Talk:Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council of the United States

Mission:

The Atlantic Council of the United States promotes constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic community in meeting the international challenges of the 21st century. The Council embodies a non-partisan network of leaders who aim to bring ideas to power and to give power to ideas by:

- stimulating dialogue and discussion about critical international issues with a view to enriching public debate and promoting consensus on appropriate responses in the Administration, the Congress, the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and the media in the United States and among leaders in Europe, Asia, and the Americas;

- conducting educational and exchange programs for successor generations of U.S. leaders so that they will come to value U.S. international engagement and have the knowledge and understanding necessary to develop effective policies.

Through its diverse networks, the Council builds broad constituencies to support constructive U.S. leadership and policies. Its program offices publish informational analyses, convene conferences among current and/or future leaders, and contribute to the public debate in order to integrate the views of knowledgeable individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and experiences.

Important contributions by the Council include:

-identifying and shaping responses to major issues facing the Atlantic Alliance and transatlantic relations;

-building consensus on U.S. policy towards Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan;

-promoting balanced responses to growing energy needs and environmental protection;

-drafting roadmaps for U.S. policy towards the Balkans, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, and Libya;

-engaging students from across the Euro-Atlantic area in the processes of NATO transformation and enlargement.

History

Within a few years of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, voluntary organizations emerged in the member countries of the Alliance to promote public understanding and support for the policies and institutions that would build collective security and peace. This international network of citizens’ associations was bound together formally in 1954 with the creation of the Atlantic Treaty Association.

In 1961, former Secretaries of State Dean Acheson and Christian Herter, with Will Clayton, William Foster, Theodore Achilles and other distinguished Americans, recommended the consolidation of the U.S. citizens groups supporting the Atlantic Alliance into the Atlantic Council of the United States.

Throughout the 1960s, the Council produced a series of reports on the state of public opinion towards Alliance member countries and sought to actively educate the public about the need for engagement in international affairs through television commercials (starring Bob Hope), an academic journal, and its newsletter. In 1967, the Council produced its first edited volume, Building the American – European Market: Planning for the 1970s. By 1975, the Council was producing numerous policy papers, books, monographs, and other works with the help of international practitioners and had expanded the scope of its work to include environmental management and the relationship between Japan and the West.

In 1979, Atlantic Council Vice-Chairman Theodore Achilles, recognizing the need to formally reach out to young leaders, established the Committee on Education and the Successor Generations. He wanted future policymakers to understand the solidarity required among people of good conscience if they were to build a better world. In 1980, the Council began to host mid-career professionals for a one-year fellowship, in order to provide opportunities for government officials, research scholars, business, media and other private sector leaders worldwide to pursue a year of independent study. In 1985, the NATO Information Office opened in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, in order to focus public attention on issues of importance to the collective security of the United States and its Allies.

The Council convened a major international conference on rebuilding East-West relations in 1988, featuring speeches by President Ronald Reagan, then-presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Colin Powell, and Brent Scowcroft.

After the fall of communism, programs began to examine the transition underway in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet states, the long-term impact of the conflicts in the Balkans, efforts toward European integration, and nuclear security. Since 1996, the Council has recognized “Distinguished International Leaders” through its annual awards dinner. In 2004, the Council became the U.S. partner in the British-North American Committee, a group of leaders from business, labor, and academia in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada committed to harmonious, constructive relations among the three countries and their citizens.

Since its inception, the Council has administered programs to examine political and economic as well as security issues, and to cover Asia, the Americas and other regions in addition to Europe. All its programs are, however, based on the conviction that a healthy transatlantic relationship is fundamental to progress in organizing a strong international system.

Renaming proposal

This article is on the US organization named Atlantic Council of the United States and should be so titled, not just 'Atlantic Council' because first, no such organization is considered here, and second, the US organization does not claim monopoly on 'Atlantic Council' which is part of the name of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom and other similar organizations. The present title is confusing. Apcbg 14:22, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

Unbalanced article?

The article notes there are Atlantic Councils in "many countries". If so, why does this article have a paragraph on the US Atlantic Council? is this showing US bias? May I suggest either a paragraph for each of the Atlantic Councils, a selection (and indication to how that selection has been made) or a general article about Atlantic Councils and then links to specific Atlantic Councils.

