U.S. International Leadership: Lessons from the Cold War

Foreign policy during the Cold War served as a model for the U.S. even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but recent years have shown increased dissatisfaction with U.S. international leadership and alliance management—whether you look at Obama's reduction in U.S. commitment to NATO, Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan, or Trump's sharp breaks with NATO and challenges to international trade.

Is international leadership no longer central to US security and prosperity? Or do the costs of leadership simply exceed the benefits? Does the US need to reduce its international role and commitments, or is this reduced international footprint a mistake?

Frank Lavin, who served on President Reagan's National Security Council and White House staff, takes us back to the Reagan era of Cold War foreign policy for an examination of what worked during that period and in what ways might America have fallen short - and discusses why the lessons of that era still might apply today, as different as circumstances might be.

Lavin is the author of numerous books including Inside the Reagan White House: A Front-Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today, copies of which will be available for all attendees. Lunch will be served.

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