Top 10 Best and Worst Foreign Policy Decisions

Thursday, March 25, 2027
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

Top 10

Not every major foreign policy decision ages well, and looking back at the ones that succeeded, and the ones that failed, reveals as much about the nature of American power as any single success story could. Join us for Top 10 Best and Worst Foreign Policy Decisions, held at Loosemore Auditorium in the DeVos Center. Our panel will work through the Council on Foreign Relations' picks for the ten best and worst foreign policy decisions in U.S. history, unpacking the reasoning, and the consequences, behind each one.

The conversation will also explore what these decisions reveal about presidential decision-making under pressure, and what lessons they offer for how American power is exercised today.

Registration for the Hauenstein Center's 2027 events will open on December 1st, 2026.

Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith, Associate Professor of History, Duke University
Dr. James Lindsay, Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
Dr. Christopher McKnight Nichols, Chair in National Security Studies and Professor of History, The Ohio State University
Megan Rydecki, Director, Hauenstein Center (Moderator)

Program Schedule

5:00 p.m. Members Only Reception Begins
5:30 p.m. Doors Open & Check-In Available
6:00 p.m. Program Begins
7:30 p.m. Program Concludes

Know Before You Go

All are welcome! We invite students, faculty, staff, and community to attend.
Admission is free, but registration is required. Please check in when you arrive.
We offer a free Community Conversations dessert reception following the program to reflect and chat about what you heard.
In-person attendance is encouraged. However, to ensure our events are accessible to all, we offer a virtual option.
This event takes place on GVSU's City Campus in downtown GR. Free parking is available with validation.

About the Hauenstein Center

Inspired by Ralph Hauenstein’s life of leadership and service, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies is dedicated to raising a community of ethical, effective leaders for the twenty-first century.

Consider supporting our work by becoming a member. Members enjoy special benefits like pre-event receptions at events.

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