Insights and impact

About the Council

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build, the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world.

NATO 20/2020

Twenty bold ideas to reimagine the Alliance after the 2020 US election

More than two decades after NATO’s inspired decision to invite former adversaries to join its ranks, the Alliance is in need of equally captivating ideas. The essays in this volume are intended to push the Alliance to think boldly and creatively in the service of recapturing the public’s imagination.

Read our provocative essays on the future of NATO

Explore the podcast series

Making a difference

Learn more about the Atlantic Council’s insights & impact through these stories of how our regional and thematic programs are making a difference not only in shaping how we view global issues but also in shaping their outcome.

Latest commentary and analysis

Latest in-depth research and reports

Issue Brief

Mar 20, 2026

The economic and political traps awaiting aging societies

By Markus Jaeger

Rapidly aging populations and falling birthrates create fiscal and economic headwinds that even advanced economies struggle to manage. Some middle-income countries are approaching the same “demographic cliff” at an even faster clip, while many lower-income countries face the opposite problem. Policymakers in all cases must be prepared to make politically tough decisions—and soon.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

Issue Brief

Mar 20, 2026

Aquatic Tiger: How long-range submarine drones could play a role in a Taiwan conflict

By Markus Garlauskas with contributions from Drew Holliday, Adam Kozloski, Nicholas Takeuchi, and Paul Vebber

Could submarine drones help the United States deter or counter a Chinese attack on Taiwan? The Aquatic Tiger wargame was designed to find out. The Atlantic Council's Indo-Pacific Security Initiative reports on the wargame's findings, with implications for the US government, the defense industry, and more. 

Conflict Defense Technologies

Issue Brief

Mar 19, 2026

Federal agencies under pressure need smarter systems, not tougher people

By Caitlin Thompson

Resilience is an important trait for national security practitioners, but it is not a solution for problems with agency and department design. Better systems and strategies can ensure that individuals are fully prepared and ready to respond to crises, rather than consistently under strain.

National Security Resilience

Content

Op-Ed

Apr 9, 2025

Ullman in the Hill on the response to President Trump’s tariff policy 

On April 7, Atlantic Council Senior Advisor Harlan Ullman published an op-ed in the Hill on the domestic and international reaction to the tariffs announced by the Trump administration on April 2. He argues that a more methodical approach to implementing President Trump’s trade agenda might have achieved the administration’s desired results “without the extreme […]

Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Lt Col Edward Brady, USAF, commentary published by War on the Rocks

By Atlantic Council

On April 4, Forward Defense Senior Air Force Fellow Lieutenant Colonel Edward Brady published a commentary on War on the Rocks, entitled, “Greenland’s Military Possibilities for the United States.” The article argues that Greenland is a critical strategic asset for US Arctic defense and global power projection and recommends cost-effective investments in surveillance, infrastructure, and […]

China Defense Policy

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Trump Tariff Tracker cited in Marketplace’s “Make me smart” podcast

Listen to the full podcast here.

Economy & Business United States and Canada

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Lichfield quoted in Le Parisien on how the Trump admin is prioritizing trade negotiations and the impact of market signals on that strategy

Read the full article here

Economy & Business Macroeconomics

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Lipsky quoted in New York Times on why there is no one coming to save the global economy if the situation unravels

Read the full article here

Economy & Business G20

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Michta in Lithuanian National Radio and Television on the necessity of US-European cooperation on defense 

On April 4, Andrew Michta, senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative, was interviewed by Lithuanian National Radio and Television on the status of transatlantic relations, NATO, and European defense as the Trump administration challenges the status quo. He argues that close relations between Washington and Brussels are vital to preserving European security and countering Russian […]

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Apr 8, 2025

Braw published in Foreign Policy on America’s rare earth policy concerning Ukraine

By Elisabeth Braw

On April 8, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Elisabeth Braw was published by Foreign Policy in an article arguing that the US should recycle it’s own critical minerals instead of crafting an exploitative deal for taking minerals in Ukraine.

In the News

Apr 4, 2025

Kumar quoted in NewsNation on the new US crypto strategic reserve

Read the full article

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

In the News

Apr 4, 2025

GeoEconomics Center’s CBDC Tracker cited in Cryptopolitan on the global exploration of CBDCs

Read the full article

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

In the News

Apr 4, 2025

GeoEconomics Center’s CBDC Tracker cited in The Block on the development of CBDCs

Read the full article

Digital Currencies Economy & Business