Power Problems

David Burbach from the U.S. Naval War College joins Trevor Thrall and guest host John Glaser to discuss civil‐​military relations and public attitudes towards the military.David T. Burbach bioDavid Burbach, “Gaining Trust While Losing Wars: Confidence in the U.S. Military after Iraq and Afghanistan,” Orbis, vol. 61, no. 1, 2019David Burbach, “Partisan Dimensions of Confidence in the U.S. Military, 1973–2016,” Armed Forces and Society, January 11, 2018Jim Golby and Peter Feaver, “Thank You for Your Lip Service? Social Pressure to Support the Troops,” War on the Rocks, August 14, 2019David Barno and Nora Bensehel, “Thank You for Your Lip Service? Social Pressure to Support the Troops,” War on the Rocks, June 18, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Preble and John Glaser join Trevor Thrall to discuss their new book, Fuel to the Fire, which assesses Donald Trump’s foreign policies and makes the case for greater restraint in international affairs.Christopher A. Preble bioJohn Glaser bioTrevor Thrall bioChristopher A. Preble, John Glaser, Trevor Thrall, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover)Fuel to the Fire promotional page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vipin Narang of the M.I.T. Department of Political Science joins Trevor Thrall and guest host Eric Gomez to discuss nuclear trends and the nuclear balance in Asia.Vipin Narang bioVipin Narang, “Why North Korea Is Testing Missiles Again,” Foreign Affairs, May 16, 2019Vipin Narang, “India’s Counterforce Temptations,” International Security, Winter 2018/19Caroline Dorminey and Eric Gomez, “America’s Nuclear Crossroads: A Forward‐​Looking Anthology,” June 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gregory Gause from the Bush School at Texas A&M joins Trevor Thrall and John Glaser to discuss U.S. policy and strategy in the Middle East in the wake of the missile strike on the Saudi oil facilities.F. Gregory Gause bioF. Gregory Gause, “Should We Stay or Should We Go? The United States and the Middle East,” Survival, Fall 2019.Gregory Gause, “Why the U.S. Should Stay Out of Saudi Politics,” Foreign Affairs, December 2018.John Glaser and Emma Ashford, “Unforced Error: The Risks of Confrontation with Iran,” Cato Institute Policy Analysis , October 9, 2017.Robin Wright, “Trump’s Close-Call Diplomacy with Iran’s President,” New Yorker, September 28, 2019U.S. Institute of Peace, “Timeline: Tensions between Washington and Tehran,” May 8, 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Caverley of the Naval War College joins Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall to discuss the defense industry and the arms trade. Jonathan Caverley bioJonathan Caverley, “Slowing the Proliferation of Major Conventional Weapons: The Virtues of an Uncompetitive Market,” Ethics & International Affairs, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 2017Jonathan Caverley, “America’s Arms Sales Policy: Security Abroad, Not Jobs at Home,” War on the Rocks, April 6, 2018Security Assistance MonitorSIPRI Arms Transfers DatabaseA. Trevor Thrall and Caroline Dorminey, “Risky Business: The Role of Arms Sales in U.S. Foreign Policy,” Policy Analysis, No. 836, March 13, 2018Ray Rounds, “The Case against Embargos, Even for Saudi Arabia,” War on the Rocks, April 16, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hilde Restad, a professor of International Relations at Bjorknes College in Oslo, Norway, joins us to discuss Trump’s foreign policy, nationalism, and the view from Europe.Hilde Restad bioHilde Restad, American Exceptionalism: An Idea that Made a Nation and Remade the WorldCato Unbound, “The Clash of Civilizations?,” February 2017 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Goodman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall to discuss Trump’s trade war with China.Matthew P. Goodman bioMatthew P. Goodman and Ely Ratner, “A Better Way to Challenge China on Trade: Trump’s Harmful Tariffs Aren’t the Answer,” Foreign Affairs, March 22, 2018Eswar Prasad, “Which country is better equipped to win a U.S.