May 22nd, 2020
On May 22nd, 2020, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Foreign Policy for America hosted a Zoom discussion about the essential role of dissent in government.
The ongoing global health crisis has revealed the costs of a government unwilling to correct its course. While the Trump administration carries disdain for contrary opinions to a new level, the culture of the federal government has long dismissed voices of dissent, frequently to our peril. In her book The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age, Elizabeth Shackelford shares her personal experience as a diplomat trying to push back against the status quo, and offers insight into the State Department’s long history of ignoring others who have tried to do the same. Elizabeth was joined by Ambassador Nancy McEldowney and they discussed how a healthier culture of dissent is necessary for a more effective national security strategy.
The conversation was moderated by Foreign Policy for America’s Andrew Albertson with introductory remarks from Quincy Institute’s Executive Vice President Trita Parsi.
You can watch the full video here.
