Kathleen McInnis

Kathleen J. McInnis is a senior fellow and director of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Her research areas include the intersection of gender and national security; global security strategy; defense policy; and transatlantic security. Before rejoining the Center, she served as a specialist in international security at the Congressional Research Service (CRS), where she served as a senior expert to Congress on strategic issues including defense policy, military operations, civilian-military relations, irregular warfare, and global strategy. Prior to CRS, she worked as a research consultant at Chatham House in London, writing on NATO and transatlantic security matters. From 2006 to 2009, Dr. McInnis served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), working on NATO operations in Afghanistan. During her last time working at CSIS from 2004 to 2006, Dr. McInnis analyzed U.S. nuclear weapons strategy, European security, and transatlantic relations. She also worked as a researcher in the UK House of Commons, focusing on NATO, the European Union, and U.S.-UK political-military relations, from 2001 to 2003. Dr. McInnis is widely published; her articles have featured in major domestic and international outlets. She is the author of two books: How and Why States Defect from Contemporary Military Coalition (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019) and the novel The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon (Post Hill Press, 2018). Dr. McInnis was awarded her MSc in international relations from the London School of Economics and completed her PhD in war studies at King’s College London.
In the News
NATO Facing 'Very Real' Arms Shortage Due to Ukraine War
Kathleen McInnis in Newsweek — December 13, 2022
Defense & Aerospace Podcast [Washington Roundtable Nov 18, ’22]
Kathleen McInnis in Defense and Aerospace Report — November 18, 2022
Why Dictators Are Afraid of Girls: Rethinking Gender and National Security
Kathleen McInnis , Benjamin Jensen , and Jaron S. Wharton in War on the Rocks — November 7, 2022
The National Defense Strategy Ducks Many Issues — Two Stand Out
Kathleen McInnis in Forbes — October 28, 2022
Senate OK's bid by Sweden, Finland to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Kathleen McInnis in USA Today — August 3, 2022
How European countries stand on 2% of GDP defence spending
Kathleen McInnis and Daniel Fata in euronews. — July 20, 2022
NATO brings back Cold War doctrine at Madrid summit
Kathleen McInnis in Arirang — July 5, 2022
President Biden says U.S. to boost military presence in Europe
Kathleen McInnis in CBS News — June 30, 2022
All content by Kathleen McInnis
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Uncovering the Uyghur Genocide
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — February 1, 2023

A Hometown Team: A Conversation with President of the Las Vegas Raiders Sandra Douglass Morgan
Event by Emily Harding , Kathleen McInnis , and Sandra Douglass Morgan — January 27, 2023

Crisis Coordination on Christmas
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 25, 2023

Afghan Women and the Fall of Kabul
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 19, 2023

The Special Forces of Trade and Development
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 11, 2023

How Service Can Save Us
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 4, 2023

Looking Ahead: The NATO Alliance
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — December 14, 2022

A Conversation with Ambassador Julianne Smith, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO
Event by Kathleen McInnis and Ambassador Julianne Smith — December 13, 2022

Ukraine Is Fighting for All of Us
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — December 7, 2022

The Information Space is On Fire
Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — November 30, 2022
