Public Affairs

Overview

Public Affairs hosted speakers who are prominent people in the world of international affairs, from acclaimed authors, to Nobel laureates, to high-ranking UN officials.

The Freedom Agenda: Why Americans Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did)

OCT 14, 2008 Podcast

The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did)

According to James Traub, although Bush bungled his famous Freedom Agenda—that American liberty is dependent on liberty in other lands—the concept still holds ...

The Powers to Lead

OCT 13, 2008 Podcast

The Powers to Lead

What qualities make a leader succeed in business or in politics? Joseph Nye contends that modern leadership requires "smart power," which is a judicious situational ...

Striking First: Preemption and Prevention in International Conflict

OCT 1, 2008 Podcast

Striking First: Preemption and Prevention in International Conflict

Is the Bush Doctrine of aggressive preventive action a justified and legal recourse against threats posed by terrorists and rogue states? Does the United States ...

Terror and Consent:  The Wars for The 21st Century

SEP 26, 2008 Podcast

Terror and Consent: The Wars for The 21st Century

The world is in the midst of a great transition from nation states to "market states," says Philip Bobbitt, and consequently almost every widely-held idea ...

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

SEP 16, 2008 Podcast

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

There has been a fundamental disconnect between the Bush Administration and the reality in Iraq, says Bing West. But nevertheless, the strongest tribe in Iraq--the ...

image of book cover -The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation

JUN 23, 2008 Podcast

The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation

"To be a moderate in the Arab world today," says Jordanian diplomat Marwan Muasher, "is to be a very, very tiny minority." The reason is ...

Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance

JUN 18, 2008 Transcript

Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance

Except for the U.S. and Israel, every nation favors a treaty to prevent the weaponization of space. China has been pushing the U.S. ...

Detail from book cover.

JUN 17, 2008 Podcast

Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia

"There's no one to talk to since Mahatma Gandhi died," sighs Putin. In a funny and frightening talk, Marshall Goldman unravels the tangled links between ...

JUN 12, 2008 Podcast

Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History

In this 2008 talk, Special Counsel and Advisor to John F. Kennedy Ted Sorensen recalls his life and times with JFK, including the dramas of desegregation ...

JUN 9, 2008 Podcast

Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia

"Almost every single important extremist leader is living on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan," says Ahmed Rashid. Compared to this threat, Iraq is a ...