-China trade war?” Washington Post, August 9, 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monica Toft, Professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, joins us to discuss the growth in U.S. military interventions and the decline of diplomacy.Monica Toft bioMonica Toft, “The Dangerous Rise of Kinetic Diplomacy,” War on the Rocks, May 14, 2018The Military Intervention Project Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our special live episode of Power Problems, Emma Ashford chats with Heather Hurlburt of New America about ongoing debates on the future of U.S. grand strategy.Heather Hurlburt bioHeather Hurlburt, “Making Sense of the Grand Strategy Debate,” Lawfare, June 7, 2019Emma Ashford, Hal Brands, Jasen Castillo, Kate Kizer, Rebecca Lissner, Jeremy Shapiro, and Joshua Shifrinson, “New Voices in Grand”Daniel Drezner, Mira Rapp‐​Hooper, Rebecca Lissner, Stephen Walt and Kori Schake, “Searching for a Strategy,” Foreign Affairs, May/​June 2019Ben Sasse, “The End of the End of History,” Texas National Security Review, February 2019Emma Ashford, “The Gentleman from Nebraska Misfires on Foreign Policy,” War on the Rocks, May 6, 2019Ganesh Sitaraman, “The Emergence of Progressive Foreign Policy,” War on the Rocks, April 15, 2019Colin Dueck, Elliot Abrams, Emma Ashford, John Fonte, Henry R. Nau, Nadia Schadlow, Kelley Vlahos, Dov Zakheim, “The Future of Conservative Foreign Policy,” Texas National Security Review, November 30, 2018Van Jackson, Heather Hurlburt, Adam Mount, Loren Schulman, Thomas Wright, “The Future of Progressive Foreign Policy,” Texas National Security Review, December 4, 2018The John Quincy Adams Society Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of the focus on America’s Nuclear Crossroads, Emma Ashford and guest host Eric Gomez delve into the future of arms control agreements with Maggie Tennis of the Brookings Institute. Maggie Tennis bioAmerica’s Nuclear Crossroads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todd Harrison from the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall to discuss the proposed Space Force, war in space, and his chapter in the forthcoming Cato report America’s Nuclear Crossroads.Todd Harrison bioAmerica’s Nuclear CrossroadsAerospace Security Project at CSIS, “Commanding Space: The Story Behind the Space ForceTodd Harrison, “A Space Force is Worth the Price” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With new protests in Sudan, ongoing conflict in Syria, and continued regional tensions, the legacies of the Arab Spring are everywhere in the Middle East. Peter Mandaville joins us to discuss.Peter Mandaville bioKamron Bohkari and Peter Mandaville, The Muslim Brotherhood and American Muslims, Center for Global Policy, August 11, 2018Peter Mandaville and Shadi Hamid, “Islam as Statecraft: How Governments Use Religion in Foreign Policy,” Brookings Institute, November 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What kind of foreign policy do Americans want? Not the one they have, apparently. To learn more Emma and Trevor chat with Peter Juul from the Center for American Progress about a new report from the Center for American Progress, “America Adrift: How the U.S. Foreign Policy Debate Misses What Voters Really Want.” Peter Juul bioCenter for American Progress, “America Adrift: How the U.S. Foreign Policy Debate Misses What Voters Really Want”Eurasia Group Foundation, “Worlds Apart: U.S. Foreign Policy and American Public Opinion”Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs, “America Engaged: American Public Opinion and US Foreign Policy” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American presidents often praise U.S. foreign policy as a force for global freedom and liberty. We chat with Chris Preble about his new book, Peace, War, and Liberty. Christopher Preble bioChristopher Preble, Peace, War, and Liberty: Understanding U.S. Foreign PolicyFree Thoughts/​Power Problems Crossover: “What do Libertarians Believe About Foreign Policy?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arguments about the Iraq War loom large over pretty much every foreign policy debate in Washington. Does the Trump administration have similar intentions towards Iran? Lawrence Wilkerson joins us to discuss.Lawrence Wilkerson bioLawrence Wilkerson, “I Helped Sell the False Choice of War Once. It’s Happening Again/​a>,” New York Times, February 5, 2018Dexter Filkins, John Bolton on the Warpath, New Yorker, May 6, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women play an increasingly important role as insurgents and rebels in civil conflicts all over the world. But most often their story goes untold and their impact has been poorly understood. Jessica Trisko Darden, co‐​author of Insurgent Women, joins Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall to discuss her new book to discuss.Jessica Trisko Darden bioJessica Trisko Darden, Alexis Henshaw, and Ora Szekely, Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars (Georgetown University Press 2019).Jessica Trisko Darden, “https://​the​con​ver​sa​tion​.com/​h​o​w​-​w​o​m​e​n​-​w​a​g​e​-​w​a​r​-​a​-​s​h​o​r​t​-​h​i​s​t​o​r​y​-​o​f​-​i​s​-​b​r​i​d​e​s​-​n​a​z​i​-​g​u​a​r​d​s​-​a​n​d​-​f​a​r​c​-​i​n​s​u​r​g​e​n​t​s​-​1​13011 The Conversation, March 8, 2019.Jessica Trisko Darden, “Return from ISIS: American Women Want Out of Extremism,” NPR On Point podcast.Mia Bloom, Bombshell: Women and Terrorism (University of Pennsylvania, 2011).Jessica Davis, Women in Modern Terrorism: From Liberation Wars to Global Jihad and the Islamic State (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pundits seem increasingly undecided whether we’re living in a new Cold War, or simply making a return to the 1930s. Ali Wyne of the RAND corporation joins us to discuss great power competition, the problem of foreign policy by analogy, and what the global order might look like in the future.Ali Wyne bioAli Wyne, America’s Blind Ambition Could Make It a Victim of Global Competition, National Interest, February 11, 2019Ali Wyne, Questioning the Presumption of a U.S.