Today, Emma talks with Julia Gledhill, a research analyst with the National Security Reform Program also at the Stimson Center. Emma and Julia discuss the state of the U.S. defense industry, current proposals for Pentagon acquisition reforms, and how partial nationalization of U.S. defense companies could help remove constraints on strategic decision-making. 

Emma and Julia’s discussion is part of the New Visions for Grand Strategy Project, a collection of essays, videos, and podcasts in which out-of-the box thinkers discuss the future of U.S. foreign policy.

Links:

• Emma Ashford, First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy for a Multipolar World (Yale University Press, 2025)
• Julia Gledhill, “The Ugly Truth about the Permanent War Economy,” The Stimson Center, December 2, 2024
• Julia Gledhill, “Recognizing Reality: The Case for Nationalizing the US Arms Industry“ in New Visions for Grand Strategy, edited by Emma Ashford and Nevada Joan Lee, The Stimson Center. Washington, D.C., USA