Right now the article seems to describe the US Atlantic Council and links to the Bulgarian Atlantic Council - it's quite a thin article; suggests there is little information about the topic and only the USA and Bulgaria participate. cheers. --mgaved (talk) 10:13, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

You are quite right. Originally this was an article on the US Atlantic Council alone, and essentially still is. As an article on 'Atlantic councils' in general it is surely unballanced as it cannot go into great details (as it doe for the US council) for all such organizations. The right thing to do would be to rename this article 'US Atlantic Council' as suggested in the preceding section. The general article on 'Atlantic councils' should probably be either a redirect to Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA), or a brief article based on the present introduction to this article plus links to particular councils' articles and the ATA article. Apcbg (talk) 10:42, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

NPOV

Reads like an advertisment, especially this part " ... the Council has emerged as a think tank with a reputation for bringing together policy makers from both sides of the Atlantic, and beyond. ... ". Not encyclopedic, more like public relations gibberish. Cowicide (talk) 22:42, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

This is nothing more than a glaringly obvious political propaganda PR firm backed by large corporations, oil industry shills, and the dreaded Military Industrial Complex. I find it hard to accept anything in this article which defines their actual funders and/or their global presence. This type of propaganda doesn't belong in Wikipedia, or any other encyclopedic document purporting to divulge factual information. Seeing that the majority of "Articles" available on their website are simply notices of how some representative or another of the organization was quoted by a tainted news media source as being "expert" with NO qualifying legitimate listing of credentials or sources. There is a sickness infecting the media and this organization is one of the most rotten apples at the bottom of the propaganda shill barrel. Please remove this highly slanted ADVERTISEMENT! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.67.221.24 (talk) 20:30, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

I further discovered a glaring example of misinformation which exposes the clandestine propaganda nature of this organisation. In their website they claim... "Founded in 1961, the Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic shifts in economic and political influence that are shaping the twenty-first century by educating and galvanizing its uniquely influential, nonpartisan network of international political, business, and intellectual leaders...." It is staffed by political lobbyists and ex-senators (mostly with far right leaning tendencies). Is there any doubt as to their biased intentions when they are an immediate and direct offshoot of the Hoover Institute? The sickness runs deep! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.67.221.24 (talk) 20:43, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

Who funds it? The article does not list its donors and that is a significant shortcoming. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.12.203.30 (talk) 10:24, 1 March 2014 (UTC)

That would be useful to know, and should be a matter of public record. Suggest this be researched. Another poster above has his own problems if he thinks a pro-western, pro-liberty, pro free market, and (therefore) anti-communist organisation like the Hoover Institute is ‘far right’. That term is usualy used for undemocratic movements of the type that are ultra-nationalist. This article should be monitored to see that this extremist POV is not part of the regular article. A section marked ‘criticism’ could be useful. I note the Council has been active in the movement to support Ukraine, and was addressed by its President recently. The article should be updated to reflect this. 213.205.198.113 (talk) 15:04, 12 May 2022 (UTC)

About: template

I introduced the about template to distinguish the Atlantic Council from the North Atlantic Council. While the names are distinguishable, they can be confused, leading to interpretation of articles like this as if the NATO had decided military mobilization to deter Russia, which it hasn't, it's just the think tank... doing its... thing. -- Seelefant (talk) 20:34, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

I have been to two meetings of the Atlantic Council in the late 1980s as an "academic associate"--one of many from many universities across the United States. Whatever the Atlantic Council may be, it most definitely is not apolitical. I would like to know, for example, how one becomes a member. By invitation only? I can personally affirm, on the basis of what I saw and heard, that it tends to represent the voice of established interests.Landrumkelly (talk) — Preceding undated comment added 14:39, 5 June 2014 (UTC)

Article is extremely biased and lacks much needed criticism

The Atlantic Council is a right wing think tank of former CIA employees (it is a fact, check the management names–all of them were former CIA employees). The Atlantic Council is an extreme right wing neocon think tank that definitely does not value peace and cooperation in the world. To the contrary, they are for example doing their very best to start a major war with Russia in Ukraine. Who loses if Ukraine has a civil war? Ukrainians do, that's who. A quick look at the Atlantic Council website reveals an endless array of "Russia is evil" and "Adolf Putler" hate speech and propaganda directed at Russia, most of it lies and misinformation.

