United States of America
Despite polarized domestic politics and social tensions, the United States remains a major player in international relations, on the economic, military and diplomatic levels.
Related Subjects
Mind the Deterrence Gap: Assessing Europe’s Nuclear Options
Europe must urgently confront a new nuclear reality. In recent years, Russia’s nuclear-backed revisionism has reintroduced nuclear coercion and the threat of nuclear escalation to the continent, underscoring the importance of credible nuclear deterrence. At the same time, Europe’s traditional reliance on US extended nuclear deterrence appears politically more fragile than at any point since the Cold War. Together, these developments require Europeans to think about their nuclear options.
Trump's trade policy: pushing back against China
Although not akin to the protectionist policies practiced by the United States through the 1930s, the trade war launched by the Trump administration since early 2018 challenges the principles and institutions of free trade.
US Foreign Policy: Mr. Trump's Foreboding Vision
Since Donald Trump’s rise to power, American foreign policy has become more unpredictable. Nonetheless, several coherent strategies stand out, in particular those that advocate a nationalist approach. An examination of Trump’s entourage also reveals some more conventional figures, who may exert some degree of influence. However, there may yet be surprises to come.
The U.S. opioid crisis: from prescription abuse to a full blown epidemic
The opioid crisis in the U.S. has reached increasingly tragic proportions – accounting for two thirds of the 72,000 overdose deaths of 2017.
Trump’s Trade Wars: The Outcry Against Multilateralism
The aim of multilateral trade as established after the Second World War was to prevent trade wars.
A New Japan-France Strategic Partnership: A View from Tokyo
On the occasion of the conference held on the 22 November 2018 marking the 160th anniversary of Franco-Japanese diplomatic relations, Ifri publishes two parallel articles offering French and Japanese perspectives on the bilateral security partnership. Céline Pajon’s analysis of French point of view is available here.
A New Japan-France Strategic Partnership: A View from Paris
On the occasion of the conference held on the 22 November 2018 marking the 160th anniversary of Franco-Japanese diplomatic relations, Ifri publishes two parallel articles offering French and Japanese perspectives on the bilateral security partnership. Michito Tsuruoka's analysis of Japan's point of view is available here.
Trade Wars: A French Perspective
The Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum announced by the United States in March would, if applied, have little direct impact on the French economy, but rather point toward a broader trend of protectionism and economic nationalism and a widening gap in transatlantic relations that is likely to have far-reaching implications for France.
Bad cop, Bad cop : la nomination de Mike Pompeo et John Bolton
Benjamin Haddad, a Research Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C., reviews Mike Pompeo's appointment as the new U.S. Secretary of State and John Bolton's recent nomination as National Security Advisor. According to Haddad, U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed two lawyers known for their hawkish and interventionist stands on foreign policy and security matters. He thus explains what official policies are to be expected on Iran, North Korea and Russia.
Trump's Tax Reform and Trade Policy: Renewables Spared, Oil Industry Wins
The energy sector is one where the break between the Trump and Obama administrations is the most pronounced. The three officials in charge, Rick Perry at the Department of Energy (DoE), Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ryan Zinke at the head of the Department of the Interior (DoI), share the same indifference to the issue of climate change, the same will to encourage oil and gas production in the USA in order to bring an era of American “energy dominance”, the same desire to promote the extraction of “beautiful, clean coal”, to paraphrase President Trumps’s State of the Union address, and the same deep mistrust of renewable energies such as wind and solar.
The legalization of cannabis in the United States, the examples of Colorado and Washington State
The use of recreational cannabis became legal in the States of Colorado and Washington in January and July 2014 respectively. The regulations, based on the examples of the tobacco and alcohol markets, intend to tackle the black market and to protect minors more efficiently. How do these two pioneering experiments inform the ongoing debate in France?
NATO-Russia: Is the ‘Russian Question’ European?
The proliferation of theaters (in Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and the Arctic) and cross-cutting issues (proliferation, disarmament, energy, arms sales) demonstrate the overall importance of the NATO/Russia relationship.
Shoulder-fired Missiles and Civil Aviation: The U.S. Response to a "New" Terrorist Threat
The World of Yesterday and Tomorrow
In this special issue of Foreign Policy devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, discover the speech by Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.
What Expectations Can Europe Meet in Tomorrow's World?
In this special issue of Politique étrangère devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, discover the debate moderated by Christine Ockrent between Franziska Brantner, Jean-Louis Boulanges, Bernardino Leon, and Igor Yurgens.
Support independent French research
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2025, Ifri supports more than 80 French and foreign companies and organizations.
Related centers and programs
Americas Program
Ifri's work on the Americas region focuses mainly on the United States. Indeed, for more than 20 years, Ifri's Americas Program has provided keys to understanding American society and domestic policy while shedding light on developments in the country's foreign policy, including transatlantic relations and trade issues.
Since 2023, a specific axis on Latin America structures more actively Ifri's research on this region.
Ifri's Canada program was active in 2015 and 2016.