CSET Events

Power on the Precipice

On September 8, CSET Senior Fellow Andrew Imbrie and former Deputy National Security Adviser Avril Haines discussed of Dr. Imbrie's new book on America's place in the world today and its choices for the future.

Will the United States maintain its leadership in an increasingly unpredictable environment? In Power on the Precipice, former adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry and CSET senior fellow Andrew Imbrie lays out a roadmap for bolstering American leadership in an era of turbulence abroad and deepening polarization at home. This map can help U.S. leaders navigate the lessons of the past, learn about tough policy trade-offs and forge a new future for this country. Drawing on his experience as an adviser to former Secretary of State John Kerry, interviews with key leaders, and comparative studies of the rise and fall of nations, he argues that the United States must adapt to changing global dynamics and compete more wisely. 

Former Deputy National Security Advisor Avril Haines led an illuminating discussion with Dr. Imbrie at this live event before turning to audience questions.

Remarks and Discussion

Participants

Dr. Andrew Imbrie is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He previously worked as a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and as a senior advisor to Visiting Distinguished Statesman Secretary John F. Kerry. Prior to Carnegie, he served as a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the State Department, where he was a speechwriter to Secretary Kerry. Before moving to the Department of State, he served as a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He teaches foreign policy speechwriting and rhetoric to graduate and undergraduate students at Georgetown University. He received his B.A. in the Humanities from Connecticut College and an M.A. from the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Georgetown University. 

Avril Haines served as Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama and as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Avril also held a number of senior legal positions in the government, including Legal Adviser to the National Security Council and Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs. Avril received her bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.