Study Group with Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte: From the Situation Room to the Global South: How the White House Shapes U.S. Policy Toward a Developing World

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

IN-PERSON GUEST: Daniel Erickson, Senior Advisor at Covington & Burling LLP, non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and former Special Assistant to President Biden and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council

In a fast-evolving world, nations of the Global South are asserting unprecedented and weightier influence on global economics, security and diplomacy. Policy decisions made in the White House resonate far beyond Washington, shaping how the U.S. engages with a continually transforming world. Yet few outside government understand how those decisions take shape. Who is in the room where it happens? How are tradeoffs debated? Does domestic policy influence global strategy? How does the White House translate these evolving realities into coherent U.S. policy?

Drawing on his experience as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of the Western Hemisphere and as a senior advisor to President Biden, Daniel Erikson will provide an inside look at how policy toward an important region of the Global South: The Western Hemisphere, is made at the highest levels of government. From Interagency debates and presidential priorities to the pressures of public opinion, domestic politics, and global competition, Mr. Erikson, also a Kennedy School alumnae, will explore the complex forces that shape how Washington engages with Latin America, Africa, and beyond.

The session will illustrate both the process and the politics of policymaking, examining how issues such as climate change, migration, democracy and China’s expanding influence are addressed inside the executive branch- and how future policymakers can navigate those competing demands.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.

About Daniel Erickson

Daniel P. Erikson is a Senior Advisor at Covington & Burling LLP, and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He has more than twenty years of experience in international relations, national security, and defense policy, primarily focused on Western Hemisphere affairs.

During the Biden Administration, Erikson served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council, where he oversaw U.S. foreign policy in the 34-country area of responsibility that included North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Erikson was previously the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of Defense, where he focused on defense modernization, security cooperation, counter-narcotics, climate resilience, cyber, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. In this capacity, Erikson served as a member of the Senior Executive Service and managed a team of civilian and military defense professionals to provide policy guidance to the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Southern Command.

Erikson’s past government positions include Special Advisor to the Vice President in the White House, and Senior Advisor for Congressional and Inter-Governmental Affairs and Senior Advisor for Policy in the State Department’s Bureau for Western Hemisphere Affairs.

In recognition of his contributions to regional security, he has received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the U.S. State Department’s Superior Honor Award, and the Inter-American Defense Board medal.

In addition to his U.S. government experience, Dan has held senior positions in the private sector, think-tanks, and academia. He has published widely on a range of topics in international and Latin American and Caribbean affairs and testified before the U.S. Congress. He a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.