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.

JAN 29, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: TikTok & the Normalization of Protests Around the World, with Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree

Howard University's Professor Tia Tyree joins "Doorstep" hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nick Gvosdev to discuss social media and youth activism in 2021 and beyond. The digital ...

JAN 15, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Reviving Democracy & Re-establishing Alliances, with the Atlantic Council's Ash Jain

A few days remain until the Biden/Harris administration comes to Washington. Will the Trump administration's 11th hour power moves hamper the new team? Or ...

JAN 8, 2021 Podcast

The Doorstep: Capitol Chaos, Power Vacuums, & a Global Reckoning

"Doorstep" co-hosts Nikolas Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin discuss how global leaders are responding to this week's assault on Congress during a normally quiet presidential certification ...

DEC 18, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: Connecting U.S. Foreign & Domestic Policy in 2021, with Judah Grunstein

Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of "World Politics Review," joins hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nick Gvosdev to discuss the latest U.S. Global Engagement report and preview ...

DEC 4, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: Opportunities for a New U.S. Policy Toward African Nations, with Ambassador Charles A. Ray

In this week's Doorstep, hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev are joined by Charles A. Ray, current chair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Africa ...

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