PAST PROGRAMS

ADVANCING TRUST AND RECONCILIATION AMONG PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS

In 2007, the Center began an informal diplomatic effort, funded by the U.S. State Department, to aid in the rebuilding of trust between Israel and the Palestinian territories. With the participation of Middle East Envoy Dennis Ross, and an interreligious dialogue led by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, this project used the fields of scientific and medical cooperation as grounds for concrete confidence building, alongside discussions between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders.

AFGHANISTAN STUDY GROUP

The Afghanistan Study Group was convened by CSPC in 2007 and was co-chaired by General James Jones, USMC (Ret.) and Ambassador Thomas Pickering. The goal of the Afghanistan Study Group was to provide policy makers with key recommendations that would lead to a revitalization of the United States’ and international community’s commitment to Afghanistan. The report was released in January of 2008 and was used by the teams of Senator Obama and Senator McCain during discussions of Afghanistan policy during the 2008 election.

AMERICA & THE MUSLIM WORLD

In 2002, the Center launched a multi-year initiative to strengthen U.S. relations with predominantly Muslim countries and to revitalize America’s engagement with Muslim populations around the world.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE REVOLUTION

A future in which autonomous motor vehicles are capable of picking up passengers, navigating suburban, urban, and rural streets, and automatically reacting to roadway obstacles is not that far away. Already, various models of autonomous vehicles are being tested in research facilities and, increasingly, on public roadways. While automated vehicles were once relegated to the realm of science fiction, aspects of autonomous vehicle technology are already incorporated into a wide range of vehicles—even if many drivers don’t yet realize it. To address the policies surrounding this important technology, the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPC) convened off-the-record roundtables in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington. Our goal was to begin a dialogue between the government and private sectors about this transformative technology and to identify solutions to potential problems.

THE BETTER BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT

Over the past year-and-a-half, the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPC) has examined the issues impacting government procurement and potential reforms to the procurement system. With experts from government, academia, and the private sector participating in off-the-record roundtables in Washington, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; and Huntsville, Alabama, this project has drawn on the expertise of a wide range of individuals who collectively represent hundreds of years of experience in government procurement. With a new Administration taking office in 2017, we believe they offer insights that can help set a new tone in the procurement culture. We also encourage the current Administration to resist any talk of “lame duck” status and to continue implementing innovative changes to the procurement process already underway. We hope outgoing officials will work with the incoming Administration to identify those reforms that have worked, those that have not, and which reforms need more time before they can reasonably be judged.

CIVILITY & THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center hosted events in fall 2010 and spring 2011 on Civility and the American Experience. These events discussed the legacy of George Washington, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln as leaders who exemplified pragmatism and compromise during times of political strife.

CRISIS LEADERSHIP

A seminar series in December 2006, Crisis Leadership: Securing Societies, Protecting Homelands, aimed to address public leadership reactions post-crises, initiated CSPC’s Crisis Leadership program. In March 2007, the Center hosted its second seminar of Crisis Leadership at the Capitol with the goal of navigating the politics of crisis leadership by building off the previous conference’s findings.

DECLARATION ON CIVILITY & INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

In response to the multitude of problems facing our nation, the Center created the Declaration on Civility and Inclusive Leadership, a document aimed at forging national unity by crossing party lines. The Declaration has garnered support from professional athletes to former government officials and has secured over 200 signatories. First issued in 2004, and most recently issued in 2008, this declaration aims to harness the tools needed to forge national unity and marshal the best talent to government.

EUROPEAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Strengthening Multi-Lateral Leadership: A European Exchange Program was started by the Center in the fall of 2008 in an effort to improve transatlantic relations. The program brought 14 young leaders from positions of policy planning in European governments to Washington, DC, to meet experts involved in the 2009 and past Presidential transitions. Participants returned in the spring of 2009 to evaluate the progression of the transition through the first hundred days of the Obama Administration.

FINANCIAL CRISIS CONTINGENCY PLANNING: SOVEREIGN GAMBIT EXERCISE

With the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress convened a group of financial experts at Georgetown University for a five-hour tabletop exercise on financial contingencies facilitated by Booz Allen Hamilton. The purpose of the scenario was not to predict what future events are likely to be, but more so to evaluate tools and processes available to policymakers to address crises, how these tools have changed since 2008, and what needs to be done to create greater economic security and international coordination in financial markets going forward.

