For the first time in decades, the U.S. is tightening its belt on defense spending. While traditional threats like nuclear and great power conflicts do remain, the post-9/11 challenges of terrorism and counterinsurgency have led to a paradigm shift in the way we think about our national security. Emerging threats like cybersecurity and biowarfare also require new thinking. Do 21st century challenges now pose a greater threat to U.S. national security than traditional threats like nuclear war, naval supremacy and the ability to fight ground wars? Defense in an age of economic uncertainty.
Featured Guests
- David Ignatius, Columnist, The Washington Post
- General James Jones, Former National Security Advisor
- Donald Rumsfeld, Former Secretary of Defense
- Chuck Hagel, Former U.S. Senator, Chairman, Atlantic Council
- Admiral James Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander Europe
- Max Boot, Council on Foreign Relations
- Jonathan Tepperman, Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs
- Robert Kagan, The Brookings Institution
- Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University
- General Richard Meyers, Former Head of Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group
- Trita Parsi, Founder and President, National Iranian American Council
- Barney Frank, U.S. Congressman
- Laurie Garrett, Council on Foreign Relations
- Micah Zenko, Council on Foreign Relations
- Danielle Pletka, American Enterprise Institute
- Richard Lugar, Former Republican Senator
- Tom Ridge, Former Secretary of Homeland Security
- Will McCants, Johns Hopkins University
- Doug Bandow, Cato Institute
What to Read
- America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy by Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, David Ignatius
- Wired For War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21stCentury by P.W. Singer
- Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It by Richard A. Clarke, Robert Knake
- National Security for a New Era (4th Edition) by Donald M. Snow
- Budgeting for Hard Power: Defense and Security Spending Under Barack Obama by Michael O’Hanlon
Organizations
- United States Department of Defense
- Boeing – Defense, Space and Security
- International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Congressional Budget Office – Defense Budget
- RAND Corporation – National Defense Research Institute
- Department of Homeland Security
- Brookings Institute – Defense and Security
- National Security Agency
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Center for Strategic and International Studies