Assessing American Alliances

A common view in Washington is that America’s global network of alliances and strategic partnerships is a source of strength and global influence and is integral for fostering global peace and stability. This project explores that assumption, testing whether alliances – often seen as a core component of U.S. grand strategy – actually advance U.S. security and prosperity. By surfacing a set of questions and research topics that scrutinize the assumptions about alliances and partnerships underlying U.S. foreign policy, this project opens a space for a broader discussion about the potential risks and rewards of changing the U.S. approach to alliances to one better suited to the twenty-first century, and better grounded in realism and restraint.