Scholl Chair

2 months ago | csis.org | William Reinsch |Scholl Chair

One of the main activities at CSIS is trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Our readers want to know that. Our donors want to know that, and, of course, reporters want to know that. Like many of my colleagues, I spend a good bit of my time trying to predict the future. Of course, the future is unknowable, so the best we can do is make informed guesses. The nice thing about the job is that nobody remembers if you’re wrong.

Jan 13, 2025 | csis.org | Scholl Chair

A Conversation with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall on The Department of the Air Force in 2050

Jan 13, 2025 | csis.org | William Reinsch |Scholl Chair

It has become routine for every presidential challenger to ask voters, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Donald Trump asked that question in last year’s election and then answered it himself with a resounding “no.” The voters agreed, and he won the election. But are we really worse off than we were four years ago? The voters’ perception was that we are, but it’s probably too soon to say definitively.

Jan 6, 2025 | csis.org | William Reinsch |Scholl Chair

As the Biden administration comes to an end, it is time for a closing comment on its trade policy. I’ve struggled as to whether to call it a valedictory or an obituary, the latter a much less positive term, but in the end, I decided to call it both. Looking at the bigger picture, I believe that when future historians look back on the Biden era, they will regard him as a transformative president with an impressive record of legislative accomplishments reminiscent of Lyndon Johnson’s.

Dec 9, 2024 | csis.org | William Reinsch |Scholl Chair

I complained last week about the frustrations of getting caught up in perpetually responding to the latest Trumpian trade rant at the risk of failing to finish my regular work. This week I will avoid that trap by ignoring Trump completely and focusing instead on something going on in Europe. Rest assured, I will return to addressing U.S. trade policy shortly.