-China Power Transition, RAND Corporation, January 9, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cyber era has amplified the impact of non‐​state actors on international relations. From election meddling to sabotage to espionage, states are using non‐​state actors as proxies to do their dirty work. Tim Maurer from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace joins Trevor Thrall and John Glaser to talk about the rise, reach, and implications of these cyber mercenaries.Tim Maurer bioTim Maurer, Cyber Mercenaries: The State, Hackers, and PowerBrandon Valentino and Benjamin Jensen, “The Myth of the Cyber Offense: The Case for Restraint,” Policy Analysis 862, January 15, 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump’s second summit with Kim Jong Un has come and gone, this time in abject failure. Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall are joined by Harry Kazianis of the Center for the National Interest to discuss where U.S.-North Korean relations go from here.Harry Kazianis bio"A Top Trump Official May Have Just Doomed US-North Korea Talks," Vox, March 8, 2019"Dealing with North and South Korea: Can Washington Square the Circle?" Cato Institute Capitol Hill Briefing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Controversy is growing over the Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela, where the United States has backed opposition leader Juan Guaido in his attempt to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford are joined by Venezuela expert Moises Rendon to discuss the situation.Show Notes:Guest Bio: Moises RendondMoises Rendon, “Food vs. Freedom in Venezuela,” July 9, 2018Amanda Sakuma, “The Last 48 hours in Venezuela News, Explained,” Vox, February 24, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration has emphasized the reemergence of great power competition as the organizing principle for U.S. foreign policy. How will international relations change in an era when new actors are challenging the status quo? In Part II of our great power special, Professor Stacie E. Goddard of Wellesley College joins Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford to talk about her recent book, When Might Makes Right, about the relationship between rising powers and existing great powers.Show Notes:Guest Bio: Stacie GoddardStacie Goddard, “When Right Makes Might: Rising Powers and World Order”Stacie Goddard, “Uncommon Ground: Indivisible Territory and the Politics of Legitimacy,” International Organizations, vol. 60, no. 1, January 2006Cato Policy Forum, “The Return of Great Power Competition.” January 15, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Great Power competition is back. How will international relations change in an era when new actors are challenging the status quo. In Part I of our great power special, Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford are joined by Joshua Shifrinson, author of Rising Titans, Falling Giants, a book on great power rise and decline.Joshua Shifrinson's bioJoshua Shifrinson, Rising Titans, Falling Giants"The Return of Great Power Competition"David Edelstein, Over the HorizonStacie Goddard, When Might Makes RightPaul MacDonald and Joseph Parent, Twilight of the Titans Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From trade to immigration, the Trump administration takes a much broader view of national security than prior administrations. Cato Senior Policy Analyst Alex Nowrasteh joins Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford to talk about the links between immigration and national security.Show Notes:Alex Nowrasteh’s bioAlex Nowrasteh, “Incarcerated Immigrants in 2016: Their Numbers, Demographics, and Countries of Origin,” Immigration Research and Policy Brief, June 4, 2018Alex Nowrasteh, “How Trump Is Really Changing Immigration: Making It Harder for People to Come Here Legally,” Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2018 Alex Nowrasteh, “Terrorism and Immigration: A Risk Analysis,” Policy Analysis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford are joined by Cato colleague Eric Gomez for a discussion of the year in review, and a preview of 2019. From nuclear weapons and North Korea to the U.S.