Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Nacht

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Michael Nacht, who is Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Professor Nacht teaches and writes in the fields of U.S. national security and foreign policy, and on management strategies for public organizations. He was a founding coeditor of the journal International Security, and he served in the Clinton administration as Assistant Director for Strategic and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Dean Nacht presently serves as Chairman of the Secretary of Defense's Advisory Committee on Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

1. Background ... education ... influence of parents ... engineer at NASA ... Ph.D. in political science
2. Public Policy ... skills needed ... School of Public Policy curriculum ... compared to foreign policy ... role of public opinion
3. Ideas in Foreign Policy ... International Security journal ... the role of foundations ... theory versus practice
4. Working in Government ... disarming Russia ... presidential summits ... assessing Clinton
5. Foreign Policy after 9/11 ... new threats ... reorganizing intellectual priorities ... paradigm shift
6. The Bush Doctrine ... U.S. self-image ... preemptive vs. preventive measures ... dangerous precedent ... doctrines vs. reality ... arms control ... "threat reduction"
7. Advice for Students ... read the opposing view ... travel widely

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