Power, Principle, and the World Ahead
The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-winning Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times, and Samantha Power, former USAID Administrator and former UN Ambassador, in conversation with Phil Lader, former US Ambassador, senior advisor to Morgan Stanley.
What role does the United States play in the world today—and how is that role changing? Nicholas Kristof and Samantha Power draw on their experience in journalism and public service to examine the evolving nature of American leadership on the global stage. They reflect on the tensions that have long shaped US foreign policy: the balance between power and principle, the gap between ideals and actions, and the challenges of sustaining a coherent approach across changing administrations. Kristof brings a journalist’s perspective on accountability and the importance of bearing witness, while Power draws on her experience in diplomacy to consider the possibilities and limits of international alliances and institutions.
In conversation with Phil Lader, they explore whether the current moment signals a shift to a new global era, what that era might demand, and how the United States might navigate it. At stake is not only how America is perceived abroad, but what it means to act as a force for stability, partnership, and shared purpose in an increasingly complex world.
The 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism, the arts, science, philanthropy, civic life, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been, and continue to be, tested, reshaped, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded, strengthened, and carried into the future.