Barb Schaepe
SaddleBrooke Great Decisions looks forward to insightful 2025 programs on key U.S. foreign policy issues. Meetings, held on Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m. in the MountainView East Ballroom, run from January through March. Exact dates should be finalized and communicated in December.
Meetings include viewing a Foreign Policy Association documentary film with context provided by a Great Decisions member, discussing issues in a small group, and sharing insights. Beforehand, members can read a subject overview in the briefing book published by the Foreign Policy Association.
Topics and discussion leaders follow. We lack leaders for several topics. If you’d like to lead one of those discussions, contact Sandy Epstein at [email protected].
American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads. Discussion leader: TBD
An exploration of the contours of the U.S. foreign policy debate as it plays out in a world of multiple and escalating crises and domestic polarization.
U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy. Discussion leader: TBD
For most of the postwar era, the U.S. has tied its global leadership to cooperative agendas. Recently, the U.S. has advanced new ideas about trade, technology, industrial policy, competition with China, and the organization of the world economy. What are America’s future options and opportunities as a leader of the world economy?
U.S.-China Relations. Discussion leader: Boyd Bosma
Washington’s relations with Beijing are fraught. Both American political parties have identified China as the country’s preeminent geopolitical challenger. What is driving this deterioration of Sino-American relations, and what are America’s strategic options?
International Cooperation on Climate Change. Discussion leader: TBD
The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. In subsequent meetings, experts and political leaders sought common action. What have these efforts yielded, and what is their future?
The Future of NATO and European Security. Discussion leader: TBD
European security is more uncertain than it has been for decades. What are Europe’s options, and how might developments in Ukraine and America impact its choices? What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas?
AI and American National Security. Discussion leader: Mary Lou Soffa
The AI revolution is the leading edge of a larger high-tech revolution. What are key policy debates in this area, and what are opportunities and limits on global AI rules? What are policy options to secure AI’s benefits and guard against its dangers?
India: Between China, the West, and the Global South. Discussion leader: Mark Schwartz
India is an emerging major power. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location ensures that it will be an influential voice in debates and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? How can Washington work with India?
After Gaza: American Policy in the Middle East. Discussion leader: Sandy McNabb
The Gaza war has brought the region to a crossroads. What are possible outcomes of the war, and how might the United States use its influence to shape a long-term settlement that leaves both Israel and the Palestinians in a better position? What are America’s Middle East interests, and how can it advance them?
The SaddleBrooke Great Decisions website is www.sbgreatdecisions.wordpress.com. The Foreign Policy Association’s website is www.fpa.org.