From KERA in Dallas, this is Think. I'm John McKay in for Chris Boyd.

We celebrate a big anniversary in America this year, 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It is time to take stock of our successes and failures in the world of foreign policy.

The Council on Foreign Relations asked members of the Society of Historians of American Foreign Policy

to come up with what they consider America's 10 best and 10 worst foreign policy decisions.

Some of their conclusions are well, well known, others long forgotten.

James Lindsay is with the Council on Foreign Relations.

There he is the Mary and David Boyes Senior Distinguished Fellow on U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

His work focuses on U.S. national security, our process of making foreign policy, and its connection to domestic policy.

He joins us this hour. James, welcome to think. Thank you for having me, John.

You know, two and a half centuries is a long time. I want to talk,

first of all, about some of the folks who were gathered together to come up with this list.

No slouches here. I mean, some serious scholars of foreign policy history. Certainly, we were

very fortunate that members of Schaefer, the Society for Historians,

American Foreign Relations, agreed to cooperate with us in this, just for people who aren't aware of Schaefer.

It is the professional association for historians who focus on American foreign relations, America's engagement with the world.

And I should add, they're not all Americans, a number of members of Schaefer live overseas,

and they have a great interest in American foreign relations for how it affects their countries and their regions.

Let's start off with the 10 best decisions, according to the group.

Number 10 was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

The United States discovers that the Soviet Union is placing nuclear-tipped missiles in Cuba.

And at first, John F. Kennedy is the President.

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