U.S. Leadership in a Post-American Century
Examine the durability of American global leadership as traditional alliances, institutions, and assumptions face unprecedented strain – and define what effective U.S. engagement looks like in a transformed international order.
Our Focus:
The post-World War II international order — built on American power, alliances, and institutions — is under stress. Rising competitors, fracturing multilateral institutions, and a domestic politics increasingly skeptical of global engagement have raised urgent questions about the future of U.S. leadership abroad. Penn Washington’s work on U.S. Leadership in a Post-American Century convenes scholars, government officials, and international allies to examine how the United States can sustain effective global engagement in a transformed strategic environment — assessing the future of NATO and Indo-Pacific alliances, strategic engagement in the Middle East theater, and the tools of diplomacy, economic statecraft, and military power available to American policymakers and industry leaders navigating a more contested world.
Featured Policy Publications
U.S. Policy Decision Points in the Middle East: 6-18 Month Outlook
Penn Washington’s March 2026 roundtable brought together national security, energy, and regional experts to chart a path through one of the most consequential foreign policy moments in a generation. Their report examines escalation and de-escalation pathways, the risks of a new era of nuclear proliferation, and the long-term implications for U.S. standing and strategy around the world.
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