Project
The Red Cell
A devil’s advocate approach to US foreign policy that puts forward innovative solutions and unorthodox thinking about America’s role in the world
About the Project
The Red Cell project brings scholars together to question prevailing beliefs in US foreign policy and propose alternative approaches. Through policy memos, the Red Cell dissects key issues of US grand strategy for policymakers and alerts them to overlooked problems and solutions.
Research & Writing
Policy Memo
The United States’ current research and development approach is jeopardizing its future leadership in science and technology.
March 23, 2026
Policy Memo
Safeguards must be put in place to prevent AI from eroding accountability and critical reasoning — the core of American democracy.
March 2, 2026
Policy Memo
Success in the AI race will not be determined by speed, but through public trust and safety.
January 27, 2026
Policy Memo
Public-private partnerships will play a pivotal role in ensuring AI is harnessed as a powerful tool for modern threat reduction.
January 15, 2026
Policy Memo
With increasing influence from China and Russia, the U.S. cannot afford to overlook long-term investment in Africa.
December 8, 2025
Policy Memo
With increasing influence from China and Russia, the U.S. cannot afford to overlook long-term investment in Africa.
November 20, 2025
Policy Memo
Exploring what is at stake as governments across the Global South grapple with the complexities of a growing youth population.
October 28, 2025
Policy Memo
While it is unclear how revolutions start, current trends of populism, violence, and distrust could be an indicator.
October 22, 2025
Policy Memo
The relentless pursuit of artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, challenging our ethics, and redefining what it means to be human. But what does the AI race mean for geopolitics?
October 2, 2025
Policy Memo
Exploring recent trends and perceptions on AI in the workplace and what they might mean for the future of work.
September 2, 2025
Policy Memo
Exploring the accelerating global race for AI dominance.
August 12, 2025
Policy Memo
Waiting for comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) regulation poses serious risks.
July 25, 2025
Policy Memo
Sustaining U.S. leadership in an emerging bipolar order will require balancing strategic ambition with restraint—and ensuring that infrastructure serves as a tool of influence, not coercion.
July 18, 2025
Policy Memo
Donald Trump’s successor, whomever it may be, will find it difficult to restore US global leadership in 2029.
June 5, 2025
Policy Memo
A pair of scenarios proposes the next four years of diminishing US leadership capacity in an increasingly multipolar world – and the rise of strategic cooperation.
May 19, 2025
Policy Memo
There is more to Russia’s future than endless conflict with the West or an overreliance on China.
April 16, 2025
Policy Memo
Decentralized AI governance promotes agility and innovation but also comes with the risk of inadequate federal safety regulations.
March 13, 2025
Policy Memo
Why such hybrid AI and human red teams are needed should now be clear.
March 3, 2025
Policy Memo
The use of AI in combating human trafficking is not black and white, despite an overwhelming anti-technology sentiment.
January 31, 2025
Policy Memo
As the limits of U.S. power became more obvious, the Biden administration sought to perpetuate a fading primacy.
November 19, 2024
Policy Memo
Trump and his hyperbolic nationalism could be the spark that fuels Europe’s desire to renew itself for the next generation.
September 27, 2024
Policy Memo
Incompatible understandings among great powers of fostering peace and security have contributed to increased instability and fragility in poorer countries.
September 3, 2024
Policy Memo
While de-escalation of the Ukraine War seems near – it is unclear what sustained peace in the region will look like.
August 9, 2024
Policy Memo
Unfortunately, the U.S. path is set—Washington needs to change direction before the rest of the world makes other plans
July 29, 2024
Policy Memo
It is unclear whether decision-makers in major powers grasp the costs of zero-sum competition, rendering cooperation on global challenges elusive.
July 3, 2024
Policy Memo
Revisiting, reinvigorating, and revamping DoD’s “E” capabilities in the DIME construct is critical to addressing adversaries already waging economic warfare
May 31, 2024
Policy Memo
The assumption that a “new Washington consensus” will build a more stable and prosperous world is flawed.
April 25, 2024
Policy Memo
Multi-aligned middle power countries have growing regional and global influence today and may become stronger allies in the future
March 21, 2024
Policy Memo
Examining the possible outcomes of the war in Ukraine, two years on
February 22, 2024
Policy Memo
The overuse of terms like “inflection point” clouds strategic thinking and the application of past lessons.
February 20, 2024
Policy Memo
U.S. export controls on certain technologies might do more harm than good, giving China an incentive to develop indigenous capabilities.
February 6, 2024
Policy Memo
The United States could have a competitive edge over China in immigration if it changed its approach and could restore its global reputation.
February 1, 2024
Policy Memo
The global economy would face devastating consequences in a US-China clash even with actions short of direct conventional conflict
January 9, 2024
Policy Memo
Assumption: China’s military buildup and “gray-zone” coercion means it will be more effective in dominating its neighbors and achieving its goals.
December 19, 2023
Policy Memo
To advance research in biotechnology and AI, the private and public sectors must take actions to remedy perceptions of benevolence, competence, and integrity.
November 20, 2023
Policy Memo
A Trump victory in the 2024 presidential election would present both old and new challenges for the international liberal order.
November 6, 2023
Policy Memo
Conventional Washington wisdom holds that Beijing’s best strategy toward Taiwan is an imminent D-Day-type assault and conflict with the US.
October 27, 2023
Policy Memo
It is a risk to assume Putin’s successor would be more likely to end the war in Ukraine or more likely to espouse liberal values.
October 19, 2023
Policy Memo
Exploring alternatives to infrastructure-led development in Africa based on the experience of some African states
September 1, 2023
Policy Memo
As national security concerns focus on Russia and China, the US should maintain a capability to help stabilize fragile states
July 11, 2023
Policy Memo
The Israel Model is the best of the bad options available to guarantee Ukraine’s future security but is not without risks.
July 5, 2023
Policy Memo
Excluding China jeopardizes the rapid achievement of the US’s climate goals
June 16, 2023
Policy Memo
As Artificial Intelligence rapidly advances, there is a growing need for regulation
May 10, 2023
Policy Memo
The Biden administration has embraced multilateralism, but in an increasingly multipolar world, is it the right type?
April 11, 2023
Policy Memo
The pursuit of military dominance through technological superiority, amid rapidly diffusing dual-use technologies, is based on flawed and unproven assumptions.
March 21, 2023
Policy Memo
The United States should avoid narrow bilateral competition with Beijing and better leverage its partners.
February 24, 2023
Policy Memo
The Ukraine war does not prove the viability of perpetual American primacy; it is a multipolar world.
February 7, 2023
Policy Memo
If the West wants to remain relevant in the changing global order, it must pay more attention to the Global South.
December 10, 2022
Policy Memo
For the United States to lead, it needs to rethink how to employ a mix of hard and soft power
December 10, 2022
Project Note
Memos featuring creative and overlooked perspectives on important foreign policy issues
December 9, 2022
Recent Publications
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