In her lecture “Disorder, Disruption, and Domestic Turmoil: What are the Global Implications of America's Troubled Polity?”, Prof. Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri, President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, delivered a captivating account of the United States’ place in world politics under Donald Trump’s leadership. She stressed the concerning trajectory of the USA and its foreign policy, mentioning the president’s rejection of the three tenets of the rules-based international order: multilateralism, free trade and democracy. While she conceded that some of these developments might be here to stay, she argued against the notion that we are on a fixed path towards illiberalism. The current situation and future developments are not inevitable. Agency matters, and the future world order depends on the actions and decisions of officials and the public alike.

The lecture gave the audience a lot to think about, and the subsequent discussion was a wonderful opportunity to engage with a distinguished expert in international affairs.

The next lecture, “State of the Dis-Union at 250: What Is American Democracy Now and Where Is It Headed?”, will be given on 11th November by Amy Greene, Senior Fellow for American Politics at the Institut Montaigne.

250 Years of the United States: Public Lecture Series