U.S. Global Engagement Initiative

Reshaping discussions on U.S. foreign policy by highlighting ethical considerations

For the last five years, the post-Cold War bipartisan consensus in U.S. foreign policy—that the sustained deployment of U.S. power around the world is indispensable for maintaining the international system—has been called into question. There are now a series of competing narratives providing very different rationales for the degree and scope of U.S. engagement being advanced by different groups on the U.S. domestic political spectrum—each resting on a different understanding of what constitutes ethics in international affairs.

The U.S. Global Engagement Initiative seeks to:

Reshape

Reshape wider discussions on U.S. foreign policy to seriously address the causes and consequences of U.S. disengagement and re-engagement.

Move

Move ethical considerations to the center of policymakers' thinking about international relations, including the emergence of new ethical perspectives based on environmentalism, a focus on greater inclusivity, and the emergence of new technologies.

Probe

Probe the ethical considerations in a world increasingly defined by geopolitical and ideological competition among major powers.

Inform

Inform democratic citizens' understanding of international affairs, global engagement, and U.S. foreign policymaking.

Featured USGE Podcasts, Events, & Articles

FEB 28, 2023 Article

U.S. Leaders Need to Make the "Doorstep" Case for Supporting Ukraine

The Biden administration continues to make its appeal for support for Ukraine's war effort, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussing the economic reasons in a "New York Times" op-ed. Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev wonders if this "doorstep" argument will be convincing for Americans.

SEP 9, 2022 Podcast

Freezing Order: Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath, with Bill Browder

What will it take to stop Russia’s President Vladimir Putin? Few have seen his wrath as closely as American-born British financier Bill Browder, who was the largest foreign investor in Russia until investigations led by his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky exposed massive corruption and misconduct by Russian officials leading all ...

The Doorstep

A program of Carnegie Council's U.S. Global Engagement Initiative, The Doorstep is an event series and podcast showcasing how global news impacts your daily life. Hosted by award-winning professor of journalism Tatiana Serafin and international relations scholar Nikolas Gvosdev, The Doorstep seeks to broaden listener perspectives on global affairs.

FEB 10, 2023 Podcast

India Rising, with Harvard's Prof. Tarun Khanna

With India now at helm of the G20 and a summit set for New Delhi in September, the South Asian nation is stepping up its ...

FEB 1, 2023 Podcast

Sanctions Loopholes, Rerouting Trade, & Russia's War Machine, with Rachel Ziemba

Leading up to the one-year anniversary of Russia's second invasion of Ukraine, Rachel Ziemba, head of Ziemba Insights and adjunct senior fellow at the Center ...

JAN 19, 2023 Podcast

Ideology in U.S. Foreign Relations, with Christopher McKnight Nichols

From racialized notions of subjecthood and civilization in the 18th century to the neoconservatism, neoliberalism, and unilateralism of the 21st century, ideology drives American foreign ...

JAN 11, 2023 Podcast

Will 2023 Be the Year of Global Power Shifts? with Judah Grunstein

Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of "World Politics Review," joins "Doorstep" co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin for his annual review of global power shifts. The past 12 ...

DEC 14, 2022 Podcast

Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It, with Jon Clifton

Although pundits and politicians pay close attention to measures like GDP or unemployment, almost no one tracks citizens' wellbeing. Gallup CEO Jon Clifton discusses this "...

Leadership

Nikolas K. Gvosdev

Carnegie Council Senior Fellow, U.S. Global Engagement Initiative (USGE); U.S. Naval War College

Tatiana Serafin

Carnegie Council Senior Fellow, U.S. Global Engagement Initiative (USGE); Marymount Manhattan College