The Great Decisions in Foreign Policy television series, produced by the independent Foreign Policy Association and hosted by former CNN World Affairs Correspondent Ralph Begleiter gives armchair diplomats in-depth analysis and expert opinion on the eight most critical global issues facing America in the year ahead. The 2012 series goes back to the experts, and features former Secretaries of State Madeline Albright and George Shultz, David Sanger of the New York Times, former Director of National Defense Gen. Michael Hayden and CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, plus many many more. Topics discussed include After the Arab Spring and Drawdown: Exiting Iraq and Afghanistan.EPISODE LINEUP: After the Arab Spring Synopsis: Following decades of repression and autocratic rule, uprisings in North Africa and throughout the Arab world have upended the status quo – ushering in a new political era now known as the 'Arab Spring' or 'Arab Awakening.' How will this revolutionary moment affect American objectives in the Middle East? After the Arab Spring. Guests: Mona Eltahawy, Columnist and international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues Shadi Hamid, Director of Research, Brookings Doha Center Featuring: Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State ; Carl Gershman, President, National Endowment for Democracy; General Michael Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency and Former Director, National Security Agency; Robert Malley, Middle East and North Africa Program Director, International Crisis Group; Marina Ottaway, Senior Associate, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Gideon Rose, Editor, Foreign Affairs; Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland Shining City on a Hill: Exporting Democracy Synopsis: Democracy promotion has long been a stated goal of U.S. foreign policy. But following the grass-roots uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, can democracy really be exported? Guests: John Glenn, Policy Director, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Ted Piccone, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution Featuring: Thomas Carothers, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dr. Paula Dobriansky, Former Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Robert Gallucci, President, MacArthur Foundation, Carl Gershman, President, National Endowment for Democracy, Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor, David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent, The New York Times, Dr. Paul Williams, President and Founder, Public International Law & Policy Group Beyond the Border: The U.S. and Mexico Synopsis: Relations between the U.S. and Mexico have been tense for decades, now even more because of a violent drug war along the border. But drugs aren't the only thing Americans buy from Mexico. It's also the largest provider of oil, a critical trading partner and a source of much needed labor in the U.S. How best can the two countries confront troublesome border issues while fostering greater economic and cultural ties? Guests: Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Policy and 21st Century Defense Initiative Fellow, Brookings Institution Andrew Selee, Director, Mexico Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center Featuring: Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeffrey Davidow, Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Sean Goforth, Professor of International Political Economy, Coastal Carolina University, Julia Preston, National Immigration Correspondent, The New York Times, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Valenzuela, Director, Center for Latin American Studies, Georgetown University Cybersecurity: Defense in the Digital Age Synopsis: Hackers from Bulgaria to Beijing have infiltrated government networks, military installments and the private sector at an alarming rate in recent years. As governments and industry seek to bolster their defensive – and offensive – capabilities, is the U.S. at risk? Guests: Susan Landau, Visiting Scholar, Department of Computer Science, Harvard Univeristy Martin Libicki, Senior Management Scientist, RAND Corporation Featuring: Stewart Baker, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Senator Ben Cardin, Democrat, Maryland, Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor, General Michael Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency and Former Director, National Security Agency, Dr. John Nagl, President, Center for a New American Security, David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent, The New York Times Drawdown: Exit from Iraq and Afghanistan Synopsis: A decade of heavy American military engagement in both Afghanistan and Iraq is slated to wind down in 2012 under the Obama administration. Extrication will not be easy. Do these countries still pose a threat to the U.S., and what's the return on the American investment in blood and treasure? Guests: Dr. Nora Bensahel, Deputy Director of Studies and Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security Michael Knights, Lafer Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Featuring: Robert Gallucci, President, MacArthur Foundation, Celeste Ward Gventer, Associate Director, Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor, General Michael Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency and Former Director, National Security Agency, Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress, Daniel Markey, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. John Nagl, President, Center for a New American Security, Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, Martha Raddatz, Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent, ABC News, Gideon Rose, Editor, Foreign Affairs, David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent, The New York Times Living Planet: State of the Seas Synopsis: Declining fish populations. Coral erosion. Polluted waters. The human impact on the world's oceans has scientists and other observers alarmed around the globe. A look at the health of the world's seas. Guests: David Helvarg, President, Blue Frontier Campaign Carl Safina, President & Founder, Blue Ocean Institute Featuring: Susan Avery, President and Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Senator Ben Cardin, Democrat, Maryland, Paul Collier, Author, The Plundered Planet, Vikki Spruill, President and CEO, Ocean Conservancy, Paul Williams, President and Founder, Public International Law & Policy Group Inside Indonesia Synopsis: Indonesia was the childhood home of President Barack Obama. It's also the world's most populous Muslim country, a secular democracy and an economic rising star. What challenges does Indonesia - a former dictatorship - face in the region and the world, and what is the state of U.S.-Indonesian relations today? Guests: Sadanand Dhume, Resident Fellow, the American Enterprise Institute and South Asia Columnist, Wall Street Journal Walter Lohman, Director, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation Featuring: Endy Bayuni, Former Editor in Chief, The Jakarta Post, Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal, Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Stapleton Roy, Former U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Energy and Geopolitics Synopsis: With declining global oil reserves and fierce competition for commodities, minerals and other natural resources, the race among countries to secure energy supplies has heated up. Who's ahead in the competition for the world's natural resources, and what does this mean for the U.S.? Guests: David Goldwyn, President and Founder, Goldwyn Global Strategies Frank Verrastro, Senior Vice President and Director of the Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies Featuring: Paul Collier, Author, The Plundered Planet, Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor, Michael Levi, David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, CFR, Robert McNally, Founder and President, The Rapidan Group The New Global Economy Synopsis: The slow recovery from global economic recession has been fraught with setbacks. Debt crises on both sides of the Atlantic have scared markets, while emerging and so-called 'frontier' markets provide some signs of hope. What major trends will define the next global economic chapter, and what rules will govern the next economic order? Guests: Adam Davidson, Co-Founder & Co-Host, Planet Money, NPR Merit Janow, Professor of International Economic Law & International Affairs, Columbia University Featuring: Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State, Maria Bartiromo, Anchor, Closing Bell, CNBC, Dan Ryan, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Services Advisory Practice, Ian Solomon, U.S. Executive Director, The World Bank Read Less