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
JUL 20, 2010 • Article
For Obama, Short-term Tactics, or Long-term Strategy on Iran?
By insisting on votes on sanctions against Iran, Obama may have sacrificed his strategic objective--to prevent the development of the Iranian bomb--for an ephemeral victory ...
JUL 16, 2010 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: Who Dies in Afghanistan: Soldiers, Civilians, or the Mission?
How do you choose missions to fight a war effectively, while minimizing civilian deaths and meeting the obligation to your soldiers?
JUL 2, 2010 • Podcast
Activism and Policy: Prospects for Change in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is one of the most closed societies in the world. Its media and education system are propaganda tools and all opposition is crushed. Meanwhile, ...
JUN 30, 2010 • Podcast
Beyond the NPT
Doctors Roald Sagdeev and Frank von Hippel have collaborated for decades on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation between the U.S. and the USSR. They ...
JUN 22, 2010 • Podcast
Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future
Stephen Kinzer argues that the United States needs to rethink its alliances in the Middle East and focus on strategic relationships with Iran and Turkey ...
JUN 11, 2010 • Article
Obama Did Not "Take Down" Hatoyama
Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Devin Stewart explains why Obama should not be blamed for the recent resignation of Japanese prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama.
JUN 11, 2010 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: Targeting Enemies in War: Is a "Kill List" Justified?
Governments have a moral responsibility to protect their citizens. How far does that extend? Is a "kill list" justified?
JUN 4, 2010 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: Development Aid
Should the U.S. be helping developing countries when it has its own dramatic domestic problems?
JUN 3, 2010 • Podcast
The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?
Ian Bremmer demonstrates the growing challenge that state capitalism will pose for the entire global economy, and what free market nations must do to protect ...
MAY 28, 2010 • Podcast
Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War
Washington has squandered the opportunity for a fundamentally new U.S.-Russian relationship after the Cold War, says Stephen Cohen.