The 73rd Annual Class of 1971 Student Conference on U.S. Affairs - SCUSA 73

November 2-5, 2022

American Foreign Policy in an Era of Polarized Politics and Revisionist Powers

The 73rd Annual Class of 1971 Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA 73) will focus on “American Foreign Policy in an Era of Polarized Politics and Revisionist Powers.”  At the conference, delegates will evaluate a range of contemporary obstacles to better understand the future of America’s foreign policy.  SCUSA 73 delegates will collaborate to develop policy proposals for the U.S. government that address a dynamic, uncertain strategic environment.

America faces a mix of emerging and renewed obstacles to crafting effective and legitimate foreign policy.  The evolving geopolitical environment increasingly challenges US power and principles abroad. Domestically, American policymakers operate in a politically-charged and culturally-divided landscape, inhibiting compromise and effective policymaking while sometimes calling into question long-standing external commitments.  In advancing its interests and values abroad, the United States encounters foreign powers seeking to revise or overturn existing international relationships, transnational institutions and norms, and even state boundaries.  As familiar adversaries seek to alter regional balances in Europe and the Middle East, and as the challenge of China gathers momentum, America must act effectively and with lasting purpose to maintain its global leadership.  Policymakers will continue to grapple with a challenging question:  How should the United States safeguard its values and interests in an era of political polarization and revisionist powers?

 

SCUSA 73 Theme Paper

SCUSA 73 Brochure

SCUSA 73 Delegate Frequently Asked Questions

SCUSA 73 Photos

 

Contact the SCUSA Staff

 

Please email the SCUSA staff if you have any questions about the conference. Contact your school's political science department if you would like to register.

Once you register for the conference, you will be assigned a roundtable and Cadet Point of Contact (CPOC). Please coordinate with your roundtable CPOC for any specific questions.

If you cannot reach your CPOC, the SCUSA 73 Executive Secretary is Major Sean McKnight and the SCUSA 73 Cadet Commander is Cadet Benjamin Mayo.