The Best and Worst: 250 Years of American Foreign Policy with James Lindsay

For 250 years, U.S. foreign policy decisions have shaped the course of history—often debated not only in government halls but in the taverns, inns, and meeting places where early Americans gathered to exchange ideas. From the Marshall Plan to the Louisiana Purchase, these decisions helped define the nation’s role in the world. Join Dr. James M. Lindsay, Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, as he unveils his definitive rankings of the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions over the past 250 years. The World Affairs Council of Connecticut and the Fairfield Museum invite you to join in this thought-provoking conversation you won’t want to miss.

Registration is required. Members: $10; Non-Members: $15.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

About the Speaker

James M. Lindsay is the Mary and David Boies distinguished senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). From 2009 to 2024, he was senior vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at CFR, where he oversaw the Council’s in-house think tank, the David Rockefeller Studies Program. His scholarly work examines U.S. national security policy, the U.S. foreign policymaking process, and the domestic politics of U.S. foreign policy.

He has written and edited more than a dozen books on American politics and foreign policy. His book with Ivo H. Daalder, America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy, was awarded the 2003 Lionel Gelber Prize.

Dr. Lindsay was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution from 1999 to 2003 and taught at the University of Iowa (1987-1999) and the University of Texas (2003-2006). In 1996–97, he served as director for global issues and multilateral affairs on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House. He hosts the weekly podcast The President’s Inbox.