The League-sponsored Great Decisions discussion group is assessing continuing in 2025, dependent on
sufficient interest. The group meets from March through October and each month discusses a chapter from
the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions booklet. The books are available at the FPA website (https://
www.fpa.org/great_decisions) and cost $35 plus shipping, handling and tax. We meet at 10:00 a.m. on the first
Thursday of the month, via Zoom, for approximately two hours. The topics for 2025 are listed below and are
always relevant to world events. Consider joining for some or all of the sessions.

Great Decisions 2025 Topics

American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads, G. John Ikenberry. This chapter will explore the contours of the
U.S. foreign policy debate as it plays out in a world of multiple and escalating crises and domestic polarization.

U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy, Daniel Drezner. Under President Biden, the U.S. has
advanced new ideas about trade, technology, industrial policy, competition with China, and the organization
of the world economy. For most of the post-war era, the U.S. has tied its global leadership to cooperative
agendas aimed at creating a more open world trading system, but that has apparently come to an end. What
are America’s options and opportunities as a leader of the world economy? How will America’s “foreign policy
for the middle class” and strategic competition with China impact its leadership role? How can the postwar rules and institutions of the world economy be made safe for economic nationalism and great power
competition?

U.S.-China Relations, Thomas J. Christensen. Washington’s relations with Beijing have reached an ominous
low ebb. Both American political parties have identified China as the country’s preeminent geopolitical
challenger and, in the eyes of many, a systemic threat. What is driving this deterioration of Sino-American
relations, and what are America’s strategic options in the face of Chinese power and ambition?

India: Between China, the West, and the Global South, Leslie Vinjamuri. India is an emerging major
power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South.
Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location ensure that it will be an influential voice in debates
and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global
leadership? How will it maneuver between China and the United States, and what is its role as a voice of the
Global South? What opportunities exist for Washington to work with India?

International Cooperation on Climate Change, Josh Busby. The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UNsponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. In subsequent COP meetings,
experts and political leaders have come together seeking common cause for this growing global crisis. What
is the future of these efforts, and what have they yielded? What is the U.S. role in fostering cooperation on
climate change? In a divided country, what are the possible futures for American policy leadership?

The Future of NATO and European Security, Kori Schake. European security is more uncertain than it has
been for decades. Putin’s Russia has launched a war with Ukraine on its doorstep, and America’s uncertain
role as leader of NATO and security provider has been called into question with the failure of Congress to pass
supplemental military support for Ukraine. What are Europe’s options, and how might developments on both
sides of Western Europe – in Ukraine and across the Atlantic – impact its choices? What are America’s stakes
in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas?

AI and American National Security, Julie George. The AI revolution is the leading edge of a larger high-tech
revolution, which promises to transform the world. Experts argue that international cooperation is needed to
expand the opportunities these new technologies hold while protecting societies from their dangers. What are
the key policy debates in this area, and what are the opportunities and limits on global AI rules of the road?
How will the AI revolution impact American national security? What are its policy options to secure the benefits
of AI and guard against its dangers?

American Foreign Policy in the Middle East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead, Daniel Kurtzer. The war in
Gaza has brought the region to a crossroads. What are the possible outcomes of the war, and how might the United States use its influence to shape a long-term settlement that leaves both Israel and the Palestinians in
a better position? How might Arab states in the wider region be brought into a settlement? What are America’s
interests in the Middle East and how can it advance them?

Fran Holmes will coordinate the program. Please contact me for further information and/or if you want to be
included.

Fran Holmes, Great Decisions Coordinator