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

JAN 11, 2024 Podcast

Can the Nation-State Survive in 2024? with Judah Grunstein

Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of "World Politics Review," joins "The Doorstep" to discusses the fracturing, power vacuums, and identitarianism that will re-shape international politics in 2024.

FEB 1, 2024 Podcast

The Future of Foreign Policy is Feminist, with Kristina Lunz

In this virtual event, Kristina Lunz discusses her book on feminist foreign policy. How can this innovative approach to global diplomacy become a reality?

The Doorstep

An international news podcast and event series that invites participants to recognize that all global news is local in a borderless Internet. Hosted by award-winning journalism professor Tatiana Serafin and international relations scholar Nikolas Gvosdev, this series seeks to broaden listener perspectives on global affairs.

MAR 2, 2022 Podcast

The Doorstep: Can Putin Be Stopped? with Atlantic Council's Melinda Haring

Atlantic Council's Ukraine expert Melinda Haring joins "Doorstep" co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to discuss where we are one week after Russian President Vladimir ...

FEB 17, 2022 Podcast

The Doorstep: Are China & Russia Winning? with Colin Dueck

With 2022 U.S. midterm elections looming, George Mason University's Colin Dueck comes back to speak with "Doorstep" co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin about the ...

FEB 10, 2022 Podcast

Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World, with Peter S. Goodman

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's wealthiest added a whopping $3.9 trillion to their pockets while as many as 500 million people descended into ...

FEB 3, 2022 Podcast

The Doorstep: Hacktivism 2.0, with Joseph Marks

A decade after hacktivists like the Anonymous collective gained notoriety for cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies and multinationals and were later tamped down by ...

JAN 27, 2022 Podcast

The Doorstep: The Hidden Global Growth Crisis, with Rachel Ziemba

Over the past year, America has imported more oil from Russia and goods from China to address domestic inflation and supply chain issues. Abroad, the ...

Leadership

Nikolas K. Gvosdev

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

Tatiana Serafin

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