In 1956, the Suez Crisis revealed the limits of British power. Could a similar event hollow out the US alliance system today? Bence Nemeth applies his "five factor theory of defense cooperation" to answer this critical question.
Tyler Bowen from the US Naval War College joins us to discuss the logic of conventional coercion in nuclear crises. As the US faces nuclear-armed adversaries like Russia and China, understanding how to "thread the needle" between defense and escalation is…
The margin of deterrence against China is rapidly shrinking, driven not by a failure of US technological innovation, but by the American and allied defense industrial base’s inability to field and sustain cutting-edge capabilities at scale, at speed, and…
Marina Henke argues that grand strategy is more than just a list of goals—it is the art and science of allocating resources to achieve core objectives under conditions of uncertainty. We explore why so many governments struggle to prioritize, the dangers of…
This paper examines the persistent attractions of the idea of a world order, and whether one may be said to exist today. It argues that we are now in a world adrift or, at best, between orders. It suggests that this may mark a return to the historical norm and…
Sheena Chestnut Greitens sat down with Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha, the Republic of Korea’s ambassador to the United States. Recorded before a live audience at The University of Texas at Austin on December 3, the conversation explores the deepening alignment…
This article contends that while the United States still fields potent military capabilities, the narrowing military balance with China means that a future Indo-Pacific clash in which Beijing gains a regional edge is no longer implausible. Using the 1956…
Roundtables are where we get to hear from multiple experts on either a subject matter or a recently published book. These collections of essays allow for detailed debates and discussions from a variety of viewpoints so that we can deeply explore a given topic or book.
Mara Karlin and Mathew Burrows review “The Insiders’ Game,” a book exploring how democratic elites—including legislators, military leaders, and civilian officials—constrain presidential decision-making in war.
The global nuclear order is undergoing rapid and complex transformations, driven by the expansion of arsenals, evolving doctrines, and the interplay of domestic and international politics. This roundtable brings together seven incisive essays that explore the shifting dynamics of nuclear security across six key regions—Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, China, and the Korean Peninsula. From the cascading effects of U.S.-China competition to the domestic political drivers of nuclear policy in both democratic and authoritarian states, the contributors analyze how these forces are reshaping deterrence, alliances, and proliferation risks.
In this roundtable review of “War, States, and International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War,” the contributors engage with Vergerio’s analysis of canon-making by suggesting ways to broaden its historical scope and highlighting what limits interdisciplinary dialogue.