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.

U.S. Navy ships in the South China Sea, October 2019. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/compacflt/48854834982">U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Erwin Jacob V. Miciano</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(CC)</a>.

MAR 31, 2021 Podcast

2034: A Novel of the Next World War, with Admiral James Stavridis & Elliot Ackerman

U.S.-China competition is one of the defining stories of this era, but it has stopped short of violence, for now. In the novel "2034," ...

MAR 26, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Assessing Trump's Legacy on Biden's Foreign Policy, with George Mason's Colin Dueck

The Biden-Harris administration made a host of foreign policy promises for their first 100 days in office. Leading the list was linking foreign and domestic policy ...

MAR 11, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Climate Statecraft & the Race to Net Zero, with Dr. Carolyn Kissane

Energy expert Dr. Carolyn Kissane joins "The Doorstep" co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to discuss the new diplomacy of climate statecraft. How are environmental ...

FEB 26, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Generational Change in Government, with YPFP's Aubrey Cox Ottenstein

Aubrey Cox Ottenstein, executive director of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), joins co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nick Gvosdev to discuss how a new cadre ...

FEB 12, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Can the U.S. Regain the World's Trust? with Eurasia Group's Ali Wyne

Ali Wyne, senior analyst at Eurasia Group, joins “Doorstep” co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to assess if the Biden/Harris administration is delivering on ...

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