America's Global Role

Answers to the questions on what comes next, from the Iran war to the midterm elections.

"I think President Trump had overestimated how much he could achieve militarily. And I think Iran might now be overestimating what it can achieve diplomatically based on the cycle that we're in," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai tells NPR.

Trump can disrupt wars and force pauses but has yet to close one. The gap is creating space for middle powers—and an opening for China.

Rachel Bronson explains how the deal's uranium enrichment terms and apparent bypass of IAEA oversight break from past US nuclear agreements—and what precedent that sets.

"There are concrete steps that internationalist nations can take to staunch the erosion of global norms and set the stage for a stronger future," Council Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes.

Trump can disrupt wars and force pauses but has yet to close one. The gap is creating space for middle powers—and an opening for China.

Britain's new prime minister inherits an economy that has struggled to grow for years, with less room to maneuver in an increasingly competitive world. Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett explains what's holding Britain back and what it will take to get growth moving again.

"This meeting really moves the needle in a very serious way [and] makes it clear that he is prepared to be a statesperson on the biggest issues of war and peace," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells BBC News.

From Sing Sing prison to Mar-a-Lago, The Economist's John Prideaux traveled across the country to find out what America looks like at 250.

Watch how the Council is leading the conversations that will define what comes next.

At 250, America is attempting to redefine its position in the global system. Can it convince others to follow?

Allies are not planning for the return of a past iteration of the United States. It would behoove Americans to start doing the same.