Face the facts: this is no "non partisan" think tank: this is a neo-conservative right wing think tank linked to the CIA, major defense corporations, and America's bloated military industrial complex. Its mission seems to be starting war/fomenting war with Russia, Syria, and China.

Right wing think tank serving American business elite. Definitely not serving the American public in any capacity. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2a00:1028:8d1c:741e:3d13:cf11:3eb2:574c (talk) 15:21, 8 June 2015‎ (UTC)

That's an interesting theory, but it doesn't bear much relation to reality. Liberal Barack Obama picked much of his defense and foreign policy team from among members of the council. In fact, the last THREE chairmen have been Obama appointees either before or after their terms. The current vice-chair is an investment banker and the president was a journalist; the executive vice-president worked for both the Clinton and Bush administrations, as well as NATO. NONE of them show any sign they might have been members of the CIA. And frankly, even if they ALL were, that would do absolutely nothing to show that they are or were ever "right wing" politically. The CIA is a bureaucracy, and bureaucracies attract bureaucrats, who often (especially in the USA), are on the left wing, politically, because the right wing wants to reduce the size, power, and influence of bureaucracies. ~ MD Otley (talk) 02:43, 15 November 2015 (UTC)

"Liberal Barack Obama..." The reality is that Barack Obama is a neo-conservative right wing politician masquerading as a progressive. ---Dagme (talk) 14:54, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

After reading that the Atlantic Council came out in favour of TPP because it is wanted for security (while so far it has only ever been referred to as a trade partnership) I came here and wondered what exactly the Atlantic Council was. an NGO or what precisely. It seems to be an internationally funded think tank/policy organisation, but non-partisan would no longer be true. The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) is promoted by the current Obama administration as 'we must write the rules or the Chinese will'. If the Atlantic Council were non-partisan, i.e. not taking sides on power issues, they would have stayed out of this. 101.166.86.118 (talk) 06:41, 14 August 2016 (UTC)

Feels like there are editors with partisan axes to grind here! I have seen no reliable sources that document the organisation as being anything other than a cross party, multilateral think tank interested in classical ideas of liberalism. Am happy to be persuaded otherwise, but I would like to see a good spread of evidence set out here on the talk page first.Erasmus Sydney (talk) 22:48, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

This extremist critique could be contrasted with what actually happened in Ukraine in 2022, the launching of war by Russia. Are there any sources as to who said this in 2015, what they say now, what links they have abroad, and so on? 213.205.198.113 (talk) 15:09, 12 May 2022 (UTC)

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Deleted line

Deleted unnecessary politically suggestive line. It gave undue weight to what was essentially the opinion of one journalist who gave one example: A company who supported a free trade agreement donated money to a pro free trade think tank which then published a report...supporting free trade. Not particularly insightful and I don't think it's appropriate for a Wikipedia article to have a line suggesting a lack of integrity on the part of a think tank especially when the source is an opinion piece which does a poor job of establishing that that's the case. Alexanderhamilton3 (talk) 17:59, 3 February 2018 (UTC)

Removing advert template

I would like to work towards removing the advert maintenance template added in August 2013}}. What changes still need to be made to satisfy editors and users who have left comments previously?Oceanflynn (talk) 18:35, 31 October 2018 (UTC) Alexanderhamilton3, Seelefant, Mgaved, Apcbg, Cowicide, 50.67.221.24, 101.166.86.118, Mdotley

I would like to support you Oceanflynn in fixing the issues that have lead to the warning stamp. Seems to me mostly it can be by applying principles of even-handedness, allowing criticism, finding independent sources, and stripping out all the PR language. We could work on some drafts - your user page or mine?— Preceding unsigned comment added by Erasmus Sydney (talk • contribs) 06:32, 8 April 2020 (UTC)

Potential RS

This is a more recent list of media articles in which the Council has been mentioned:

Wall Street Journal

Ben Nimmo of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, was quoted in the Washington Post and in the Wall Street Journal re: Russian trolls

• "Russian Internet Trolls Obsessed Over Trump". Wall Street Journal. October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018. "nonpartisan think tank the Atlantic Council".</ref>

"The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab" co-founded by Graham Brookie "a National Security Council advisor in the last four years of the Obama administration" and Ben Nimmo...is based in a 12-foot-by-12-foot office in the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the nearly 60-year-old Council, a think tank devoted to studying serious and at times obscure international issues." The "lab and Atlantic Council bring geopolitical expertise and allow Facebook to distance itself from sensitive pronouncements".

