 • Podcast
Obama's Foreign Policy: What Matters and What Doesn't for America's Future
Elections and campaigns are about options. Governing is about constraints. For Obama--and every president--what happens when foreign policy options meet foreign policy constraints?
JAN 25, 2010 • Podcast
Red Cloud at Dawn: Truman, Stalin, and the End of the Atomic Monopoly
How does a state make a nuclear bomb? How does it hide its weapons program? How do other states detect nuclear proliferation? Gordin addresses important ...
JAN 19, 2010 • Article
Obama and God
As President Obama completes his first year in office, little attention has been given to a question that sparked raucous argument during the campaign. How ...
DEC 22, 2009 • Podcast
East Asian Security and Democracy: The Place of Taiwan
Taiwan has transformed itself into a prosperous, vibrant democracy, and recently tensions between Taiwan and China have lessened. As the balance of power between the ...
DEC 11, 2009 • Podcast
Prospects for Arms Control in the Obama Administration: An Interview with John Isaacs
John Isaacs, Executive Director of the Council for a Livable World, discusses nuclear weapons treaties and their relevance for U.S. foreign policy, domestic politics, ...