CSIS Announces Commission on Affirming American Leadership
August 19, 2019
WASHINGTON, August 19, 2019: The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce the establishment of the CSIS Commission on Affirming American Leadership. Led by Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corporation; Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative; and Senator William Brock, former U.S. trade representative, the Commission will bring together a distinguished and diverse group of leaders to outline a positive trade agenda for the United States.Today, nearly 20 years into the twenty-first century, the world is being reshaped by accelerating technological advances and geopolitical shifts. At home, the United States faces growing economic inequality and rapidly changing workforce needs. Abroad, economic competitors are growing into rivals, threatening American economic leadership on the world stage. These developments create challenges to U.S. economic leadership with roots at home and abroad.
In an op-ed published by the Washington Post, the Commission co-chairs highlight that “President Trump’s trade policy has been controversial for many reasons, but it has made Americans think seriously about trade for the first time in a generation.” The CSIS Commission on Affirming American Leadership will examine these challenges and offer recommendations to cement American trade leadership in the twenty-first century.
Three CSIS experts will serve as project directors for the Commission: William A. Reinsch, senior adviser and Scholl Chair in International Business; Matthew P. Goodman, senior vice president and Simon Chair in Political Economy; and Scott Miller, senior advisor with the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy. For more information on the CSIS Commission on Affirming American Leadership, its members, and its activities, please contact Grace Hearty, deputy director of the Simon Chair in Political Economy and executive director of the Commission, and visit the Commission’s webpage.