U.S. Power and Principle

America's post–World War II calculus guiding the relationship between power and principle has shifted dramatically. The result is a moment in which U.S. leaders may no longer be asking a vital question at the intersection of ethics and international relations: power, but to what end?  In this conversation for the "Values & Interests" series, James Story, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discuss the new dynamic between U.S. power and principle. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts. Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast Stock media provided by four_track.

The adoption of AI agents is expanding rapidly, particularly within multilateral and diplomatic spaces. Such integration presents a myriad of new ethical questions and challenges for both the practitioners of today and next-gen leaders. In this "Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice" event, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, New York State's chief AI officer, leads a discussion on this pressing issue. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-ai-agents Stock media provided by four_track.

In a fracturing world awash with belligerent rhetoric, where are the real geopolitical pressure points and what forces are driving them? Aarathi Krishnan, CEO of Raksha Intelligence Futures, joins the "Values & Interests" podcast to pull back the curtain on the political, economic, and technological dynamics shaping this moment of uncertainty and transition in the global system. Be sure to subscribe to "Carnegie Council" wherever you stream your podcasts. Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast For additional analysis, you can access Raksha's latest report: https://www.rak-sha.com/geopolitical-fractures-report-2026 Stock media provided by four_track.

What is fueling the post-truth era in American politics, and why is it working? Professor Mathias Risse of the Harvard Kennedy School argues that "gaslighting"—"persuasion through systematic besmirching, belittling, and the inversion of shared norms"—has become a dominant rhetorical force in American politics. Embraced by leaders such as Donald Trump and JD Vance, this disingenuous approach erodes the very fabric of civic life and good-faith exchange—two essential pillars for a functioning democracy. In this episode, host Kevin Maloney and Professor Risse explore: How does gaslighting work? Why is it so effective? And what are the short- and long-term impacts on the United States?  Access all "Values & Interests" episodes: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-podcast More on gaslighting from Professor Risse: https://carnegiecouncil.co/eia-gaslighting-risse Stock media provided by four_track.

In this "Ethical Article," Alex Woodson reviews Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning film "One Battle After Another." He discusses gender roles, white supremacy, and the motivations of revolutionaries. To read this article, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-on-film-one-battle

For decades, America couched its foreign policy not only in the language of interests, but in universal values such as freedom and human rights. But what happens when that moral framing of liberal values falls away? From the streets of Caracas to the skies over Tehran, U.S. power is no longer justified through a narrative of liberal internationalism or advanced via appeals—even performative ones—to institutions such as the UN. Instead, Trump 2.0 has embraced a more explicit "might makes right" approach that rejects universality and leans into civilizational conflict between the West and the rest. Matias Spektor, professor and dean at Fundação Getulio Vargas's (FGV) School of International Relations, joins the Values & Interests podcast to examine the consequences of this shift in American power—and how U.S. foreign policy is being interpreted across the Global South, where many have long pointed to a gap between U.S. principles and its practices on the world stage. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-spektor

Since the establishment of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, space has been understood to be a "global commons" in which no country has sovereignty. But today, with over 90 countries and dozens of private companies operating in space—with the backdrop of a challenging and dangerous geopolitical environment on Earth—can actors still be expected to proceed "for the benefit of all"? In this Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice convening, an expert panel grapples with ethical questions on governance, militarization, and emerging technology in space. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-space-matters

Since the establishment of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, space has been understood to be a "global commons" in which no country has sovereignty. But today, with over 90 countries and dozens of private companies operating in space—with the backdrop of a challenging and dangerous geopolitical environment on Earth—can actors still be expected to proceed "for the benefit of all"? In this Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice convening, an expert panel grapples with ethical questions on governance, militarization, and emerging technology in space. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-space-matters

Realism—the international relations theory centered on power, national interests, and anarchy—is having a political moment. From the halls of the Munich Security Conference to the pages of the U.S. National Security Strategy, "realism" has taken center stage in debates about U.S. foreign policy. But what does realism actually mean in a historical context, and how is it being applied today? Paul Poast, associate professor at The University of Chicago and nonresident fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, joins the "Values & Interests" podcast to unpack the intellectual roots of realism, how the theory migrated into policy circles, and why today's geopolitical actors—including the Trump administration—are eager to brand their foreign policy as "pure realism." For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-poast

As moral relativists try to sanitize Trump's transgressive policies, Canada's Prime Minister Carney warns, "We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition." Listen to Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal in this "Ethical Article." To read this article, pleae go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/moral-rupture-rosenthal