-Saudi relationship, it’s been a wild year. Show Notes:Eric Gomez’s bio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Attorney and Cato Institute adjunct scholar Scott Lincicome joins Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford to discuss the Trump administration’s trade strategy and the role of international trade in U.S. foreign policy.Scott Lincicome’s bioScott Lincicome, The “Protectionist Moment” That Wasn’t: American Views on Trade and Globalization, Free Trade BulletinScott Lincicome, “Doomed to Repeat It: The Long History of America’s Protectionist Failures, Policy Analysis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special crossover episode, Trevor and Emma sit down with the hosts of the Free Thoughts podcast for a wide‐​ranging discussion of how libertarians view foreign policy.Free Thoughts PodcastEmma Ashford, “Libertarianism, Restraint and the Bipartisan Future,” Texas National Security Review, November 30, 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second half of our election special, Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford are joined by Jake Sullivan, a former senior advisor to Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, to discuss the future of foreign policy in the Democratic party.Jake Sullivan bioDan Nexon, “Toward A Neo‐​Progressive Foreign Policy,” Foreign AffairsBernie Sanders, “Building a Global Democratic Movement to Counter Authoritarianism,” Speech at SAISPeter Beinart, “Shield of the Republic: A Democratic Foreign Policy for the Trump Age,” The AtlanticPlease take our listener survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan McGrath, Deputy Director of the Center for American Seapower at the Hudson Institute, joins Trevor and Emma to discuss the evolution of conservative foreign policy during the Trump era.Please take a listener surveyBryan McGrath bioHenry Nau, Conservative Internationalism (Princeton University Press 2015)Eliot Cohen, The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force (Basic Books 2018) Robert Kagan, The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World (Knopf 2018) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth Rosenberg, a sanctions expert at the Center for a New American Security joins Trevor and Emma to discuss the Trump administration’s eclectic approach to sanctions policy, and the impact of looming Iran sanctions.Elizabeth Rosenberg bioElizabeth Rosenberg, The EU Can’t Avoid U.S. Sanctions on Iran, Foreign Affairs, October 10, 2018Jacob J. Lew and Richard Nephew, The Use and Misuse of Economic Statecraft, Foreign Affairs, October 15, 2018Emma Ashford, Not‐​So‐​Smart Sanctions, Foreign Affairs, January/​February 2016Cato Unbound, Do Economic Sanctions Work?, November 2014 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus Episode! Harvard’s Steven Walt joins Emma Ashford and guest host Caroline Dorminey to discuss his new book, The Hell of Good Intentions, and why America’s foreign policy failures helped to elect Donald Trump.Stephen Walt bioStephen Walt, The Hell of Good IntentionsCato Book Event, The Hell of Good IntentionsStephen Walt, The Donald vs. The Blob, Foreign Policy, May 16, 2018Thrall and Friedman, U.S. Grand Strategy in the 21st Century — The Case for Restraint Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Emma Ashford returns to the podcast, she and Trevor Thrall join Cato colleague John Glaser to review the Trump administration’s take on U.S. foreign policy in 2018.David E. Sangar, “North Korea’s Trump‐​era Strategy. Keep Making A‑Bombs, but Quietly,” New York Times, September 16, 2018Peter Harrell, “Is the US Using Sanctions Too Aggressively?,” Foreign Affairs, September 11, 2018Michael Hirsch, “John Bolton Is Living the Dream — for Now,” Foreign Policy, September 28, 2018Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley, “The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies,” Bloomberg Businessweek, October 4, 2018Michael Hirsch, “Surprise! Trump’s Disruptive Foreign Policy Could Be Working,” Politico, October 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Porter joins Sahar Khan and Trevor Thrall to discuss the debate over the past, present, and future of the liberal international order. Porter is a professor of international security and strategy at the University of Birmingham, UK and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. He researches how power and ideas shape U.S. and U.K. defense and foreign policy, and how both shape conflicts both the United States and United Kingdom are involved in.Patrick Porter bioPatrick Porter, “A World Imagined: Nostalgia and Liberal Order,” June 2018Patrick Porter, “Why America’s Grand Strategy Has Not Changed: Power, Habit, and the U.S. Foreign Policy Establishment,” International Security, May 4, 2018.