Foreign Policy

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.

Explore Our Foreign Policy Resources

CREDIT: 2020 <a href=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpvqqGDGeLgoWIH_1EGK4N5vdof8jru7wT33gEJBGJs0mEmQ/viewform>survey of attitudes</a>, U.S. Global Engagement program. Map provided by <a href=https://pixabay.com/photos/blur-close-up-continent-exploration-1869546/>Pixabay (CC)</a>.

MAR 9, 2020 Article

What Do Americans Think . . .

The U.S. Global Engagement program at Carnegie Council has been conducting a survey of attitudes about U.S. foreign policy with an eye to ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voting_United_States.jpg">Tom Arthur (CC)</a>

MAR 5, 2020 Article

Super Tuesday and the Clash of Foreign Policy Narratives

Democratic voters are now presented with a clear choice between two different foreign policy narratives and ethical considerations when it comes to U.S. engagement ...

Joe Biden in Des Moines, Iowa, August 2019. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/48605395292/">Gage Skidmore</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC)</a>

MAR 4, 2020 Podcast

Biden, Sanders, & Foreign Policy after Super Tuesday, with Nikolas Gvosdev

Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev looks at the foreign policy discussions after Super Tuesday, with only Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders left with realistic chances at ...

FEB 27, 2020 Podcast

Carnegie New Leaders Podcast: Cybersecurity, Norms, & Regulations, with Jason Healey

Are there norms when it comes to cybersecurity? How should governments regulate this emerging domain? What's the role of the private sector? SIPA's Jason Healey ...

FEB 11, 2020 Podcast

Killer Robots, Ethics, & Governance, with Peter Asaro

Peter Asaro, co-founder of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, has a simple solution for stopping the future proliferation of killer robots, or lethal ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flags_of_UK_and_USA.jpg">Tvabutzku1234 (CC)</a>

FEB 11, 2020 Article

Gallagher's Proposal & Emerging Narratives

Rep. Michael Gallagher (R-WI) recently penned a "Wall Street Journal" op-ed laying out a new paradigm for U.S. foreign policy, as it relates to ...

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a rally in Philadelphia for his 2020 presidential campaign. CREDIT: <a href=https://www.flickr.com/photos/138425397@N05/40914528093/in/photostream/>Michael Stokes (CC)</a>.

FEB 7, 2020 Article

As Biden Stalls, Is the "Restorationist" Narrative Losing Ground?

U.S. Global Engagement Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev notes that former Vice President Joe Biden is, in foreign policy terms, most associated with a "restorationist" ...

FEB 5, 2020 Podcast

Democratic Candidates & Foreign Policy after Iowa, with Nikolas Gvosdev

With the (incomplete) results of the Iowa Caucus putting the spotlight on Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, what do we know about their foreign policy ...

Professor Nye at Carnegie Council in February 2020. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni.

FEB 4, 2020 Podcast

Do Morals Matter? Presidents & Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump, with Joseph Nye

How much do morals matter for U.S. presidents when it comes to international affairs? What are the ethics of "America First" or 2003 invasion of ...

Ottoman Empire map with partitions, part of the memoranda for the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peace-conference-memoranda-respecting-syria-arabia-palestine5.jpg">Stanfords Geographical Establishment London/Public Domain</a>

JAN 31, 2020 Podcast

The Crack-Up: The Birth of the Modern Middle East, with Ted Widmer

At the end of World War I, colonial powers carved up the Ottoman Empire and the reverberations are still being felt today. Historian Ted Widmer ...