Distinguished Speaker Series
Francis Fukuyama
America at the Crossroads: The Future of American Foreign Policy
Thursday, June 22, 2006
5:15 p.m. Reception
6:00 p.m. Program
The RAND Corporation
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Santa Monica, CA 90407
Directions to RAND and parking information
Program Description
In this presentation of the RAND Distinguished Speaker Series, noted academic, political theorist, and best-selling author Francis Fukuyama will discuss his new book, America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, and share his perspective on issues at the forefront of the current debate on foreign policy. In outlining his vision for “Realistic Wilsonianism,” a philosophy Fukuyama believes should guide America's future relations with the rest of the world, Fukuyama offers candid insights into his much-publicized break from the neoconservative approach to foreign policy and the evolution of his current view of America's place and role in world affairs.
“Political debate has become a spectator sport in which people root for their team and cheer when it scores points, without asking whether they choose the right side. Instead of trying to defend sharply polarized positions taken [in the past], it would be far better if people could actually take aboard new information and think about how their earlier commitments, honestly undertaken, actually jibe with reality — even if this does on occasion require changing your mind.”
— Francis Fukuyama, Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2006
About the Speaker
Francis Fukuyama is Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy at the Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), a member of the RAND Pardee Graduate School Board of Governors, and a former policy analyst for RAND. One of the leading public intellectuals in the United States, Fukuyama has written widely on issues relating to democratization, international political economy, the role of culture and social capital in modern economic life, and the social consequences of the transition into an information economy. Fukuyama's The End of History and the Last Man (1992) has appeared in more than 20 foreign editions and his most recent book, America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy (2006), is garnering significant media attention. In a recent review, the New Yorker called Fukuyama an “original and independent mind … [whose] views on American policies and their implications deserve thoughtful attention.” Fukuyama is also the chairman of the editorial board of The American Interest, a new magazine devoted to the broad theme of “America in the world.”
Distinguished Speaker Series
For nearly 60 years, the RAND Corporation has been working to improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Our findings and recommendations reach the world's most influential decisionmakers and attract a variety of esteemed visitors to RAND. RAND hosts the Distinguished Speaker Series to provide a forum for engagement with visiting thought leaders whose unique perspectives on a wide array of pressing policy concerns contribute to a richer, more informed public policy debate.
Further Inquiries
Contact Sophia Washam at (310) 393-0411 ext. 7560 or Sophia_Washam@rand.org.
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