Nation States with Yates

America’s supply chains are more than an economic issue. They are a national security issue. Steve Yates explains how dependence on the People’s Republic of China for critical materials, medicines, semiconductors, and manufacturing creates strategic vulnerabilities, why COVID-19 exposed those risks, and what policymakers, businesses, and citizens can do to build a more resilient and se...

America’s greatest strategic advantage may not begin with military power, but with national confidence, innovation, and economic resilience. Steve Yates explains the idea of “America Maxing,” why he believes it is essential to meeting the long-term challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China, and how stronger supply chains, reduced strategic dependence, and renewed Am...

Steve Yates breaks down “smart power,” the missing middle between open-ended military intervention and diplomacy that rewards bad behavior. Using Christian Whiton’s book Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War as a guide, Yates looks at how America can better use culture, rhetoric, economics, intelligence, military posture and political warfare to confront China, Iran and other ad...

Trade policy is about far more than prices at the checkout line. Steve Yates examines Ambassador Robert Lighthizer’s book No Trade Is Free and explains how globalization, tariffs, manufacturing, supply chains, and U.S.-China trade have reshaped America’s economic and national security priorities. He explores why reciprocity, strategic industries, and economic resilience have become cen...

While headlines focus on China, the Middle East, and Europe, a major geopolitical shift is unfolding much closer to home. Steve Yates explores the rise of reform-minded governments across Latin America, growing cooperation on border security and cartel enforcement, and why a stronger Western Hemisphere could benefit American families, energy security, supply chains, and economic growth. Yates argu...

What happens when a nation loses control of its borders? Steve Yates examines the dramatic shift in U.S. immigration and border policy since 2025, why borders remain fundamental to the idea of a nation-state, and how similar debates are unfolding in allies like the United Kingdom and Japan. From migration, public safety, and economic pressures to sovereignty, citizenship, and assimilation, Yates e...

Why do so many foreign policy predictions seem wrong? Steve Yates examines the biggest mistakes analysts, media commentators, and Washington insiders make when interpreting today’s world, from confusing rhetoric with results to misunderstanding alliances, deterrence, and America’s changing role abroad. He offers a framework for cutting through headlines and evaluating global events mor...

For decades, Japan has operated under post-World War II restrictions unlike any other major power. Now those limits may be changing. Steve Yates examines Japan’s push to become a more “normal” nation, why China is fighting that effort, and what a stronger Japanese military could mean for American security, Indo-Pacific stability, and the future balance of power in Asia. Nation St...

Why does America support Taiwan, sell it weapons, and rely on it economically, yet refuse to treat it like a normal country? Steve Yates breaks down the history behind U.S.-Taiwan relations, the origins of “One China” policy, and the growing risk of conflict with Beijing. He explains why current policy may no longer match today’s realities and what a more common-sense approach co...

From Iran and Ukraine to China, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the Strait of Hormuz, Steve Yates breaks down one of the biggest questions facing the Trump administration: what is the prudent use of American power? Yates explains why today’s military and economic conflicts look very different from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan... and why America is increasingly relying on alliances, technology, dete...

Why has Taiwan become one of the most dangerous and important places in the world? Steve Yates breaks down the real history behind China’s claims over Taiwan, why the island sits at the center of the global technology economy, and how a future conflict could impact American jobs, markets, military strategy, and everyday life. From semiconductor chips and supply chains to democracy, deterrenc...

Steve Yates explains how America’s growing competition with China could directly affect your job, your family, your energy costs, your kids’ college opportunities, and the future of U.S. economic power. From AI and semiconductor chips to Taiwan, rare earths, student visas, Boeing sales, agriculture, and energy exports, Yates breaks down what President Trump’s latest talks with Xi...

Iran’s nuclear ambitions, rising energy fears, and America’s next move in the Middle East, Steve Yates breaks down why Trump’s Iran strategy matters far beyond Washington. From military strikes and oil prices to terrorism, negotiations, and national security, Yates explains what victory could look like and why the stakes hit every American household.   Follow  Nati...

China affects your life more than you think: from fentanyl and trade to manufacturing, Taiwan, and the price of goods in your home. Former White House national security advisor Steve Yates breaks down Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Xi Jinping, what’s really at risk for America, and why China’s global ambitions matter on Main Street… not just in Washington. &nbs...

Nation States with Yates  is your personal national security advisor: translating global politics, foreign policy, and geopolitical risk into clear, Main Street common sense. Hosted by Steve Yates, a former White House national security official, each episode delivers concise, experience-driven insight into how decisions are made at the highest levels, and what they mean for the United S...