On May 22, 2025, the Center for Communication & Public Policy and Northwestern University’s Buffett Institute for Global Affairs hosted a campus conversation with esteemed historian and academic Nicholas J. Cull from the University of Southern California to explore his concept of “reputational security”—the idea that a nation’s safety and security are strengthened by its soft power and being well-regarded internationally. In conversation with CCPP Director Erik C. Nisbet, Professor Cull provided historical context for recent actions by the Trump administration, including the dismantling of USAID and the Voice of America, freezing of foreign aid, pivot toward Russia, trade wars with close allies, and policy rhetoric about Greenland, Panama Canal, and Gaza. He also discussed how these policies impact America’s global standing and how they pose risks to its national security and that of others.
You can listen to the entire conversation online at this YouTube podcast.