On the Best and Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions
16 January 2026

On the Best and Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions

CFR On the Record

About

For two-and-a-half centuries, the United States has faced a challenging world. Some of its responses have made Americans proud. Others have not. CFR asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations what they considered the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions. In this episode, panelists discuss the results of the project and the evolution of America’s role in the world.


 


Host: David M. Rubenstein, Cofounder and Cochairman, The Carlyle Group; Chairman, Board of Directors, CFR


 


Guests: Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law; CFR Member


 


James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR


 


Christopher M. Nichols, Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies and Professor of History, The Ohio State University


 


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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: America at 250 Series: The Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy