Is a Post-American World Inevitable? A Conversation With Kurt Campbell, Rush Doshi, and Mark Leonard

The future of U.S. foreign policy and the resilience of the international alliance system hinge on whether recent geopolitical shifts represent a temporary reaction to presidential personality or a fundamental, irreversible decline of the post-war order. Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi argue that alliances remain robust, anchored by shared economic and security interests regarding China, and that bureaucratic cooperation continues despite political friction. Conversely, Mark Leonard contends that the United States has transitioned from a systemic guarantor of global order to a self-interested power, forcing allies to hedge against a more turbulent, fragmented world. While participants disagree on the durability of these structures, they converge on the necessity of moving beyond traditional Cold War frameworks toward more pragmatic, sectoral cooperation to manage the rise of China and the erosion of established global rules.