Center for American Progress

Donate

National Security

A threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere. Over the past decade, we have seen consistent and sustained attacks on democracies globally—most egregiously, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—threatening cooperative progress on climate action, migration, food security, and shared prosperity. The Center for American Progress is committed to putting forward a progressive vision for a new era of U.S. engagement internationally. We believe national security goes beyond mere military power; it encompasses the need for a greater global response to complex crises, while also pushing for a new model for America’s economic and political competitiveness in the world. Critical U.S. foreign policy actions must be values-driven and mutually reinforcing with domestic priorities to advance an agenda of reform and renewal.

So, when we advocate for a more productive global ecosystem of accountability, we also analyze U.S. tax havens and financial loopholes. When we join the call for ambitious global action to tackle the climate crisis, we push for more robust emission reduction at home. And when we advocate for others to meet the moment, we acknowledge the weight of the United States in multilateral institutions and push for productive action instead of empty promises. At CAP, we know that America prides itself on being a leader, so we choose to advance a leadership agenda on the things that matter: promoting shared global prosperity, confronting climate change, and building resilient communities equipped to weather the storms ahead.

U.S. and other national flags fly outside NATO headquarters.
U.S. and other national flags fly outside NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 11, 2020. (Getty/Thierry Monasse)
Related Team
National Security and International Policy

Featured Experts

More Experts

Latest

Compact View

  • Filter by
  • Type
    • Type
    Show Results
  • Date
    • Date
    • Date

    • to

    Custom range Fixed range
  • Topic
    • Topic
    Show Results
  • State
    • State
    Show Results
  • Toggle Search

  • 431 Results

Clear filters

The President’s $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Will Not Make the Country Safer Article
The Pentagon seal, showing the building, with

The President’s $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Will Not Make the Country Safer

To protect national security, the United States needs a strategic and disciplined approach to defense spending—not the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion budget, which fails to match resources to strategy, needlessly inviting waste and increasing the deficit.

Allison McManus, Michael Schiffer, Steven Kosiak

2026 CAP IDEAS Conference Past Event

2026 CAP IDEAS Conference

The Center for American Progress’ signature event, now celebrating its 15th year, where CAP convenes the big thinkers and doers on the center-left for a day of not only identifying the problems facing Americans, but also sharing solutions to improve the lives of all Americans.

Online via Zoom

How Trump’s $500 Million UAE Crypto Deal Trades U.S. National Security for Family Profit Article
Trump walking up stairs to plane

How Trump’s $500 Million UAE Crypto Deal Trades U.S. National Security for Family Profit

Days before Trump’s second inauguration, the United Arab Emirates’ “Spy Sheikh” secretly bought 49 percent of the Trump family’s crypto firm. Months later, the administration handed over America’s most sensitive AI chips technology to the United Arab Emirates despite national security concerns. This isn’t just profiteering; it’s a betrayal of U.S. national security.

Allison McManus, Andrew Miller, Dan Herman

India’s Elections and Global Implications Past Event

India’s Elections and Global Implications

Please join the Center for American Progress and Hindus for Human Rights for a panel of democracy and foreign policy experts shedding light on the recent elections, the significance for India's global ambitions, and implications for future U.S.-India relations.

Online only

Orbán Is Gone, But Europe’s Divisions Remain Article
The Hungarian Parliament Building is seen following a resounding Tisza Party win on April 12, 2026.

Orbán Is Gone, But Europe’s Divisions Remain

Viktor Orbán’s political demise in Hungary is forcing the European Union to confront its internal divisions more directly than it has in years.

Luke Zahner

An EU-China bridge is designed to crumble In the News

An EU-China bridge is designed to crumble

In an op-ed published by Euractiv, Robert Benson explains why Europe should not let its prosperity be contingent on Beijing’s tolerance.

Euractiv

Robert Benson

The U.S.-Israeli War: Destabilizing Lebanon and the Broader Region Past Event

The U.S.-Israeli War: Destabilizing Lebanon and the Broader Region

Please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual conversation with expert panelists based in the region who will explore the regional political, security, and humanitarian dynamics of the U.S.-Israeli war, with a particular focus on Lebanon.

Online via Zoom

The Dangers of Hegseth’s “Warfighter” Ethos In the News

The Dangers of Hegseth’s “Warfighter” Ethos

In an op-ed for Just Security, Allison McManus outlines the dangers of Pete Hegseth's approach to foreign policy, arguing its "maximum lethality" ethos fails to leverage the real strengths of the U.S. armed forces.

Just Security

Allison McManus

Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Is Killing Whales Under the Guise of National Security Article
The sun sets behind an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Is Killing Whales Under the Guise of National Security

Under the pretense of national security, and amid a self-inflicted energy crisis of President Trump’s own making, the administration’s “God Squad” has exempted all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities from the Endangered Species Act, risking the extinction of critically endangered species such as the Rice’s whale.

Angelo Villagomez, Margaret Cooney

Congress Must Stop Prediction Market Corruption Article
Prediction market sites are shown on electronic devices.

Congress Must Stop Prediction Market Corruption

Recent reports of prediction market bets made ahead of surprise government actions point to potentially corrupt use of insider information for personal profit. Congress must put an end to this practice.

Alexandra Thornton

Regional Recalibration After the Iran Strikes Article

Regional Recalibration After the Iran Strikes

President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran has upended a careful balance regional actors have long sought to strike between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

H.A. Hellyer

Trump’s Short-Sighted Africa Strategy Article

Trump’s Short-Sighted Africa Strategy

The Trump administration views the African continent as “peripheral” to U.S. interests—a gross strategic miscalculation that will set back America’s security, competitiveness, and influence in the years to come.

Melissa Zelikoff

The Trump Administration’s Trade Deals Are the Epitome of Corporate-Style ‘Short-Termism’ in Foreign Policy, and the American People Will Pay the Price for Years To Come Article
The presidential podium in front of curtains

The Trump Administration’s Trade Deals Are the Epitome of Corporate-Style ‘Short-Termism’ in Foreign Policy, and the American People Will Pay the Price for Years To Come

The lasting consequences of the Trump administration’s trade policy demonstrate the cost of headline-chasing leadership.

Ryan Mulholland

An Update on Military Actions in Iran Past Event
President Donald Trump tours the assembly line at the Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan.

An Update on Military Actions in Iran

CAP experts are ready to fill you in on the details and repercussions of military actions in Iran.

Online via Zoom

Load More

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Default Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Variable Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.