HOMELAND SECURITY ROUNDTABLES

Beginning with off-the-record dialogues sponsored for then-incoming Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, the Center continued to sponsor roundtable discussions concerning homeland security featuring think tanks, universities and business leaders. The most recent roundtables led to the current CSPC project on U.S. electric grid security.

IRAQ STUDY GROUP

In 2006, CSPC co-convened—with CSIS, USIP, and the Baker Institute—the Iraq Study Group in order to discuss policy options for the ongoing War in Iraq. The study group, co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and Congressman Lee Hamilton, included two CSPC Trustees, Chuck Robb and Ed Meese. The findings of the report—widely disseminated to Congress, the Bush Administration, and the American public—provided policy options for addressing the crisis confronting U.S. and allied forces as violence in Iraq increased.

A LETTER ON STEM EDUCATION TO AMERICA’S PARENTS

In December 2012, CSPC released A Letter on STEM Education for America's Parents at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to an audience of STEM education professionals, community leaders, and policymakers. The project was co-chaired by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine, former Senator Bill Brock and former Governor Roy Romer. The report was the product of more than a year and a half of discussions among CSPC STEM education team members and other experts from within and outside of government. In an effort to acknowledge the central role parents play in their children’s education—and in some measure to recognize the lack of action in Congress on this issue—the STEM Education Issue Team addressed this message directly to parents.

MOBILIZING NATO FOR AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN

The Center worked with over 40 experts—including the former Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Bantz Craddock, U.S. Army (Ret.)—on NATO and South and Central Asia to enhance NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Center conducted an analysis of the untapped capacities and immediate reforms NATO members can provide in order to bolster the international mission in Afghanistan. In order to help convince Allies of the need for enhanced commitments, the Center also performed an assessment of the threat that extremists in South and Central Asia pose to Europe and North America.

Project Co-Chairs: Dr. David M. Abshire, W. Bruce Weinrod

Project Senior Advisor: General John Craddock, U.S. Army (Ret.)

NATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR CHARACTER-BASED LEADERSHIP

Established in 2005, the National Consortium for Character-Based Leadership works to disseminate the belief that character and leadership must be fostered simultaneously. The Center brought together teachers, administrators, academics, and professional leaders to together to work on creative approaches to support this belief in our youth. Beginning in 2009, CCSPC Senior Fellow Bud Krogh spoke at several NCCBL conferences about his unique experiences while working under President Nixon and the lessons he learned that resulted in “The Integrity Zone,” a decision-making model intended to help people make choices based on integrity in their professional and personal lives.

NUCLEAR DEFENSE WORKING GROUP (NDWG)

The Center-sponsored NDWG was a series of meetings and working group sessions amongst technology, science, and policy experts aimed at improving U.S. efforts to prevent and/or defend against clandestine nuclear attacks. The NDWG began in May 2007, and the findings were shared with Congressional leaders and senior staff.

PROJECT ON NATIONAL SECURITY REFORM

Building on its 2001 report on Comprehensive Strategic Reform, the Center, with support from the Department of Defense, began sponsoring the Project on National Security Reform in 2006. With PNSR’s goal was to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the national security system through a series of case studies and proceedings. The PNSR has since become an independent organization led by James R. Locher III.

RELIGION & PUBLIC POLICY

The Center has done numerous projects focused on the intersection of religion and public policy in the United States.  A recent project—led by CSPC Trustee Ambassador Francis Rooney—focused on the relationship between the United States and the Holy See.  As a result of this project, Ambassador Rooney authored a book, The Global Vatican, which covers the history of U.S.-Vatican relations and the role of U.S.-Vatican diplomacy in a changing world.

STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S FUTURE INITIATIVE

In 2007 through 2009, CSPC convened the Strengthening America’s Future Initiative, inspired by Dr. Abshire’s book, A Call to Greatness: Challenging the Next President. This project, co-chaired by Norm Augustine, Leon Panetta, Roy Romer, and David Walker—alongside over 110 project contributors—developed two comprehensive reports. The first, Saving America’s Future, provided a strategic framework for the political, economic, and security issues that would face the winner of the 2008 election. The second, Prosperity or Decline?, provided a series of policy solutions and political reforms for the incoming administration and Congressional leaders.

THE U.S. & LATIN AMERICA

Chaired by CSPC Trustees Mel Martinez and Francis Rooney, this project examines U.S. policy towards Latin America and the opportunities for increased attention toward the region and improved relations with regional partners. With a focus on economic engagement, educational exchanges, and civil institutions, this program will look at how the successes of nations like Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Panama can be applied to U.S. policy toward the region.