What Global Policy Topics Does the Carnegie Endowment Currently Focus On?

Updated

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is currently concentrating on a set of cross-cutting global policy issues and key regions, with prominent work on how middle powers navigate the AI race, the domestic foundations of American power, Africa's advancing interests in a competitive world, and specific Middle East and Europe policy questions. Its homepage organizes this work around two stated aims: delivering unbiased research to decisionmakers who set the global policy agenda, and generating actionable policy ideas to help forge a safer world. The topics below reflect what the site currently features, not a fixed or exhaustive list of the institution's entire research portfolio.

Technology and the AI Race

A leading theme is the strategic competition around artificial intelligence and what it means for countries that are not major powers. Featured work includes "How Middle Powers Can Survive the AI Race" by Alasdair Phillips-Robins, Teddy Tawil, and Sam Winter-Levy, and a related paper, "The Compute Coalition: How to Build the Future of AI in the Free World." The site also features "The AI Labor Debate: Three Views on the Future of Work" by Teddy Tawil, which looks at how AI may reshape employment. Together these pieces show an interest in both the geopolitical and the domestic-labor dimensions of AI.

American Power and Its Domestic Foundations

Another featured line of analysis examines the internal sources of U.S. strength. Stephen Wertheim's "The End of Primacy Without Pain: Why the Domestic Foundation of American Power Is Crumbling" is highlighted on the homepage. This topic connects to the institution's broader interest in global governance and how established powers adapt to a more competitive environment.

Africa in a Competitive World

The site features "Africa in Demand: How the Continent Is Advancing Its Interests in a Competitive World" by Fonteh Akum. The framing suggests attention to how African states and institutions are positioning themselves amid competition among larger powers, rather than treating the continent only as an object of external policy.

Middle East Policy Questions

Middle East coverage on the homepage spans several concrete issues:

  • Israel's election and regional implications — "Israel's Election Had No Clear Winner. What Comes Next for the Region?" with commentary from Nathan J. Brown, Alper Coşkun, Amr Hamzawy, and others.
  • Saudi-Israeli normalization — "Time for Saudi Clarity on Normalization with Israel" by Andrew Leber and Zaha Hassan.
  • Gaza reconstruction financing — "The Board of Peace and Funding for Gaza Reconstruction: On Whose Account?" by Zaha Hassan.
  • Iran's protest economy — "The Political Economy of Protests in Iran" by Eric Lob.

These items show a focus on both diplomacy and the political economy behind regional developments.

Europe and Transatlantic Questions

Europe-focused commentary includes:

  • Democracy in Serbia — "A New Dawn for Democracy in Serbia" by Ivan Vejvoda.
  • Black Sea security — "Containing Escalation in the Black Sea" by Dimitar Bechev.
  • Transatlantic politics — "Can America First Be Exported to Europe?" by Giovanna De Maio.

The common thread is how European politics and security are being shaped by both internal democratic developments and external pressures.

How the Topics Are Organized

The site groups this material under "Trending Topics and Regions," which currently lists Democracy, Global Governance, Israel Palestine, Ukraine, and Syria. Research appears in several formats, including papers, articles, and commentary, and is attributed to named scholars. The homepage also notes that Avril Haines became the eleventh president of the Carnegie Endowment, effective September 28.

What This Means for a Reader

If you are looking for current Carnegie analysis, the AI competition, U.S. power, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe are the areas most visibly featured right now. Because the homepage reflects a rotating selection rather than the full research agenda, use the topic and region groupings to move from these highlights into the institution's deeper body of work. The featured pieces are a reasonable starting point for understanding the arguments the Endowment is currently putting in front of policymakers.