US and the Americas Programme

How Trump and Congress address looming fiscal challenges will have far-reaching consequences that could affect the foundations of US economic power.

If Trump’s activity is meant to bend existing alliances to US advantage, Europe should deal. If he genuinely intends to undermine national sovereignty, a tough line will be necessary.

Experts from across Chatham House look at the key challenges and achievements of the 39th president of the United States.

World leaders must engage with the new president’s view of America’s priorities and accept that the US has changed.

A narrow win for either side could make things worse. The rest of the world should be prepared for a disruptive transition.

As US public opinion hardens, the Democratic party takes a tougher stance, and Donald Trump proposes mass deportations, Latin American leaders note a lack of long-term policy.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could not be more different when it comes to trade, despite a changed economic landscape.

Pollsters say domestic issues will decide the contest in November. Yet the debate showed that America’s international standing and its future global role are still central to this election.

Harris’s energizing candidacy means her words on Gaza are being carefully scrutinized by those hopeful for a new direction. But policy change is unlikely before the election.

Tim Walz has been embraced by both moderates and progressives in the Democratic party, but what impact will Kamala Harris’s VP pick have on the outcome of the race?

Washington’s sanctions relief helped encourage Maduro to hold elections; but the US could not make them free and fair. Now what?

Were she elected president in November, the vice president would likely oversee significant continuity with Biden’s foreign policy – except, perhaps, on Gaza.

A competitive election may unseat an authoritarian government that has ruled for a quarter century. But post-election upheaval is a near certainty.

Biden repaired damage to US leadership, delivered economic recovery, and rallied support for Ukraine. The Democratic Party must now unite to protect these achievements.

The former president has united Republicans under a MAGA agenda and a path to victory. But this extraordinary election may soon shift trajectory.

President Biden struggled to reassure an ambivalent public while Donald Trump played fast and loose with the facts.

Passing his first reform bill is a major victory for the president, but continuing economic pain may yet erode his remarkable popular support.

Regardless of whether the next US administration is led by Biden or Trump, two key foreign policy asks will be made of the next UK government.

The new president will prioritize working relations with the US on issues like migration, trade and fentanyl. But proactive engagement beyond Washington is also a necessity.

A generational divide in the US is pushing Biden towards pressuring Tel-Aviv. But the ICC’s intervention brings pressure from the right. The president must stay focused on bringing peace to Gaza and the region.

Prime Minister Kishida’s state visit to Washington focused on security, but that alone will not be enough to influence the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

An April deadline for a decision to ‘snap back’ US and EU sanctions is approaching. The Biden administration must reimpose some measures – but in careful, calibrated fashion.

Foreign policy played a prominent part in Biden’s efforts to distinguish his vision from Donald Trump – in a campaigning and fiery speech.

However painful previous interventions have been, Haitians cannot be abandoned to the rule of criminal gangs.

Divisions over key foreign policy issues, from the war in Ukraine to Gaza, could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

There is a growing divide in US society and politics along old civil war battle lines – and the election could make things worse.

As Trump consolidates his position as Republican front runner, Canada must prepare for his possible new administration to ensure access to the vital US market.

President Noboa faces the daunting task of rooting out narco-terrorism and corruption. The international community must step up to prevent the country losing this gang-declared war.

What happens next remains unpredictable, as the president’s actions grow increasingly erratic.

How Republican and Democrat opponents tackle the Trumpist radicalized right will determine whether democratic norms survive, writes Leslie Vinjamuri.

This paper assesses plans for investment in a sustainable economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines how such efforts could transform international development cooperation.

The technical capabilities of facial recognition have been embraced by law enforcement agencies. Going forward, governments must act to safeguard citizens’ rights.

In 2021 G7 leaders pledged to build back a better world. They now need to redouble their efforts to make sure that this ambition is fulfilled.

Venezuela’s recovery from economic collapse and the future prosperity of its citizens depend on the reconstruction of its crisis-ridden electricity system.

This paper offers a public policy ‘toolkit’ for governments in the US and Europe to support firms in securing resilient and sustainable supply chains

Important political shifts in 2021 could bring greater clarity on Germany’s changing China policy, no matter who succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor, writes Noah Barkin.

This paper examines broad legal and institutional reform proposals for Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, and five countries it competes with in global markets.

The authors of this paper consider the most pressing foreign policy challenges for the next US president, and examine how the outcome of the 2020 election will affect these.

A modernized and fully functioning WTO is more essential than ever. This paper makes the case for transatlantic cooperation as a necessary condition for reform.

Canadian attitudes towards China have undergone a dramatic shift – from ambivalence to distrust – since the two countries became locked in a diplomatic dispute in late 2018. This paper argues that these hardened sentiments are unlikely to dissipate and Canada–China relations seem to have entered a new, warier phase.

This paper examines the risks of greater strategic competition as well as potential solutions for mitigating the impacts of the US–China economic confrontation.

This briefing argues that China’s rise has worrying implications for the liberal order and explores how this will affect the transatlantic relationship.

Many middle powers have been warning of the dangers inherent in the decline of the liberal international order. The time has come for these countries to translate their warnings into concerted action.

This paper recommends a framework for strengthening US–EU trade relations and achieving successful trade talks in the current era of protectionism. 

Despite significant financial expenditure and thousands of lives lost, a fundamental shift in policy remains unimaginable at present.

The rise of AI must be better managed in the near term in order to mitigate longer term risks and to ensure that AI does not reinforce existing inequalities.

If a new trade policy framework can be developed, Trump’s presidency could offer a chance to move the debate forward and actually strengthen global trade.

The impact of the rapid expansion of the commercial market on autonomous systems development cannot be overstated.