Net Assessment
News & Politics
About
Hosts Melanie Marlowe, Christopher Preble, and Zack Cooper, debate their way through some of the toughest and most contentious topics related to strategy, international relations, and the use of force. This podcast is brought to you by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Episodes
- Is the US a Predatory Hegemon?
Do we live in a world governed only by force, one in which the United States' military and economic power alone will advance U.S. interests? Or are the Trump administration's efforts to intimidate even U.S. allies and partners bound to gen…
- Can the UN Be Reformed?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a discussion about whether the United Nations can and should continue in its current form. Has it outlived its original purposes? Does it serve the interests of the United States and the world? Should the Unit…
- Implementing a Hellscape Strategy for Taiwan
On this show, Melanie, Chris, and Zack consider whether the porcupine strategy that Taiwan is currently implementing is the best plan to deter or defend against China. What could Taiwan be doing better, and how can the United States and ot…
- Is There an End in Sight for the US War in Iran?
What are the goals in the US war in Iran? Is the situation in the Strait of Hormuz manageable, or is the Iranian threat to shipping a challenge that must be confronted? And can it be resolved at an acceptable cost? Melanie, Chris, and Zack…
- Will U.S. Allies Hedge? Should They?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a discussion about how America's allies and partners, after decades of relying on the US for security, are derisking from what they view as an increasingly unpredictable and unfriendly power. How much of their…
- A Broadside Against Battleships
The Net Assessment podcast episode "A Broadside Against Battleships" features a debate on President Trump's Golden Fleet proposal, covering its strategic sense, projected timelines, and estimated costs. The hosts also touch on the USA Hock…
- Is Resolute Global Leadership the Right Grand Strategy for the United States?
The Net Assessment episode features Chris, Melanie, and Zack discussing a Council on Foreign Relations report proposing "Resolute Global Leadership" as a grand strategy for the United States. They analyze the strategy's feasibility and com…
- New Denial Strategy? Assessing the 2026 NDS
Zack, Melanie, and special guest Kelly Grieco take a look at the Department of War's 2026 National Defense Strategy. What does a "decent peace" with China look like? Is that what China wants? What does the document get right and wrong abou…
- Crude Awakening: Maduro's Seizure and Venezuela's Future
Fresh off the shock of the U.S. operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the Net Assessment team debates the merits of the operation and what it means for Venezuela's future. They also discuss why it caught (some of) them off guard, and what i…
- Farewell 2025, Hello 2026
In this special bonus episode, the Net Assessment crew – Chris, Melanie, and Zack - looks back on the highs (and lows) of 2025, and makes a few predictions for 2026. Thanks all around to our listeners, the Stimson Center, and University FM…
- What Does the United States Want From China and Why Can't We Get It?
In this episode, Chris, Melanie, and Zack look at U.S. policy toward China. What does the United States, that is Donald Trump, want from China? What should the Trump administration be willing to compromise on to get it? And what does Trump…
- 'Safer, Richer, Freer, Greater'? Trump's New Strategy for American Power
Chris, Zack, and Melanie take a look at the Trump administration's newly-released US National Security Strategy. Is it a coherent strategy? How will diplomacy, military might, and economic power be developed and deployed to advance America…
- Reciprocity: The Once and Future Strategy?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Oren Cass's recent article articulating a "Grand Strategy of Reciprocity." Cass argues that the United States should build a bloc of countries that agree to engage with each other on comparable terms while…
- Whither Venezuela?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack, convene for a wide-ranging discussion of U.S. current and prospective military operations against the country of Venezuela, and the regime of Nicolas Maduro. Why is the United States sending fighter jets, an aircr…
- Are Rising Powers Over?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie get together to talk about Michael Beckley's new article, "The Stagnant Order and the End of Rising Powers." What consequences might the decline and greying of populations have for global security? Has the era of t…
- Can Foreign Aid Be Reformed? Should It Be?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack review Adam Tooze's recent article on the failure of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and Western-directed aid efforts generally. What should be the goals of foreign aid? Can development assistance,…
- Prediction is Hard, Especially about Confidence Levels
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the confidence problem among national security experts. As Jeffrey Friedman shows in a recent Texas National Security Review article, experts are often right but almost always overconfident in their predict…
- Is a Fight with Russia Worth the Risks?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie take some time to talk about how the United States, Europe, and Russia are dealing with the Ukraine conflict. Would a Russian win in a war which is costing billions of dollars, killing hundreds of thousands of Russ…
- How Will the U.S. Deal With a Weaponized World Economy?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman's new article "The Weaponized World Economy." Is the United States, which has been accused of weaponizing the global economy now getting a taste of its own medicine? Should…
- A Strategy of Prioritization?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Jennifer Lind and Daryl Press's recent article on strategies of prioritization. They examine the challenges of executing such a strategy and debate whether the Trump administration is actually implementing…
- What's the Plan for AI?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie sit down to chat about the recently-released White House AI Action Plan. Should American AI policy be in pursuit of unchallenged dominance in the field? What kinds of investments and policy choices should the US go…
- Combating Mexican drug cartels: Is there a military solution?
In this show, Chris, Melanie, and Zack consider the different military options being considered to combat Mexican drug cartels. Are the cartels that manufacture and distribute drugs that kill Americans, particularly fentanyl, a threat to U…
- A New Nuclear Age: The Sum of All Fears?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the "nuclear hurricane" sweeping the world. They begin by returning to the question of whether President Trump made the right decision to conduct strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Then they shift to dis…
- Trump Hammers Iran. What Comes Next?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie get together to discuss the very rapidly moving events in the Middle East following the execution of Operation Midnight Hammer. Why did President Trump decide to move from negotiating with Iran to ordering the stri…
- Understanding the Four-Day War between India and Pakistan
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the recent short war between India and Pakistan. Christopher Clary's first cut of history provides a careful reconstruction of the key events, made all the more difficult by misinformation and disinformatio…
- Great Power Competition or Collusion?
