Charting a Progressive China Policy for the 21st Century (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Ismaila Whittier, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States is facing a geopolitical dilemma that will force overdue reevaluations of its grand strategy regarding U.S.-China relations. Initial ideas of reforming China and molding the country into a cooperative member of a global framework of liberal democracies have failed and miserably so. As tensions […]

Read More…

Rethinking Iran: Restraint Through Reconciliation (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Scott McCann, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow In 1980, President Jimmy Carter stated the flow of Persian Gulf oil was a vital U.S. interest and that Washington would use “any means necessary, including military force” to protect it. The statement became known as the Carter Doctrine. The U.S. has been engaged in the region […]

Read More…

Reductions for Peace: Realigning U.S. Policy in South Korea (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Ethan Kessler, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States currently stations over 28,000 troops in South Korea (ROK) to help guard it against attacks from North Korea (DPRK). These troops are a legacy of a different time. The ROK has become wealthier and more powerful since 1953 when it came under the protection […]

Read More…

Home is Where the Heart Is: A State Department Focused on the Domestic Agenda (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Yameen Huq, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The coming international order is one of multipolarity and rising collective challenges. American voters and elected officials alike realize that the next foreign policy agenda must center domestic matters, prudent prioritization, and careful diplomacy. The State Department (State) can only support this agenda with proper organizational design. […]

Read More…

Revisiting NSC Reform: Lessons Learned from Previous Failures (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Grant Golub, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The current structures of U.S. national security policymaking have allowed the National Security Council (NSC) to dominate American foreign policy. An organization originally designed to coordinate and integrate foreign and defense policy has quietly grown into the most powerful component of the U.S. national security apparatus. The […]

Read More…

U.S. Strategy in the Sahel: Toward a Human Security-Centered Approach (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Nani Detti, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow The United States’s current counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel is ineffective and is contributing to the destabilization of the region. Despite pouring billions of dollars into security assistance and counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, the U.S. has failed to help Sahel governments address the growing security threats […]

Read More…

The Case for a “Green BRAC” (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By Nick Cleveland-Stout, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow There are several reasons to support another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). BRAC increases savings. Though there are overhead costs, the previous 5 rounds of BRAC combined save around $13 billion annually. BRAC also reduces the excess capacity of the military. The Department of Defense […]

Read More…

A New Framework for U.S. Policy in the Sahel (Marcellus Policy Analysis)

By John Ramming Chappell, Spring 2021 Marcellus Policy Fellow American foreign policy in the Sahel has not worked. Counterterrorism has predominated the U.S. approach to the region since 2001, resulting in a policy focused on security assistance and military cooperation. However, the influence of Salafi-jihadist groups in the region has markedly increased, civilian fatalities have […]

Read More…

Introducing the Winners of the 2021 Student Foreign Policy Essay Contest

The John Quincy Adams Society and The National Interest are pleased to announce the following winners in our 2021 Student Foreign Policy Essay Contest. This year’s contest offered students a choice of three prompts, all of them either being ripped from the headlines or related to relevant U.S. foreign policy issues. Our first prize winner […]

Read More…