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 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.

DEC 13, 2023 Podcast

Celebrity Politics and Soft Power, with Brandon Valeriano

With over 40 national elections scheduled for 2024, Seton Hall's Brandon Valeriano discusses the resurgence of soft power and what that means on the global stage.

NOV 15, 2023 Podcast

Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, with Bethany Allen

As Xi and Biden meet in San Francisco, "Axios" reporter Bethany Allen joined "The Doorstep" to discuss the rise of authoritarian capitalism in China.

OCT 24, 2023 Podcast

Competing Priorities and Generational Dynamics at the Doorstep

In this live Global Ethics Day "Doorstep" panel recorded at Ohio State, Nikolas Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin connect U.S. foreign policy to domestic concerns.

Left to Right: Tatiana Serafin, Debak Das, Stephanie Santos, Robert Preuhs, Nikolas Gvosev, at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Sept. 28, 2023.

OCT 12, 2023 Podcast

Redefining U.S. Foreign Policy for the Next Generation

In this live episode, "The Doorstep" looks at a new generation of Americans, working to redefine the goals of U.S. foreign policy.

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