Camden Conference: The U.S. in a Twenty-first Century World: Do We Have What it Takes?

Does America have what it takes to prosper in the twenty-first century world? To compete effectively? Or to thrive and offer its citizens the kinds of satisfying lives they want? These are a few of the varied angles to the challenging question the Camden Conference will be posing. The Camden Conference theme is an unusually searching and introspective one, an examination of the country’s prospects for the future against the backdrop of major transitions in global alignments, an unstable world order, and the rise of new economic power centers in an era of prolonged economic distress. Our political system, our diplomatic and military establishments, our educational system, media, and energy and environmental policies — all will come under scrutiny. As it has been for the previous twenty-four years, the aim of the gathering will be to foster informed discourse on world affairs, in this case with a particular eye both to where the country may be exceptionally strong — and to where we may be falling behind.