U.S. Foreign Policy
What Democrats can learn from Trump’s approach to the Middle East
President Donald Trump won the 2016 election largely by carrying Rust Belt states and doing especially well with a demographic skeptical of America’s role in the world regarding trade, investment, diplomacy, alliances, and immigration policy. His election has had consequences for U.S. foreign policy, from reducing foreign aid and pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, to imposing highly restrictive immigration policies and questioning numerous alliances. Yet, U.S. foreign policy remains in flux as President Trump’s approach evolves, with the 2018 midterm elections demonstrating that many voters are not satisfied with the direction of the country. This situation provides a rich backdrop for debate, now and in the run-up to the 2020 political season, about how to best advance America’s interests at home and abroad.
On April 5, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) and the Foreign Policy program at The Brookings Institution hosted a discussion on the implications of this complex political environment in which domestic and foreign policy decisions influence each other. The discussion outlined how evidenced-based policy analysis and dialogue can inform a comprehensive U.S. policy. Questions from the audience followed the panel discussions.
Panel I: US voting and US foreign policy: Regional focus
Panel II: US voting and new national security issues
Agenda
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April 5
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Introduction
9:00 am - 9:05 am
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Discussion
9:05 am - 9:30 am
Discussant
Arsalan Suleman Chair - America Indivisible, Nonresident Fellow - Georgetown Institute for the Study of Diplomacy @arsalan_suleman -
Panel I
9:35 am - 10:45 am
This panel will examine the implications of the 2016 election on US regional foreign policies. What are our policies towards these regions today, how have those policies been impacted or changed as a result of the 2016 elections, and how are our foreign policies impacting our domestic policies?
Panelist
Michael E. O’Hanlon Director of Research - Foreign Policy, Director - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy @MichaelEOHanlon
Jeannine Scott Board President - Constituency for Africa
Sylvia Mishra India-US Fellow in Public Interest Technology - New America
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Panel II
10:45 am - 11:55 am
This panel will examine the implications of the 2016 election on US national security issues, including peace building, global health, cybersecurity, terrorism and extremism.
Panelist
Liza Arias Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow - Center for Strategic & International Studies
Daniel Lucey Senior Scholar - O'Neill Institute, Georgetown University
Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley Member - Third Way Cyber Enforcement Initiative Advisory Board @AmbGinaAW
Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim Executive Director - North America for Quilliam International @mfraserrahim -
Closing
11:55 am - 12:00 pm
Michael E. O’Hanlon Director of Research - Foreign Policy, Director - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy @MichaelEOHanlon
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