With the US presidential election less than 100 days away, US-China relations face yet another critical turning point, with both major party candidates emphasizing different trajectories for the relationship. Next year, China faces its own leadership transition at its 19th Party Congress, which likely will result in the largest turnover on the Central Committee in the past four decades. According to the 2015 Chicago Council Survey, there is a trust deficit in US-China relations: just 34% of Americans express confidence in China to deal responsibly with world problems, and only 46% of Chinese say the same about the United States. What are the most important issues and policy implications in both of these upcoming leadership transitions? Please join the Council on Global Affairs and Cheng Li for a discussion on the future of US-China relations.

Immigration policy and its implications for national security have dominated the 2016 presidential election debates. How should policymakers balance their concerns for threats with pragmatic solutions? What are the future risks—and benefits--of possible reforms?

There are over 15,000 nuclear weapons in existence today – down from over 70,000 in 1986. Though the threat of a nation using one of these catastrophic weapons has lowered, chances of an accident are still considerable. Eric Schlosser spent six years investigating the current US nuclear arsenal – and its command and control system – to get a deeper sense of how nuclear risks in the post-Cold War era are mitigated. What did we learn from the near disasters of the past? Have the risks of an accident been lessened or just forgotten?

Iran’s politics are in flux. At home, moderates gained ground over more conservative candidates during this year’s parliamentary elections. Yet tensions remain high among the different factions—in advance of the presidential election next May. Abroad, Iran continues to play a significant and increasingly complex role in the geopolitics of the wider region. Moreover, the lifting of Western sanctions has the potential to further change the country’s political and social landscape, as well as regional dynamics. What does the future hold for Iran’s domestic politics and what are the implications for its foreign policy? And with the US election around the corner, how will a new US presidency impact Iran, its role in the region, and bilateral relations?

During the heated 2016 presidential campaign―with America’s global leadership increasingly challenged and its domestic politics gridlocked―voters may have the impression that the country faces almost insurmountable crises. But governments across the world have developed effective and proven solutions to similar, pervasive challenges, argues Jonathan Tepperman. Projects like Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program and Indonesia’s campaign against extremism demonstrate that constructive change is possible even in the most fraught of circumstances. How can America’s next president apply other nations’ policy “fixes” to enhance the nation’s security and prosperity?

Sept. 27, 2016 - Albania and the Western Balkans: A European Future? by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Sept. 26, 2016 - Global Migration and Its Implications by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Sept. 23, 2016 - Rebalancing Immigration and Security by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

The collapse of the subprime loan market, the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and the emergence of ISIS are all crises that governments, businesses, or society failed to recognize or anticipate. According to Michele Wucker these were not random and unforeseen “black swan” catastrophes, but rather predictable, solvable, and often avoidable, “gray rhino” events. Why do we consistently neglect such obvious dangers? And what do gray rhinos reveal about our attitude to risk?

NYT's White House correspondent Mark Landler examines the complicated relationship between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and explains the implications of Obama's legacy on a possible Clinton presidency.