Anne Marie Slaughter CEO – New America Foundation
At the UN in September 2021 President Biden laid out his aspiration to renew America’s global leadership, announcing “America is Back.” Taking a broad view of national security, he moved beyond the traditional issue of territorial integrity to include health, climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, notably re-engagement with Iran, counterterrorism, conflict prevention, developing country infrastructure, food security, equality and anti-corruption. He also made clear his intent to pursue a framework of universalism and institutionalism.
Bringing America back will be a significant challenge. As our May speaker has written:
Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has eroded the country’s relationships with its allies and impeded its ability to confront increasingly complex global challenges.
The Ukraine crisis has given added impetus to the administration’s efforts to revitalize international relations and institutions, offering a compelling common challenge and highlighting the depth of America’s strengths: natural resources, economic clout, intellectual leadership.
Anne-Marie Slaughter is well positioned to address the question “Is America Back?”. She is the CEO of New America, a think and action tank. From 2009–2011, she served as director of policy planning for the United States Department of State. Upon leaving the State Department she received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award, as well as meritorious service awards from USAID and the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. Prior to her government service, Dr. Slaughter was the Dean of Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School) from 2002–2009 and a Professor at Harvard Law School from 1994-2002.
Dr. Slaughter has written or edited eight books, including The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World (2017), Unfinished Business: Women, Men, Work, Family (2015), The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World (2007), and A New World Order (2004), as well as over 100 scholarly articles. She was the convener and academic co-chair, of the Princeton Project on National Security. Foreign Policy magazine named her to their annual list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
A native of Charlottesville, Dr. Slaughter received a B.A. from Princeton, an M.Phil and D.Phil in international relations from Oxford and a J.D. from Harvard.