The Hill

• Goldwyn, David L. (October 29, 2018). "Unfinished business: Putting the final touches on the USMCA". The Hill. Opinion. Retrieved October 31, 2018. According to a recent Atlantic Council report, cumulative flows of Chinese foreign direct investment in Latin America have reached $110 billion, with $25 billion in oil and gas investment, and $13 billion in electricity, utilities and alternative energy. China's State Grid has invested $7 billion in Brazil, through a combination of greenfield investments and acquisitions. The author David L. Goldwyn, who served as the "U.S. State Department’s special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs from 2009 to 2011" is currently "chairman of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Energy Advisory Group".

NPR

• Alexander, Amy (April 23, 2017). "Why My Coal Mining Grandfather's Deathbed Advice Applies To Minority Americans". NPR. Retrieved October 31, 2018. This month, the Atlantic Council released, "Keeping America's Innovation Edge," a report on the intersection of U.S. populations (in particular, the role of immigrants, American-born ethnic minorities, and residents in mid-sized cities including Madison, Wisc., and Boulder, CO); the two year-long study found that increased investments in higher education, and in technical training or "re-skilling" for current workers are acutely needed if the U.S. is to continue to prosper as a leader in technology and STEM-driven economic development.

• Hu, Elise (December 13, 2017). "Tillerson's North Korean Overture Highlights His Credibility Problem". Retrieved October 31, 2018. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke at the 2017 Atlantic Council-Korea Foundation Forum "a think tank in Washington, D.C." in December 2017. "He told the audience the U.S. shouldn't require North Korea to promise to give up its nuclear weapons as a condition of holding talks."

The Economist

The Economist published this Atlantic Council report in their The Bigger Picture series:

• Burrows, Mathew J.; Bohl, David K.; Moyer, Jonathan D. (April 2017). Our World Transformed: Geopolitical Shocks and Risks (PDF) (Report). p. 34. ISBN 978-1-61977-422-3. Retrieved October 31, 2018. "Zurich Insurance Group and the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security are engaged in a multi-year thought leadership effort to quantify aggregated global risks. In 2015, we used an extensive quantitative model pioneered by the University of Denver's Pardee Center for International Futures to explore the economic benefits and costs of cyber risks; in 2016, we continued to use this unique model, focusing on demographic risks. In this report, we focus on geopolitical risks. This report is written and published in accordance with the Atlantic Council Policy on Intellectual Independence.

References

Proposed revision of Lead + Intro + History (COI disclosure)

Hello, I have a declared conflict of interest concerning the Atlantic Council article. I propose updates to the lead (introductory paragraphs) and the History section to improve clarity, sourcing, and completeness. Below is my suggested replacement text.

Proposed Intro / Lead + History

The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1961, it promotes constructive U.S. leadership and international engagement in cooperation with allies and partners. The Council traces its origins to post-World War II efforts to strengthen support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the transatlantic alliance. Over time, it has expanded its scope beyond Europe to address global political, economic, and security challenges.

Structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Council is governed by a board of directors and supported by an international advisory board, corporate and government partners, and individual donors. It conducts research, convenes policymakers, and publishes reports on issues including security, energy, economics, digital policy, and climate change. Its 16 regional centers and thematic programs include the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, the Eurasia Center, the GeoEconomics Center, the Global Energy Center, the Africa Center, and the Digital Forensic Research Lab, among others.

The Council is a member of the Council of Councils, a global network of think tanks, and hosts annual events such as the Distinguished Leadership Awards. It is regularly ranked among the most influential U.S. think tanks on foreign policy and international affairs.

