About Us

Overview

The practical and moral failures of U.S. efforts to unilaterally shape the destiny of other nations by force requires a fundamental rethinking of U.S. foreign policy assumptions. So does the emergence of a multi-polar world in the 21st century where economic power is more evenly shared across nations. Yet the influence of the “military industrial complex” that President Eisenhower warned of has led to a situation where the foreign policy debate within Washington is intentionally constrained and fails to incorporate the diversity of views needed for that rethinking.

The Quincy Institute aims to lead this reconceptualization, and to do so in a way that serves both vital American interests and the broader shared interest in creating a more just and peaceful world. We believe that a foreign policy that emphasizes military restraint and diplomatic engagement and cooperation with other nations will serve American interests and values better than policies that prioritize the maintenance of U.S. global dominance through force.

How We Work

As a research institution we expose the dangerous consequences of an overly militarized American foreign policy and present an alternative approach that promotes local ownership and resolution of local issues. We connect and mobilize a network of policy experts and academics who are dedicated to a vision of American foreign policy based on military restraint rather than domination. We help increase and amplify their output, and give them a voice in Washington.

As an action-oriented think tank we serve as a resource for members of Congress, grassroots organizations, and emerging leaders in Washington on both sides of the political aisle and across the country who are open to our vision and values. We participate in national security debates taking place in Washington and around the country, both by developing compelling messaging and communications strategies and offering alternative policy and legislative ideas that implement our principles of a less militarized and more cooperative foreign policy.

As a journalistic project our online magazine Responsible Statecraft publishes outside contributors and reporters as well as staff analysis, opinion, and news reportage to promote a positive, transpartisan vision of U.S. foreign policy and critique the ideologies and interests that have mired the United States in counterproductive and endless wars.