The Vineyard Haven Public Library's annual foreign policy reading and discussion group begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, February 6th and will meet weekly for a total of eight sessions. Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. In advance of each meeting, participants read one article and watch a 30-minute video on a particular topic that has been chosen by a panel of foreign policy experts.
The dates and topics for 2025 are below. Note that February meetings will take place in the library with a Zoom option, while March meetings will likely be entirely virtual.
Session #1: 6 pm, Thursday, February 6th, in-person and via Zoom
American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads (Author: G. John Ikenberry)
The U.S., polarized and divided, faces a world overflowing with challenges, dangers, and uncertainties. Conflict and disorder have become the defining features of world politics. 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
Session #2: 6 pm, Thursday, February 13th, in-person and via Zoom
U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy (Author: 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 postwar 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?
Session #3: 6 pm, Thursday, February 20th, in-person and via Zoom
U.S.-China Relations (Author: 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?
Session #4: 6 pm, Thursday, February 27th, in-person and via Zoom
India: Between China, the West, and the Global South (Author: 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?
Session #5: 6 pm, Thursday, March 6th, via Zoom only
International Cooperation on Climate Change (Author: Josh Busby)
The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored 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?
Session #6: 6 pm, Thursday, March 6th, via Zoom only
The Future of NATO and European Security (Author: 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?
Session #7: 6 pm, Thursday, March 6th, via Zoom only
AI and American National Security (Author: 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?
Session #8: 6 pm, Thursday, March 6th, via Zoom only
American Foreign Policy in the Middle East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead (Author: 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?
Interested patrons may register here. Limited to 25 participants. Discounted briefing books are available for purchase at the library for $25, payable to the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. Copies of the briefing book are also available for in-library use at no charge. Alternatively, participants may purchase a copy on the Foreign Policy Association's website here.
One week prior to each session, we will send all registrants an email indicating which article to read in the briefing book and providing a link to watch the video segment for the week. We will also provide a Zoom link for those participating virtually.
This discussion group series is made possible by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. For more information, please contact the library at (508) 696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.
