Issues

Defense and Security

Analysis, research, and programming related to acquisition and resources, homeland security, strategy, reconstruction, military/nuclear issues, and terrorism.

Upcoming Events

Citizens and Soldiers: The Future of Civil-Military Relations

Hybrid EVENT
America at 250

Kori Schake and Leslie Vinjamuri discuss the changing relationship between America's citizens and armed forces and what that means for the nation's defense.

Register Today
National Guard soldiers walking in front of capital building, adjacent to civilians
Rahmat Gul / AP
Feb
18
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Past Events

Global Perceptions of US Defense in a Changing World

PAST EVENT

Emerging Leaders and Young Professional members are invited to a lunch and roundtable discussion on the US military with Alex Wagner.

Nov 18
The United States Air Force Thunderbirds perform during the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California, on October 4, 2024.
Eric Thayer / AP

The Middle East on Edge: What's Next for Iran, Israel, and the Region

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Security and Middle East policy experts discuss the Iran-Israel conflict, the current ceasefire, and the status of Iran's nuclear program.

Jul 29
From left to right: Leslie Vinjamuri, Ali Vaez, Robert Pape, and Rachel Bronson on the Council stage.
Ana Miyares Photography
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Commentary

Ten Reasons to Cheer the Arrest of Maduro

Analysis
by Richard W. Porter

"Whether one loves Donald Trump or hates him, this daring operation shows what leadership in the executive branch looks like," Council Board Member Richard Porter writes following the US intervention in Venezuela.

President Donald Trump monitors US military operations in Venezuela with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Molly Riley / The White House via AP
US Foreign Policy

Venezuela and Trump's Vision for the Western Hemisphere

In the News
CNN
Leslie Vinjamuri

"This administration wants to enlist its friends to help secure its dominance in the Western Hemisphere," Leslie Vinjamuri says. "It's also willing to push the boundaries of what we have come to see as normal, expected, legitimate, international behavior in order to secure that dominance."

Leslie Vinjamuri speaks on CNN US Foreign Policy
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Research

Americans Prioritize Using US Troops Defensively

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

The public supports deploying US troops to defend allies, particularly in Europe, but most oppose using them for territorial expansion.

A flag bearer holds the American flag as American forces march down a road
Jane Hahn / AP
Defense and Security

Shared Confidence, Diverging Expectations in the Taiwan Strait

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

Americans and Taiwanese see US power as superior to Beijing’s, and China’s rise as a major threat to both countries. Yet Americans remain more cautious about direct military involvement, even as both sides prefer maintaining the cross-strait status quo.

A Taiwanese military officer salutes to Taiwan's flag
Chiang Ying-ying / AP
Public Opinion
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Experts

Rachel Bronson 

Lester Crown Nonresident Senior Fellow on Energy and Geopolitics
Photo of Rachel Bronson
Expertise
Middle East and North Africa
Defense and Security
US Foreign Policy

Ivo H. Daalder 

President Emeritus, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Headshot of Ivo H. Daalder
Expertise
North America
Europe
Defense and Security
Global Politics
US Foreign Policy
Social Media
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