1. Russia is simply too big and too important for the United States to attempt to isolate. A right balance must be found that takes into account Russia’s interests.
2. Engaging Russia is not about trust but rather the alignment of interests.
3. Resolving numerous international issues would be difficult without Russia.
4. The U.S. cannot contain or isolate Russia, nor can it build a partnership. But there are several things that can be done:
   • reopen channels of communication to avoid dangerous misunderstandings;
   • tone down the rhetoric;

Since World War II, around 30% of US ambassadors have been presidential appointments

Author: Zalmay Khalilzad Counselor at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, Former US Ambassador in Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN.

"Slow growth and economic dislocation is producing a backlash against globalization. And against the backdrop of economic stagnation, isolationist sentiments in America are hitting levels unseen since the immediate post-Vietnam era.

European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sent US President-Elect Donald Trump a joint letter of congratulations, inviting him to visit Europe for a summit as soon as possible. Most likely, the EU's letter was the first invitation the President-Elect did receive from global leaders. But given the President-Elect leadership style it would have been far better for the both of them to fly to New York and request a meeting as the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe cleverly did.

Nicolas Sarkozy: Yes to Treaty Change, No to EU Referendum

Author: Anthony Chambers ( PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Manchester and former Civitas intern). Original Text has been edited by AALEP.

Lobbyists are purged from official roles in President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team. The move to get rid of lobbyists in key roles was one of the first decisions made by Vice President-elect Mike Pence in his role overseeing the construction of a Trump administration.

List

1. Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has not yet been ratified.

2. Appoint tough and smart trade negotiators to fight on behalf of American workers.

3. Direct the Secretary of Commerce to identify every violation of trade agreements a foreign country is currently using to harm our workers, and also direct all appropriate agencies to use every tool under American and international law to end these abuses.

President Barack said during a news conference on his final overseas trip that the President-elect had tapped into a "troubling" strain of rhetoric playing on Americans' fears of globalization to win the presidency. But here are the hard facts about the so-called rhetoric the President-Elect is being wrongly incriminated:  

Outsourcing and Offshoring of American jobs

Strategic communication(s} means the synchronization of words and deeds and how they will be perceived by selected audiences, as well as programs and activities deliberately aimed at communicating and engaging with intended audiences, including those implemented by public affairs, public diplomacy, and information operations professionals.

Communication and engagement should be designed to support policy goals as well as to achieve specific effects to include: