
Charles Edel is a senior adviser and the inaugural Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He previously taught at the University of Sydney, where he was also a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre. Prior to that, Dr. Edel was a professor of strategy and policy at the U.S. Naval War College and served on the U.S. secretary of state’s Policy Planning Staff from 2015 to 2017. In that role, he advised the secretary of state on political and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. He has also been a global fellow at the Wilson Center and a Henry Luce scholar at Peking University's Center for International and Strategic Studies, and he was awarded the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship. He is the coauthor of The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order (Yale University Press, 2019) and author of Nation Builder: John Quincy Adams and the Grand Strategy of the Republic (Harvard University Press, 2014). Currently, he is working on a book examining the United States' history of dealing with authoritarian regimes. In addition to his scholarly publications, his writings appear in the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and various other outlets. He also regularly offers foreign policy commentary on television and radio, including CNBC, ABC, Sky News, Australia’s RN, and NPR. He is a New York native and former high school history teacher in New York City, as well as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Dr. Edel holds a PhD in history from Yale University and received a BA in classics from Yale College.
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In the News 8 of 204 results
Politics latest: Albanese yet to secure meeting with Donald Trump at G7 amid AUKUS review
Charles Edel cited in The Australian — June 11, 2025
ABC Afternoon Briefing Interview on AUKUS
Charles Edel appearance on ABC — June 11, 2025
Pentagon launches review of Aukus nuclear submarine deal
Charles Edel cited in Financial Times — June 11, 2025
Tariffs, China’s military modernization, and calls for Australia to increase its defense spending
Charles Edel appearance on Today — June 2, 2025
Making sense of Trump’s defense spending math
Charles Edel cited in POLITICO — May 5, 2025
A new trend in global elections – the anti-Trump bump
Charles Edel cited in The Straits Times — May 5, 2025
The ‘Trump effect’ on the Australian election
Charles Edel cited in The Australian — May 5, 2025
Australia’s Anthony Albanese handed sweeping mandate in anti-Trump backlash
Charles Edel cited in Financial Times — May 4, 2025
All Charles Edel Content
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Trump and the Australian Elections
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Charles Edel — May 7, 2025

New Zealand’s Wake-Up Call: Beijing’s Reach Reorienting Wellington’s Regional Role
Podcast Episode by Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik — May 7, 2025

New Zealand’s Wake-Up Call: Beijing’s Reach Reorienting Wellington’s Regional Role
Commentary by Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik — May 7, 2025
Charting Australia’s Path: 2025 Election Results and Implications
Event — May 5, 2025
Australia’s 2025 Election: Decisive Labor Majority Amid Liberal Collapse
Podcast Episode by Charles Edel — May 5, 2025

Australia’s 2025 Election: Decisive Labor Majority Amid Liberal Collapse
Critical Questions by Charles Edel — May 5, 2025
Press Briefing: Analyzing the Australian Election and Its Implications for U.S.-Australia Relations
Event — April 28, 2025
What’s at Stake in this Year’s Australian Election?
Critical Questions by Charles Edel — April 25, 2025
What’s at Stake in this Year’s Australian Election?
Podcast Episode by Charles Edel — April 25, 2025

China’s Power Play Across the Pacific
Commentary by Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik — April 8, 2025