“Liberal International Order: Past, Present, and Future,” Cato Event, September 20, 2018Bruce Jentleson, “The Post‐​Liberal International Order World: Some Core Characteristics,” Lawfare Blog, September 9, 2018Michael J. Mazarr, “The Real History of the Liberal Order: Neither Myth Nor Accident,” Foreign Affairs, August 7, 2018Rebecca Friedman Lissner and Mira Rapp‐​Hooper, “The Day After Trump: American Strategy for a New International Order,” The Washington Quarterly, June 2018Jake Sullivan, “The World After Trump: How the System Can Endure,” Foreign Affairs, March/​April 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanda Felbab‐​Brown is a senior fellow in the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is also the director of the Brookings project “Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives and UNGASS 2016” and co‐​director of “Reconstituting Local Orders.” She is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies.Vanda Felbab‐​Brown bioThe Extinction Market: Wildlife Trafficking and How to Counter ItWorld Wildlife Fund, “Illegal Wildlife Trade”U.S. Agency for International Development, “Combating Wildlife Trafficking”Jody Rosen, “Animal Traffic,” New York Times Style MagazineCharlote Epstein, “The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of an Anti‐​Whaling Discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council joins Sahar Khan and Trevor Thrall to discuss developments in Iran and America’s Iran policy. Barbara Slavin bioBarbara Slavin, “US Policies Undercut ‘Support’ for ‘Iranian Voices’ ”Barbara Slavin, “Renewed Sanctions Will Hurt Iran’s Economy But U.S. Benefits Uncertain”Barbara Slavin, “Mullahs, Money, and Militias”Emma Ashford and John Glaser, “Unforced Error: The Risks of Confrontation with Iran” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

C. Christine Fair is a Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor in the Peace and Security Studies Program within Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She joins Sahar Khan and Trevor Thrall to discuss the ongoing Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and its implication on the Trump administration’s policy toward South Asia.C. Christine Fair’s bioInternational Crisis Group, “The Long Haul ahead for Myanmar’s Rohingya Refugee Crisis,” May 16, 2018Council on Foreign Affairs, “The Rohingya Crisis,” Backgrounder, April 20, 2018Krishnadev Calamur, “The Misunderstood Roots of Burma’s Rohingya Crisis,” The Atlantic, September 25, 2017Sahar Khan, “Ethnic Cleansing vs. Genocide,” Cato @ Liberty, November 29, 2017 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. counterterrorism has been a mixture of unilateral policies and multilateral partnerships. Stephen Tankel of American University joins us today to discuss the trajectory of U.S. counterterrorism strategy under the Trump administration.Stephen Tankel’s bioJohn Glaser’s bioStephen Tankel, With Us and Against Us: How America’s Partners Help and Hinder the War on TerrorStephen Tankel, “https://​www​.wash​ing​ton​post​.com/​n​e​w​s​/​m​o​n​k​e​y​-​c​a​g​e​/​w​p​/​2​0​1​7​/​0​9​/​1​1​/​f​i​g​h​t​i​n​g​-​t​e​r​r​o​r​i​s​m​-​t​a​k​e​s​-​a​-​g​l​o​b​a​l​-​e​f​f​o​r​t​-​h​o​w​-​h​a​v​e​-​3​-​u​-​s​-​p​r​e​s​i​d​e​n​t​s​-​f​a​r​e​d​-​1​6​-​y​e​a​r​s​-​a​f​t​e​r​-​9​1​1​/​?​u​t​m​_​t​e​r​m​=​.​3​9​6​4​c​b​b​11a04,” Monkey Cage, September 11, 2017Joshua A. Geltzer and Stephen Tankel, “Whatever Happened to Trump’s Counterterrorism Strategy,” The Atlantic, March 1, 2018Stephen Tankel, “Donald Trump’s Shadow War,” Politico, May 9, 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James GoldgeierThe AmericansDeborah D. Avant, The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing SecurityNick Bostrom, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, StrategiesSteve Coll, Directorate S: The CIA, and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and PakistanRoger Fisher, William L. Ury, and Bruce Patton, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving InPaul Holden, Indefensible: Seven Myths that Sustain the Global Arms TradeRobert Jervis, Perception and Misconception in International PoliticsArthur Koestler, Darkness at NoonHans Morgethau, Politics Among NationsOccupiedSteven Pinker, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st CenturyBen Rhodes, The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White HouseJoe Sacco, PalestineElizabeth Saunders, Leaders at War: How Presidents Shape Military InterventionsBrent Steele, Ontological Security in International Relations: Self‐​Identity and the IR StateAmor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow: A NovelKenneth N. Waltz, Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical AnalysisEarl