Chain Reaction

How can political science scholarship effectively inform real-world foreign policy during moments of global crisis?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Larry Rubin and Rachel Whitlark sit down with Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes, President of the National Democratic Institute. Drawing on her distinguished career spanning academia, think tanks, and high-level government service—including roles as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Arab uprisings and Director of Foreign Assistance at the US Department of State—Wittes offers unique insights on bridging the gap between scholarship and practice, navigating Middle East policy, and the ongoing struggles facing global democracy.The discussion explores:* Applied Political Science: Applying academic methods to practical statecraft and navigating careers for PhDs.* Managing Regional Upheaval: Direct insights from the US State Department during the 2011 Arab uprisings.* Democratic Resilience: Examining global polarization, economic scarcity, and oligarchic influence.Explore more from the Orbis Journal of World Affairs Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Shifting Ground, hosts Nikolas Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Dr. Austin Long, Senior Nuclear Fellow at MIT, and Dr. Rachel Whitlark, Associate Professor at Georgia Tech and Associate Editor of Orbis, to explore the strategic landscape of the second nuclear century. Grounded in Dr. Long's recent commentary for Orbis, the conversation examines how emerging autonomous technologies and AI reshape nuclear deterrence, the concept of "conceal vs. reveal" capabilities, and the challenges of managing strategic stability in a tripolar environment among the US, Russia, and China.Related Reading* ⁠History, Strategy, and Technology: Thinking About the Second Nuclear Century⁠ by Dr. Austin LongExplore the special issue: Challenges of the Second Nuclear Century, Vol. 69, Issue 2⁠ Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

What prepares a leader for the high-pressure environment of the US government?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin sit down with The Hon. John Tien, Distinguished Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Drawing on his extensive career spanning the military, the private sector, and high-level government service—including a tenure as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security—Tien offers unique insights from four different presidential administrations.The discussion explores:* The Role of the Individual: How presidential leadership, personal networks, and human experience shape strategy at the highest levels of government.* Evolution of Homeland Security: Reflections on how the mission has shifted from domestic concerns in the 90s to foreign counter-terrorism post-9/11, and the current challenges of politicization.* Omnipolicy & Strategy: A deep dive into complex issues like the fentanyl crisis, illustrating how domestic and foreign policy goals are now inextricably linked.* The Future of the Global Order: Perspectives on navigating a new global operating system, marked by transactional diplomacy and the rise of autocracy.Shifting Ground is the flagship podcast of the Orbis Journal of World Affairs, produced by the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Shifting Ground, Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Phil Wasielewski, a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. A veteran of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and the US Marine Corps, Phil brings a lifetime of experience—from the end of the Soviet era to the frontlines of Afghanistan—to a wide-ranging discussion on the nature of strategy in an unpredictable world. The conversation touches on the role of intelligence in modern warfare, the enduring need for human analysis, as well as reflections on Russia’s war in Ukraine, and lessons learned from Afghanistan.Related Reading* Russia After Putin - Phil Wasielewski, Foreign Policy Research Institute Shifting Ground is the flagship podcast of the Orbis Journal of World Affairs, produced by the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Shifting Ground, Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Mohammed Soliman, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. Soliman challenges our traditional geopolitical mental maps, arguing that the term “Middle East” no longer explains the realities of today’s integrated political and economic landscape. Instead, he proposes viewing the region from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean as a single, cohesive space: “West Asia”. We dive deep into his thesis on how American grand strategy must adapt to an era where rigid, Cold War-style alliances are giving way to flexible, interest-based “minilateral” coalitions. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe