National Security

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States has embarked upon an ambitious endeavor: containing its two most powerful rivals, China and Russia, at the same time. Central to this strategy is the imperative of...

Capitalists of the world unite! You have everything to lose, especially your supply chains.  Just about a month ago, on June 18, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes was quoted in the Financial Times as saying “We can de-risk, but we...

In the 2010s, the global landscape changed. The Arab Spring, the Russian occupation of Crimea, and China’s national security law in Hong Kong were indicative of a profound change in the global system. The era of the unipolar moment,...

Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series on America’s national security system. The first article considers whether or not the legacy national security system of the United States organized around geographic regions is well-suited for strategic...

In the spring 1958 issue of Orbis, Robert Strausz-Hupé, Alvin J. Cottrell, James E. Dougherty and Virgil Ney grappled with the question of “protracted conflict” as a way to understand the “complex realities with which the statesman and the...

Abstract This article seeks a debate on the future of the US defense posture in the Great Power Competition. It contains a robust list of defense initiatives to consider in improving the US defense posture. Since the United States...

Abstract An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) may be naturally occurring or can be created from the detonation of a nuclear weapon high above the Earth’s surface. Various presidential administrations have grappled with how to best manage risks around EMP threats....

Abstract As Russia’s invasion in Ukraine enters its second year, how is the global system continuing to evolve and change? How is the balance of power and influence shifting? And what might be some of the unexpected developments? Orbis...

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is confident that the debt ceiling deal, negotiated with the White House, will pass in the House, despite some conservative opposition to deficit reductions and work requirement changes in the agreement. The deal...

Editor’s note: This is the first paper in the “Expanding the Focus” series in the National Security Studies program. In May 2023, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan observed that “the future of the United States is going to be...