Weaver, Winning!Jack Goldstone, Political Demography: How Population Changes Are Reshaping International Security and National PoliticsJustin Vaïsse, Zbigniew Brzezinski: America’s Grand StrategistKori Schake, Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American HegemonyMargaret MaronCharlene Harris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Chernov Hwang from Goucher College joins Trevor Thrall and Sahar Khan to discuss why Indonesian jihadists leave militancy in her new book, Why Terrorists Quit.Julie Chernov Hwang’s bioWhy Terrorists Quit: The Disengagement of Indonesian JihadistsJulie Chernov Hwang, “The Unintended Consequences of Amending Indonesia’s Anti‐​Terrorism Law,” Lawfare Blog, October 1, 2017Anita Rachman and Ben Otto, “Families with Bombs: Islamic State inspires new wave of Indonesian Terrorism,” Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2018Sidney Jones, “How ISIS has changed terrorism in Indonesia,” New York Times, May 22, 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Jentleson from Duke University joins Trevor Thrall and Sahar Khan to discuss the importance of statesmanship and his new book, The Peacemakers.Show notes:Guest Bio: Bruce JentlesonThe Peacemakers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show description: In a special 2‑part episode, Emma Ashford, Trevor Thrall, and new co‐​host, Sahar Kahn, discuss North Korea and the prospects for a nuclear summit with Cato Policy Analyst Eric Gomez.Guest bio: Eric GomezPower Problems Episode #4, September 19, 2017: Kim Jong TrumpEric Gomez, “Not Quite Back to the Drawing Board with North Korea”Eric Gomez, “Keep Calm and Summit On” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall shift from military affairs this week to talk about humanitarian aid with American University’s Jessica Trisko Darden. Guest bio: Jessica Trisko DardenHumanitarian Aid and WarIs Humanitarian Aid a Waste? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall are joined by David Edelstein of Georgetown University to discuss how great powers respond to rising challengers.Guest Bio: David EdelsteinOver the Horizon: Time, Uncertainty, and the Rise of Great Powers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall are joined by Cato’s own Caroline Dorminey to discuss U.S. arms sales in the Trump era.Guest bio: Caroline DormineyCaroline Dorminey and Trevor Thrall. “Risky Business: the Role of Arms Sales in U.S. Foreign Policy”Paul Holden (ed.) Indefensible: Seven Myths That Sustain the Global Arms TradeMJonathan Caverley. “America’s Arms Sales Policy: Security Abroad, Not Jobs at Home”Amnesty International. “Iraq: Taking Stock of Arming the Islamic State” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall discuss the expansion of the U.S. war on terror into Africa with Bronwyn Bruton from the Atlantic Council.Guest Bio: Bronwyn BrutonBronwyn Bruton, “Ethiopia: In the Eye of the Storm”U.S. News and World Report, “Where in the World Is the U.S. Military? Everywhere” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vladimir Putin won re‐​election handily, but the future of U.S.-Russia relations is a tougher question. We chat with Matthew Rojanksy of the Woodrow Wilson Center.Guest Bio: Matthew Rojansky“U.S. Russia Policy” in Our Foreign Policy Choices“Why New Russia Sanctions Won’t Change Moscow’s Behavior” in Foreign AffairsThe Legacy of George Kennan Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the ongoing war in Yemen and U.S. involvement with Kate Kizer from Win Without War.Guest bio: Kate KizerCouncil on Foreign Relations Yemen BackgrounderCato’s John Glaser on YemenWhat the President Should Do in Yemen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hans Kristensen from the Federation of American Scientists joins us today to discuss the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review.Hans Kristensen bio2018 Nuclear Posture ReviewFederation of American Scientists Nuclear Posture Review ResourceTexas National Security Review Policy Roundtable on the NPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathleen Hicks from CSIS and Hal Brands from Johns Hopkins SAIS join us to talk about Trump’s foreign policy at the one year mark.Guest bio: Kathleen HicksGuest bio: Hal BrandsNational Security StrategySummary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:Guest Bio: Nate Olson2017 National Security StrategyNate Olson, “How Donald Trump Can Avoid a Trade War with China”Pew Research, “Support for Free Trade Rebounds.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:A Dangerous World? edited by Christopher A. Preble and John MuellerAmerican Foreign Policy and the Politics of Fear edited by A. Trevor Thrall and Jane K. CramerCuriosity: How Will the World End? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.