By Lee H. Hamilton Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who died in December, was rightly celebrated as a trailblazing jurist who brought common sense and moderation to the Supreme Court. She also was a champion of civics education, especially after she retired from the bench. And civics education needs champions in this era of partisanship and… Read more »
Lee Hamilton Column
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #238: Big decisions and American history
By Lee H. Hamilton Big decisions have shaped the United States. We wouldn’t be who we are as a nation without the decisiveness shown by America’s founders and by our leaders in times of crisis. It’s an essential quality of successful countries: the ability to make big, consequential decisions. We can start at the beginning,… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #237: Foreign policy rises in public attention
By Lee H. Hamilton Americans seem to be more interested in foreign policy than usual. Four in 10 U.S. adults named it as an important issue to address in 2024, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. That’s twice as many as a year earlier. That sounds right to… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #236: Bashing China is easy but not always helpful
By Lee H. Hamilton Here’s one thing we can count on in the upcoming election year: American politicians will find ways to criticize China, even if they’re running for jobs that have little to do with U.S. foreign policy. China-bashing is a tried-and-true way to appeal for votes. It’s politically safe: China has few defenders… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #235: Finding the ‘common good’ requires compromise
By Lee H. Hamilton Making decisions about public policy is no simple task. It requires balancing interests, exercising our values and making choices among competing ideas. When we vote, should we favor candidates who will cut taxes or those who will improve services? Should we support a strong American presence in the world or keep… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #234: Kissinger left complex foreign policy legacy
By Lee H. Hamilton Possibly no one had more influence on American foreign policy in the late 20th century than Henry Kissinger, who died last month at age 100. In his long and active career, he advised presidents, carried out policies and initiatives, and was a highly visible figure around the world. While it’s early… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #233: Biden-Xi meeting shows talk matters
By Lee H. Hamilton U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for four hours last month on an estate near San Francisco. That, in and of itself, is important. At a time of serious tensions between the world’s two most powerful countries, maintaining communication is essential. Even if such talks don’t always… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #232: We can fix our broken politics
By Lee. H. Hamiton Americans are fed up with politics. That’s the obvious conclusion of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which found many of us have “unrelentingly negative” views of politics and elected officials. It’s understandable that people are discouraged. There are plenty of reasons to feel that way. I’m not especially… Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #231: Australia is a key U.S. ally
By Lee H. Hamilton Australia may not be the first nation to come to mind when we think about important U.S. allies. It’s on the far side of the globe, an area of the world we often neglect. Its largest city, Sydney, is a 22-hour flight from New York. Most Americans have never traveled there…. Read more »
Hamilton on Foreign Policy #230: As Americans, we have a duty to respond to disasters
By Lee H. Hamilton The earthquakes that struck northwestern Afghanistan this month were devastating and horrific. They caused at least 1,295 deaths and injured at least 1,800 people, according to the United Nations. They compounded a humanitarian crisis that has grown worse since the Taliban took over the country in 2021. Faced with such immense… Read more »