Great Decisions
Twenty-four members met on January 15th at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library for our first session of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club Great Decisions program. Three others joined in on Zoom and three more came to the meeting, asking to join on the spot, bringing our total to 31 registered members Great Decisions is a national, civic educational program established in 1918 by the Foreign Policy Association and is America’s largest discussion group on world affairs. Our Club has kept this program alive for over 50 years. We follow a text of eight Topic chapters with references and suggested readings and resources on each chapter, along with a companion DVD. One of our Co-chairs, Ellen Stone from Marion, will lead the fourth chapter, “India Between China, the West and the Global South.” Ellen, a retired Interbank Foreign Exchange Trader and a Global Treasury Management Consultant for Fortune 500 companies is excited to begin the discussion. She has traveled to India and feels strongly about the importance of India’s democracy, the largest in the world, with a constitution and a population of over one billion. This topic will offer insight into the relationship the U.S has with India regarding world order. Our previous discussions were led by Co-chairs Anne and Art Layton who have participated in Great Decisions for the past ten years. Both their backgrounds are from corporate relocation. Anne and Art express the importance and complexity of each topic. They enjoy that our discussions have many opinions and viewpoints from our group with diverse backgrounds and wide range of careers. In February we will discuss “International Cooperation on Climate Change” and hope to have a guest speaker join us from the “Woodwell Climate Research Center” in Falmouth, MA. I would like to personally thank Ellen, Anne and Art for their assistance and support in keeping Great Decisions afloat this year. Many thanks also to Marianne Hickey and Nancy Holland for their continued coffee, tea, and refreshments that always add to our enjoyment of this program. I would be remiss not to mention how fortunate we are to have Susan Pizzolato, Interim Library Director, and her lovely caring staff who assist us each week with reproduction of materials, technical support and advice. They do this in a kind way, working to help improve our program.Decisions for the past ten years. Both their backgrounds are from corporate relocation. Anne and Art express the importance and complexity of each topic. They enjoy that our discussions have many opinions and viewpoints from our group with diverse backgrounds and wide range of careers. In February we will discuss “International Cooperation on Climate Change” and hope to have a guest speaker join us from the “Woodwell Climate Research Center” in Falmouth, MA. I would like to personally thank Ellen, Anne and Art for their assistance and support in keeping Great Decisions afloat this year. Many thanks also to Marianne Hickey and Nancy Holland for their continued coffee, tea, and refreshments that always add to our enjoyment of this program. I would be remiss not to mention how fortunate we are to have Susan Pizzolato, Interim Library Director, and her lovely caring staff who assist us each week with reproduction of materials, technical support and advice. They do this in a kind way, working to help improve our program.
Co-Chairs: Ellen P. Flynn Ellen O. Stone Ann and Art Layton
Great Decisions 2025 Topics
- American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads
This chapter will explore the contours of the U.S. foreign policy debate as it plays out in a world of multiple and escalating crises and domestic polarization. Author: G. John Ikenberry
- U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy
What are America’s options and opportunities as a leader of the world economy? How will America’s “foreign policy for the middle class” and strategic competition with China impact its leadership role? How can the postwar rules and institutions of the world economy be made safe for economic nationalism and great power competition? Author: Daniel Drezner
- US-China Relations
Washington’s relations with Beijing. China is the U. S.’ preeminent geopolitical challenger and a threat. What are America’s strategic options in the face of Chinese power and ambition? Author: Thomas J. Christensen
- International Cooperation on Climate Change
The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. What is the U.S. role in fostering cooperation on climate change? In a divided country, what are the possible futures for American policy leadership? Author: Josh Busby
- The Future of NATO and European Security
The Uncertainty of European security. Putin’s Russia has launched a war with Ukraine on its doorstep, and America’s uncertain role as leader of NATO and security provider has been called into question. What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas? Author: Kori Schake
- AI and American National Security
The AI revolution is the leading edge of a larger high-tech revolution which promises to transform the world. How will the AI revolution impact American national security? What are its policy options to secure the benefits of AI and guard against its dangers? Author: Julie George
- India: Between China, the West, and the Global South
India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? What opportunities exist for Washington to work with India? Author: Leslie Vinjamuri
- After Gaza: American Policy in the Middle East
The war in Gaza has brought the region to a crossroads. What are the possible outcomes of the war, and how might the United States use its influence to shape a long-term settlement that leaves both Israel and the Palestinians in a better position? How might Arab states in the wider region be brought into a settlement? What are America’s interests in the Middle East and how can it advance them?