Is President Trump's approach to foreign policy best described as a spheres of influence approach in which the major players are the United States, China, and Russia? Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate Stacie Goddard's recent article outlinin…
- The Paradoxical Power?
An immense and growing national debt, entrenched political polarization, and falling levels of patriotism might lead some to conclude that the position of the United States in the world is weakening compared to other major economies. Micha…
- Is Arms Control Dead?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack consider Rose Gottemoeller's claim that arms control is not yet dead, but essential. Are there realistic prospects for a new arms control deal? If the Trump administration seriously seeks agreements with Russia and…
- Why the Trump Administration Will Struggle to Make National Security Policy
Chris, Melanie, and Zack launch their first Stimson-hosted Net Assessment show with a look at policymaking in the Trump administration. What are the major areas of consensus and disagreement within the administration? Through what lens wil…
- One Last Trip Around the World?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack are joined by a special guest for a big announcement. They also lament the demise of the Office of Net Assessment, debate the merits of DOGE, and discuss Secretary Hegseth's visit to Asia and the strength of those…
- Will Israel Strike Iran?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate whether Israel will strike Iranian nuclear facilities and whether the United States would discourage, encourage, or participate in such an operation. They come to very different conclusions not just about th…
- The End of the World, Again?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a rather somber discussion about the Trump administration's efforts to get a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Why is Trump so insistent on getting an immediate deal? What carrots and sticks, if any, are b…
- Is The People's Liberation Army Ready For a Fight Over Taiwan?
In this show, Melanie, Chris, and Zack discuss Timothy Heath's recent paper on China's military capabilities. Heath argues that the People's Liberation Army mostly focused on preserving the Chinese Communist Party's rule, and that does not…
- Risky Business: Assessing Risk to U.S. Strategy
The Net Assessment team discusses Frank Hoffman's recent Joint Force Quarterly article about risk. They share concerns about the challenges that U.S. policymakers face in evaluating risk in a structured way. But they also fear that the sol…
- Will Trump Focus on the Western Hemisphere?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie got together to talk about the second Trump administration's agenda in the Western Hemisphere. What interests does the United States have in Latin America? Should the United States be pushing back on China's activi…
- Exploring the Implications of Precise Mass
Back from their holiday break, Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Michael Horowitz and Joshua Schwartz's recent War on the Rocks' article, which considers whether and how the United States and its allies should incorporate new technologies i…
- What's Next in Syria?
The fall of Bashar al-Assad is transforming not just Syria but also dynamics in the broader Middle East. What implications does this have for U.S. policy in the region? Should U.S. forces withdraw, or is there a continuing role for the Ame…
- Where Do We Go From Here?
The team sat down to talk about the very bleak situation in Ukraine. Is it impossible for Ukraine to overcome its many challenges? Will Trump's team be able to get Putin to the negotiating table, or is he all-in on victory? What roles migh…
- A New National Security Strategy for the Trump Administration
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss how and if the new Trump national security team can help America reset its strategic mindset. What would a successful overmatch strategy look like, in action? How would it differ from the strategy of the la…
- Can the Next President Change U.S. Foreign Policy?
The United States has a growing disconnect between its foreign policy objectives and the resources it devotes to national security, but inertia has hampered meaningful policy change in recent years. Chris and Melanie discuss a recent artic…
- American Renewal?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie sit down for a retrospective episode about the Biden administration's foreign and defense policy. Using U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Foreign Affairs article " America's Strategy of Renewal ," they ask i…
- What Is the U.S. Military Doing in Europe?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the American military footprint in Europe. Why does the United States maintain such a large presence there? Are there other ways to accomplish our goals with a smaller physical presence there? And what outc…
- Is American Deterrence Failing?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Carter Malkasian's recent article on "America's crisis of deterrence." They debate whether recent policy failures are a breakdown of deterrence theory or U.S. policy, and, if so, what to do about them. Chri…
- A New Nuclear Age?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie sit down to talk about America's nuclear policy. Are we in a new "nuclear age," as some Biden administration officials and experts have argued? Does a bleak security environment, where China is rapidly building up…
- Is Everything a Matter of National Security?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate whether national security has been defined too loosely. If too many things fall under the category of national security, do we risk missing the really important ones? How should policymakers decide what is a…
- Watching the Watchers: Assessing the Defense Strategy Commission
Melanie, Chris, and Zack debate the findings of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy . They agree that there is a mismatch between U.S. defense strategy and the resources required to execute it, but they disagree on whether and…
- Attitude Adjustment: Can the US do better in Africa?
As Africa is seeing a dramatic rise in violent conflict and elected governments there are falling to coups, Chris, Zack, and Melanie sat down to discuss US policy for the region. What are America's national security and other critical inte…
- Can Europe be Trump-Proofed? And Should It Be?
Melanie, Chris, and Zack discuss the steps that European countries can and should take to prepare for possible U.S. retrenchment from the continent. Can NATO survive a second Trump administration? Or should we be equally concerned about a…
- Election Time: France and the United Kingdom Go to the Polls
Upcoming elections could pull France to the right and the United Kingdom to the left, so the Net Assessment team discusses how this might alter policies in Paris and London. They discuss articles by Ulrike Franke and David Lammy, which ske…
- A Live Turkey
In the first Net Assessment recorded before a live audience, Chris, Zack, and Melanie discuss the U.S.-Turkish relationship. Has America "lost" Turkey? What are the benefits and limitations of transactional relationships, rather than allia…