IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow Jon Finer Discusses Public Service Careers

On February 19, the Institute of Global Politics (IGP) hosted a roundtable discussion on career pathways in the federal civil service with Jon Finer, Former Deputy National Security Advisor, IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at SIPA's Center for Global Energy Policy; and Erica Lonergan, Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs.

Finer brought a deep wealth of professional experience to the conversation, having most recently served as President Joe Biden’s principal deputy national security advisor and previously working at the US Department of State and the White House during the Obama administration.

Finer told attendees that he was inspired to pursue a career in policymaking after working as a journalist. After the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, he was interested in the “implications of American foreign policy out in the world” and wondered whether this “set of decisions could have been avoided.”

Operating behind the scenes of national security policy challenged Finer’s perception that grand strategy dictates decisions on a day-to-day basis. “It’s very rare that I saw someone in a policy discussion refer to the national security strategy,” he said.

Regardless of different strategies adopted across administrations, US foreign policy upheld the same core principles until now, Finer told the group. “In 2018, I would have said we were in an aberrational moment and will pivot back. It’s hard to make that point now,” he said.

Finer noted that US retrenchment presents challenges and opportunities for the international community to promote prosperity. “NGOs and other countries in the world will have to step in and do more to fill the gap the US is leaving,” he said. Finer cautioned that “other countries, instead of filling the gap, followed our lead when the first Trump administration stopped resettling refugees.”

When asked about how he was able to break into the national security policymaking space, Finer told the students that no two paths are alike. “All my colleagues' paths were different,” he said.

As for his journey, Finer stressed the role building relationships played in elevating his career, starting with his time as a White House Fellow. “The most important thing really is relationships. When someone needs a job to be done, people call who they know and trust to ask if they know anyone who can complete the task at hand,” Finer emphasized.