Great Decisions 2025: U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy

Under President Biden, the U.S. has advanced new ideas about trade, technology, industrial policy, competition with China, and the organization of the world economy. For most of the postwar era, the U.S. has tied its global leadership to cooperative agendas aimed at creating a more open-world trading system, but that has apparently come to an end. What are America’s options and opportunities as a leader of the world economy? How will America’s “foreign policy for the middle class” and strategic competition with China impact its leadership role? How can the postwar rules and institutions of the world economy be made safe for economic nationalism and great power competition?

Great Decisions, produced by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), is America’s largest foreign affairs education and discussion program. Launched in 1954 in Portland, Oregon, the program gained media attention, was adopted by local schools, and soon gained national attention. 

Each week the group will discuss a timely global topic of great importance to Americans, and participants will have the opportunity to offer their opinions on each topic through an online survey. Attend all four sessions or choose your favorite topics; no registration is required. This is your chance to have your voice heard! 

Joyce Francis, Ph. D., has facilitated Great Decisions since 2013. Before moving to the Olympic Peninsula, Joyce taught International Relations at George Mason, Tulane, and American University. 

The program series is co-sponsored by the Salish Sea Fellowship’s Adult Learning Program.