In his new book, Stewart Patrick says that sovereignty is “one of the most frequently invoked, polemical, and misunderstood concepts in politics.” Some see sovereignty as requiring the avoidance of international attachments while others see preservation of sovereignty in steering global forces in a positive direction, particularly in tackling transnational problems like proliferation, terrorism, global pandemics, and climate change. How best to advance US national interests will be the focus of Patrick’s talk. He is director of the International Institutions and Governance Program at the Council on Foreign Relations.