Debate over America’s alliances has become one of the most contentious issues in foreign policy today. Though this may seem novel, disagreement over the wisdom of alliances dates back to the nation’s founding. Prior to the Second World War, the Republic preferred to avoid “entangling alliances” and often tried to distance itself from conflicts in Eurasia. But with the onset of the Cold War, the United States formed a global system of alliances central to its grand strategy of containment against communism.

Today, this system of alliances is under greater pressure than ever before. The collapse of the Soviet Union left many questioning the ongoing value of NATO in Europe, yet recent Russian adventurism has led others to see this position as dangerously naïve. In East Asia, China’s military growth has given rise to dueling concerns about the need to contain Chinese expansion and worries about spurring unnecessary conflict with a near-peer adversary. And in the Middle East, America’s relationships are under growing scrutiny.

One thing is clear: more than any other time in recent memory, America’s alliances are up for debate. Please join the Charles Koch Institute and The Brookings Institution for a spirited conversation on the future of U.S. alliances, hosted by the Office of Global Engagement at University of Denver. 

Please join speakers Michael Beckley (Tufts University), Ben Friedman (Defense Priorities), David Hendrickson (Colorado College), and Torrey Taussig (Brookings Institution) for a spirited conversation on this vital topic moderated by former Ambassador Christopher Hill (University of Denver).

University of Denver
2201 S. Gaylord St., 5th Floor
Denver, CO 80208

Parking will be sent out in advance of the event from the Office of Global Engagement.