Event Commentaries

The Future of Transatlantic Relations and NATO

Hard bargaining between two close friends over their nation’s interests is the very foundation of a transatlantic relationship, according to Dr. Kori Schake. This dynamic defines the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was founded after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. With U.S. actions creating tensions between NATO and its allies, key questions emerge about alliance stability and U.S. national security: Can NATO remain effective if the United S

4 days ago6 min read

History of the CIA: Presidential Power and Limits of Law

What does the average American truly know about the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)? For many, that understanding may be shaped more by movies and television, rather than by fact. Popular culture provides a familiar image of the CIA: an agent gets a call, puts on a trench coat, flies off to a foreign capital, drinks a martini, woos a beautiful woman, overthrows the government, and leaves on the midland boat. After Tim Weiner first walked into the CIA headquart

Mar 275 min read

Security, Conflict, and Migration in the Americas

Migration and drug trafficking have been treated as national emergencies by the United States for years; President Donald Trump declared migration at the Southern Border an emergency in 2019, and the War on Drugs is decades old, with emergency declarations tracing back to the 1970s. Both issues persist, prompting executive actions that have deployed active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and applied additional economic pressure, shaping U.S. foreign policy and internati

Feb 246 min read

The Mouse Roars: Canada Confronting the “American Elephant”

Having the United States as a neighbor is unlike living close to any other — and Canada can attest to it. On January 15, Martin Regg Cohn quoted former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who compared living next to the U.S. as similar to sleeping with an “elephant.” “No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast … one is affected by every twitch and grunt.” Canada, today, feels every twitch, every tariff, and every taunt. Regg Cohn is a political columnist

Jan 266 min read

The US Agency for International Development and U.S. Foreign Policy

One of the very first acts of the second Trump administration was to pause all United States assistance to foreign nations. This was followed by the dissolution of the federal agency charged with administering $43.8 billion assistance funds, and firing of almost all its approximately 10,000 staff — two-thirds of which worked overseas in developing nations. What impact do these actions have on the impact and effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy? Do alternative U.S. government

Dec 28, 20255 min read

4th Annual U.S.-Mexico Defense and Security Roundtable

On December 4, 2025, the 4th annual U.S.-Mexico Defense and Security Roundtable was hosted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) through the Center for Research on North America (CISAN), in collaboration with the University of Arizona-UNAM Binational Consortium on Migration, Human Rights and Human Security. The roundtables provide an opportunity for discussion and to enforce the relationship between UNAM and UA through high-level engagements and communication

Dec 21, 20256 min read

Member Bonus Event: Current Threats to National Security and the Rule of Law

As the United States continues to experience dramatic changes in executive power under the Trump Administration, national security and the rule of law are increasingly at stake. What are the legal and constitutional limits on the president’s authority? And are the actions taken consistent with international legal obligations and human rights standards? Many members had a chance to hear from Suzanne Spaulding in our October event on The Importance of The Rule of Law in Forei

Dec 18, 20255 min read

Great Power Rivalry in a Transforming World: The Sino-US Rivalry in Context

In our ever transforming 21st century, major geopolitical trends will continue to shape our world and the relations between nations and associated instruments of national power. We continue to see technological change, supply chain disruptions, and rising competition among global powers, particularly from China as they expand their economic and military influence. It is crucial to understand these shifts to anticipate the challenges of our future world order, as they are rede

Nov 14, 20257 min read

The Importance of the Rule of Law in National Security and Foreign Affairs

Since January 20th, 2025, the presidency of Donald Trump has seen a major shift in the political, economic, and social climate of the U.S., and has reignited national divisions while raising debates over governance, democracy, and the United States’ role in the world. Suzanne Spaulding is the Senior Adviser for the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and former Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Sh

Oct 15, 20255 min read

Russia's War on Ukraine

Alex Vindman, a regional expert at the heart of U.S. strategy, provided his thoughts on Russia’s war on Ukraine, the American foreign policy, and its role in what he calls a "preventable tragedy."

Apr 20, 20254 min read