Defense Policy
Young Professionals Briefing With CFR Military Fellows
CFR Military Fellows discuss ways their respective branches are meeting the challenges of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, climate change, and an evolving global threat landscape.
The CFR Young Professionals Briefing Series provides an opportunity for those early in their careers to engage with CFR. The briefings feature remarks by experts on critical global issues and lessons learned in their careers. These events are intended for individuals who have completed their undergraduate studies and have not yet reached the age of thirty to be eligible for CFR term membership.
We are pleased to extend this invitation to you through the recommendation of a CFR member. If you no longer wish to receive these invitations, please let us know by replying to this email.
If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register.
Please note the audio, video, and the transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.Â
Categories: Defense Policy
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Jewish-American Perspectives on U.S. Foreign Policy
Elliott Abrams, CFR senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies, and Elliot Cosgrove, rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, discuss the evolving role of the Jewish diaspora in shaping U.S. policy towards the Middle East, the challenges of fostering unity within the Jewish community, and the broader implications for international relations. Asher Lopatin, rabbi of Kehillat Etz Chayim, moderates the discussion.
Categories: Defense Policy
Virtual Roundtable: The Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on Global Women's Leadership
Categories: Defense Policy
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence
CFR's Technologist-in-Residence Sebastian Elbaum discusses the capabilities, failures, and future of artificial intelligence and its intersections with policy.
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Categories: Defense Policy
Designing a Broader National Security Approach: A Conversation With the Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Panelists discuss the findings of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy Report, including the evolving security threats from China and its aligned partners: Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The Commission explores the need for the United States to strengthen its deterrence and response strategies by using all elements of national power, including diplomacy, investment, and commercial strategies, along with the critical role U.S. alliances play in shaping global competition.
The U.S. Congress created the Commission on the National Defense Strategy in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act as an independent body charged with assessing the 2022 National Defense Strategy. Its members are non-governmental experts in national security. The Commission released its final report on July 29, 2024. RAND contributed analytic and administrative support.
Categories: Defense Policy
Securing the Future: Navigating the Nexus of Climate and Defense
Panelists discuss the intersection of climate change and national security, the emerging challenges for defense, and how the U.S. military is adapting to address these evolving threats.
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Categories: Defense Policy
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Religion in the 2024 U.S. Election
Adelle M. Banks, projects editor and national reporter for Religion News Service, and Adam Nicholas Phillips, chief strategy officer and chief of staff at Interfaith America, discuss the evolving role of religious constituencies in U.S. politics, as well as the intersection of religion with key political and social issues in the lead up to the 2024 election. Â
Categories: Defense Policy
CFR-Brookings Institution Election 2024 Virtual Public Event: The Future of the Middle East
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program are collaborating to convene an expert discussion to examine the future of the Middle East.
As part of a series of virtual events convened by CFR and Brookings in the lead-up to Election Day, the conversation will examine the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and the policy options and priorities for an incoming U.S. administration in the region.Â
The series is a part of Election 2024, a CFR initiative focused on exploring the United States’ role in the world, how international affairs issues affect voters, and the foreign policy issues at stake in November, and Election ’24: Issues at Stake, a Brookings initiative aimed to bring public attention to consequential policy issues confronting voters and policymakers in the run up to the 2024 election. Both projects are made possible in part by grants from Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Categories: Defense Policy
Russian Aggression Beyond Ukraine
Panelists discuss Russia's broader strategy beyond Ukraine, including efforts to expand the conflict through cyberattacks and arson across Europe, as well as possible election interference in the United States.
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Categories: Defense Policy
CFR-Brookings Institution Election 2024 Virtual Public Event: Technology and Electoral Dynamics
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program collaborated to convene an expert discussion that examined the role of technology and electoral dynamics in the 2024 election.
As part of a series of virtual events convened by CFR and Brookings in the lead-up to Election Day, the conversation examined how the perception of technology is influencing electoral credibility; cybersecurity and election integrity; and what is at stake for safeguarding our democratic processes in an era of disinformation.
The series is a part of Election 2024, a CFR initiative focused on exploring the United States’ role in the world, how international affairs issues affect voters, and the foreign policy issues at stake in November, and Election ’24: Issues at Stake, a Brookings initiative aimed to bring public attention to consequential policy issues confronting voters and policymakers in the run up to the 2024 election. Both projects are made possible in part by grants from Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Categories: Defense Policy
One Year Later: U.S. Policy Options in the Israel-Hamas War
As the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks approaches, panelists discuss U.S. policy options regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the administration’s proposed peace deal and the ramifications of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Categories: Defense Policy
The Millennium Challenge Corporation at 20: Progress and Prospects
Panelists reflect on the past, present, and future of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) having reached its twentieth anniversary of operation, as well as the future of economic diplomacy and the challenging landscape of global poverty.
This meeting series is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.Â
Categories: Defense Policy
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Muslim-American Perspectives on U.S. Foreign Policy
Salam al-Marayati, president and cofounder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Nazita Lajevardi, associate professor of political science at Michigan State University, discuss the domestic and international policies that affect and matter to American Muslim communities, as well as the diversity, trends, and priorities of the bloc.
Categories: Defense Policy
John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture With Timothy Snyder
Historian Timothy Snyder explores the concept of freedom, including what it is, how it has been misunderstood, and why it is worth fighting for both in the United States and globally.
The John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture was inaugurated in 2002 in memory of CFR member John B. Hurford, and features individuals who represent critical new thinking in international affairs and foreign policy. This meeting is also part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Meeting Series on Democracy.
Categories: Defense Policy
Reporter's Notebook—Covering a Dangerous World
Journalists with on-the-ground experience reporting from dangerous areas of the world discuss the lessons they have learned, the risks they face, and the importance of sharing these stories.
Categories: Defense Policy
Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT): Version 2.0
This user's manual explains how to employ Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT) within a game-theoretic framework for assessing the potential deterrent value, escalation risks, and political costs of alternative space control options. This manual describes the tool; guides users through the processes of opening, populating, and running it; and explains how to interpret its outputs.
Categories: Defense Policy
Gaming Space: A Game-Theoretic Methodology for Assessing the Deterrent Value of Space Control Options
This report introduces and explains a game-theoretic methodology to help decisionmakers assess the potential effects of alternative approaches to space control. Specifically, we sought to develop a methodology to identify those defensive space control options that would likely contribute to deterrence without increasing political costs and risks of escalation.
Categories: Defense Policy
Assessing Bid Protests of U.S. Department of Defense Procurements: Identifying Issues, Trends, and Drivers
Bid protests have been a feature of the U.S. defense acquisition environment for decades. In recent years, the bid protest process has come under increased scrutiny. In response, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 called for a "comprehensive study on the prevalence and impact of bid protests on DoD acquisitions," including the systematic collection and analysis of the characteristics of bid protests and their outcomes.
Categories: Defense Policy
Air Force Non-Rated Technical Training: Opportunities for Improving Pipeline Processes
In recent years the U.S. Air Force has faced persistent resource constraints while trying to deliver necessary training to its officer and enlisted forces. The Air Force therefore asked RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) to identify opportunities for optimizing processes at all levels of the nonrated technical training pipeline. This report presents PAF's assessment and recommends process and policy changes that could improve efficiency.
Categories: Defense Policy
Airpower in Counter-Terrorist Operations: Balancing Objectives and Risks
Overview and analysis of harnessing airpower in counter-terrorist operations.
Categories: Defense Policy
