Foreign Policy in Focus

Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF) is a “think tank without walls” connecting the research and action of more than 600 scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the United States a more responsible global partner.

FPIF provides timely analysis of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs and recommends policy alternatives. We believe U.S. security and world stability are best advanced through a commitment to peace, justice, and environmental protection, as well as economic, political, and social rights. We advocate that diplomatic solutions, global cooperation, and grassroots participation guide foreign policy.

FPIF aims to amplify the voice of progressives and to build links with social movements in the U.S. and around the world. Through these connections, we advance and influence debate and discussion among academics, activists, policy-makers, and the general public.

Latest Work

The Break-Up?

Are the United States and Israel heading toward a divorce?

The Return of Terrorism

In the wake of the terrorist attack in Moscow, Vladimir Putin is making the same mistakes that George W. Bush did after September 11.

The Critical Missing Piece from the U.S. Energy Transition

Competition with China over minerals is meaningless if the prize is a dead planet.

Destroying the Lawn in Gaza

Time is running out to save Palestinians and the possibility of a Palestinian state.

Internationalism, the Donald Trump Way

A second Trump presidency would bolster dangerous militarism and imperial brinksmanship

The Foreign Policy Issue That Could Decide the U.S. Presidential Election

Leading Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to look “tough” on immigration.

Gaza: Grand Bargain or Wider War?

The United States can go big on diplomacy or on military destruction. Which way will Biden lean?

How to Deal with an Insurrectionist

Brazilian authorities are going after Jair Bolsonaro and his top supporters for their failed attempt to overthrow the country’s democracy.

Are North Korea’s Latest Threats Rhetorical or Real?

It’s not too late for the United States and South Korea to offer Kim Jong Un an offramp from the conflict he has yet to initiate.

The End of Europe

Trump allies are plotting to take over the European Union.

What’s Going to Happen to Taiwan?

After the invasions of Ukraine and Gaza, do borders still mean anything to powerful countries?

Labor and Green Colonialism in the Global South

What will happen to workers in the transition to clean energy?

A Crack in a 75-Year-Old Wall of Impunity: South Africa Challenges Israeli Genocide in Court

South Africa’s painstakingly compiled genocide case against the Israeli government isn’t just an important legal document — it’s a rallying cry for civil society.

Guatemala and El Salvador: Contradictions of International Support

In stark contrast to the international response to defend the democratic process in Guatemala, there is a deafening silence regarding the erosion of democracy and human rights in El Salvador.

The Horrors of Gaza

Any solution to the current crisis must put Palestinians at the center of decision-making.

The Horrors of Gaza

Any solution to the current crisis must put Palestinians at the center of decision-making.

Rescuing Realpolitik from Henry Kissinger

Kissinger is gone. Let’s put to rest his toxic legacy as well by purging geopolitics of his antiquated notions of amorality.

The Return of the Far Right

The recent electoral victories of Javier Milei in Argentina and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands suggest that the world has not yet reached peak populism.

Mapping the Impact and Conflicts of Rare-Earth Elements

A new map and report explore the challenges for a green and digital transition.

Telling the Complex History of Korea’s Occupation

Hwang Sok-Yong’s novel Mater 2-10 chronicles Korean resistance to–and collaboration with–Japanese occupation.