Published August 3, 2026
The postwar international order rested on American economic strength, military power, and a network of institutions and alliances designed for the Cold War. As new threats emerged and global power shifted, the assumptions guiding US foreign policy became increasingly contested, while interventions abroad and political divisions at home weakened public confidence in the prevailing approach. By 2016, Donald Trump’s campaign was advancing a different framework to alliances, sovereignty, and America’s role in the world.
Check out more on the topic:
Learn more about Kiron K. Skinner here.
Recorded on August 14, 2025.
____________
The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
Articles
Strategika Issue 108 is now available online. Strategika is an online journal that analyzes ongoing issues of national security in light of conflicts of the past—the efforts of the Military History Working Group of historians, analysts, and military personnel focusing on military history and contemporary conflict.
November 10, 2026
Articles
The 2025 National Security Strategy has ignited debates about several distinctive assertions, especially the choice of giving priority to the Western Hemisphere, thereby correcting the insufficient attention Washington has long paid to Latin America. In addition, the document may indicate a softening of the perception of China, and it repeats the appeal to European allies to do more for their own defense. Of particular note, furthermore, is the identification of culture as a dimension of security.
October 23, 2026
Articles
The president’s admiration for the Russian dictator erodes American interests and values.
October 23, 2026
