Rupture: The U.S. and the Fate of World Order Speaker Series - Rupture #2: Security

March 5, 2026  |  12:30 - 2 pm (lunch talk)  |  223 Philosophy Hall

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IIS Spring 2026 Speaker Series

Rupture: The U.S. and the Fate of World Order

Rupture #2: Security
What are the prospects for American security when strong alliances are shaken?

The bedrock of American foreign policy and national security - the linchpin of its geopolitical position - has been a network of trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific alliances built on the principle of collective security among allies who share interests and values. NATO anchors the transatlantic alliance, but its credibility has been shaken by strains over Ukraine and now Greenland as well as tariffs and trade disputes. The future of American leadership - even participation - in its alliances is questioned. What are the prospects for American security when strong alliances are shaken?

Panelists

• Michaela Mattes, UCB Professor of Political Science
• Jake Hecla, Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy
• Andrew Reddie, UCB Professor and Founder, Berkeley Risk and Security Lab
  
  

Series Description

Rupture: The U.S. and the Fate of World Order is a speaker series engaging expert academics and practitioners to provide a contemporaneous overview of the intentional disruption of US foreign policy and “rupture” of the international order. Longstanding pillars of American foreign policy and national security are being corroded and even dismantled, with immediate consequences and historic long-term implications for global security, stability, and prosperity.

This IIS-hosted series explores the core contours of this disruption by identifying its driving forces, key actors, and structural effects. Each event examines the current moment through one of four overlapping domains: 1) democracy and human rights, 2) collective security and alliances, 3) the international economic and trade order, and 4) the international community, international law, and multilateral institutions. Together, these sessions enable students and others to deepen their understanding of the dynamics at work and their impacts.