The Remaking of a Global United States

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Panel

Europe expert Heather Conley, Robert Kagan from Brookings Institution, and the Washington Post's Karen Attiah join the Council to examine America's standing in the world in the next year and beyond.

People carry the American Flag during a Veteran's Day parade

Reuters

Speakers

Robert Kagan 
Heather Conley
Karen Attiah
Ivo H. Daalder

Event Date

November 12, 2020

About This Event

The 2020 election cycle presented the world with the image of a deeply divided America, with little or no consensus on what its global role or values should be for years to come. This at the very moment the United States faces an alarming range of threats to its security and prosperity—from the rise of adversarial powers and the retreat of democracy to COVID-19 and climate change. Could the urgency of dealing with these challenges provide the catalyst for renewed international cooperation? Or is the US now too consumed with internal turmoil to collaborate or lead on the world stage? In partnership with the World Economic Forum’s network of Global Future Councils, the Council convenes leading global affairs experts to measure the United States’ present standing in the world in 2021 and beyond.

About the Speakers

Robert Kagan 

Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Robert Kagan is the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Senior Fellow with the Project on International Order and Strategy in the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of numerous books including the bestseller, "The World America Made." Kagan also is a contributing columnist for the Washington Post.

Heather Conley

Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic, CSIS

Prior to joining CSIS as a senior fellow and director for Europe, Heather Conley served as executive director of the Office of the Chairman of the Board at the American National Red Cross. Previously, she was deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs with responsibilities for US bilateral relations with the countries of Northern and Central Europe.

Karen Attiah

Global Opinions Editor, The Washington Post

At The Washington Post, Karen Attiah commissions and edits commentary on global issues from a variety of international writers. She joined The Post in 2014 as a digital producer in the Opinions section. Attiah often writes on issues relating to race, gender, and international politics, with a special interest in Africa.

Ivo H. Daalder

CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013 and took on the new role of CEO in 2023. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. He is the author or editor of 10 books.

Crown Center Content This content is produced by the Lester Crown Center, which aims to shape debates and inform decisions on important US foreign policy and national security issues.

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