Proposed History

The Atlantic Council was founded in 1961 through a merger of the Atlantic Union Committee and the U.S. Citizens’ Council of the Atlantic Treaty Association. Its early leadership included honorary chairmen former presidents Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower, reflecting bipartisan support for the transatlantic alliance. The Atlantic Council’s initial work consisted largely of publishing policy papers and polling Europeans and Americans about their attitudes towards transatlantic and international cooperation. Its creation reflected the view among American and European leaders that public support was essential to sustain NATO during the Cold War. Early supporters included former secretaries of state Dean Acheson and Christian Herter, as well as senior diplomats and business leaders.

During the Cold War, the Council concentrated on strengthening NATO cohesion and encouraging dialogue between U.S. and European policymakers. After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, it broadened its focus to support democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe and their integration into NATO and the European Union. In the 1990s and early 2000s, it also expanded programs on the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Since the early 21st century, the Council has grown into a global think tank. Under Frederick Kempe, who became president and chief executive officer in 2007, the Atlantic Council has significantly expanded its initiatives—launching programs on energy security, economic governance, digital disinformation, climate change, and U.S.–China relations—reflecting its evolution into a more globally oriented think tank.

Rationale

• Incorporates the full three-paragraph lead in a neutral, summarized style to give readers immediate context before diving into History.
• Strengthens sourcing of historical claims (founders, leadership, mission) and continuity from founding through modern transformation.
• Ensures that both lead and history flow logically and connect to later sections such as programs and impact.

Thank you for reviewing this proposal.

Zackbaddorf (talk) 12:38, 30 September 2025 (UTC)

I am denying this request due to reference verification failure and heavy reliance on primary sources.

For example: https://www.weforum.org/organizations/atlantic-council/ does not verify ranking among other think tanks. S1mply.dogmom (talk) 23:46, 9 December 2025 (UTC)

Here is an archived link for "The Atlantic Council: The First 35 Years" to include in future request if needed. S1mply.dogmom (talk) 00:00, 10 December 2025 (UTC)

== Revised request: Lead only (COI) ==

Hi User:S1mply.dogmom — thank you for the feedback on my earlier request. I understand the concerns about verification and primary-source reliance. To make this easier to review, I’m resubmitting a much narrower request: **lead only** (no History or other sections). I have removed the prior “ranking/most influential” language and found sourcing that demonstrates the additional details.

=== Proposed replacement lead (three paragraphs) ===

The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1961, it promotes constructive U.S. leadership and international engagement in cooperation with allies and partners. The Council traces its origins to post-World War II efforts to strengthen support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the transatlantic alliance. Over time, it has expanded its scope beyond Europe to address global political, economic, and security challenges

Structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Council is governed by a board of directors and supported by an international advisory board, corporate and government partners, and individual donors. It conducts research, convenes policymakers, and publishes reports on issues including security, energy, economics, digital policy, and climate change. Its 16 regional centers and thematic programs include the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, the Eurasia Center, the GeoEconomics Center, the Global Energy Center, the Africa Center, and the Digital Forensic Research Lab, among others.

The Council hosts annual events such as the Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards. In the 2019 edition of the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, the Atlantic Council was listed in the “Top Think Tanks in the United States” ranking.

=== END PROPOSED EDITS ===

Thank you for considering this narrower request. If we can work on these changes together in smaller batches, hopefully that will make this process more manageable. Wishing you a great holiday season. Zackbaddorf (talk) 18:51, 23 December 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for putting the effort into a more focused request. I apologize for the late response, it has been difficult to spend ample time on here due to the holidays.

I will be leaving this as a denied request, however. Here's why:

• The lead is supposed to be a quick access summary of the main body of the article. See MOS:LEAD. There shouldn't be anything in the lead that isn't provided in the body.
• Verifiability - page numbers for the book citations would be helpful in verifying the information.
• Tone - Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Phrasing such as "traces its origins" and "expanded its scope" deviates from the neutrally informative tone we aim for.
• Misleading promotion - The final statement of your submission about the ranking as a Think Tank is misleading. The list in the source is of 100 think tanks and the Atlantic council is 8th on that list. If specifics of how its listed and ranked make the statement less appealing to add, it is best if it is left out.

One thing to take note of if you plan on resubmitting, is the order of submission. If something is to be added to the lead, it must also be in the body (context and citation for body - summation in lead.) It is best if the two areas are updated with the same information at the same time.

I hope this helps. S1mply.dogmom (talk) 19:31, 31 December 2025 (UTC)