STEADFAST commitment to its founding principles of liberty and the rule of law—together with a fortuitous geography, natural endowments, and continuously reinvigorated human capital—helped propel the United States to the position of the most powerful nation on Earth. Its distinct contributions to the tumultuous events of the twentieth century led to humanity’s victory over Nazism and the decisive outcome of the Cold War.
THE momentous atmosphere that surrounded the fall of the Berlin Wall gave rise to the illusion of the end of history. Yet at the onset of the third millennium, we seem to have entered into a most profound and all-encompassing period of global transformation. Spheres of influence are being remade as political, economic, and social relationships continue to shift in a growing number of theatres around the world—from Eurasia and the Middle East, to the Pacific Rim and Africa.
ENSURING peace, stability, and continued human progress under such conditions will require more intense international cooperation. The imperative for concerted multilateral engagement has acquired a new urgency in our time—in no small part due to the unprecedented threat of climate change, as well as the rising levels of inequality both between and within states.
BUT so has the need for prudent and decisive leadership by the great powers—beginning with the United States, which by any measure remains the world’s most significant geopolitical actor. The way the giant chooses to respond to the rising number of challenges will make a resolute impact on our lives.
THIS issue of Horizonsis therefore devoted to America, with a series of distinguished authors addressing some of its most pressing foreign and domestic concerns. These include the future of transatlantic and transpacific security and economic arrangements, crucial bilateral relationships, the state of various social and health programs, urban renewal and sustainability, technological innovation, and the need to modernize different infrastructure networks. A number of contributors also examine the corrosive effects of the nation’s bitter partisan divide, including its spillovers into U.S. foreign policymaking.
IT is our hope that the Autumn 2015 edition of our journal will not only help improve global understanding of contemporary political discourse in the United States, but also contribute to the country’s domestic debates—certain to become increasingly vivid as we move closer towards the elections of 2016.
CIRSD Receives High-Level Delegation from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) welcomed a high-level delegation from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) for a strategic meeting aimed at deepening cooperation between the two institutions.
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CIRSD Co-Hosts Horizons Discussion on the Future of Warfare at Cambridge University
On July 15th, the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), in cooperation with the Centre for Geopolitics of Cambridge University, co-hosted a Horizons Discussion entitled “The Future of Warfare.”
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Power Projection in the Digital Age
When people think of geopolitical conflict, they often envision a war room with a map spread across the table—military generals and political leaders maneuvering plastic figurines in strategic formations, reminiscent of the board game Risk.
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Horizons Hosts James Dorsey for a Discussion on Middle East Escalation
The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted an award-winning journalist and scholar Dr. James M. Dorsey for a special Horizons Discussion on June 23rd, 2025. In conversation with Horizons Managing Editor Stefan Antić, Dorsey unpacked the lightning-fast escalation between Israel and Iran, the Trump administration’s divided response, and the wider stakes for regional and great-power politics.
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