As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its independence, a special Jaipur Literature Festival Los Angeles program will examine the nation’s changing role in the world and what the emergence of a less dominant America could mean for the global order.
Titled “JLF Los Angeles: What Is the New World Order?”, the program will bring together writers, historians, diplomats and foreign policy experts to discuss shifting power dynamics involving the United States, India and other global powers.
The event is being co-presented by JLF Los Angeles, Zócalo Public Square and the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations, and produced by Teamwork Arts.
The discussion comes as the United States reassesses several longstanding roles on the international stage, including its position as a champion of free trade, global health initiatives, and climate action. It will also examine America’s role in defending democracy and maintaining international peace.
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Organizers said the program will explore how Americans should understand the country’s place in the world as it marks its semiquincentennial while also examining whether a less dominant United States could create new opportunities for other nations and communities. It will also look to history for lessons, including what past empires can teach about the consequences of expanding and declining global influence.
India is expected to feature prominently in the discussion as the country continues to assume a larger role in global affairs.
The program will serve as a preview of the 2027 Jaipur Literature Festival Los Angeles, described by organizers as a weeklong international edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
The event will feature two conversations focused on the geopolitical changes reshaping traditional alliances, borders and ambitions.
The first will be a keynote conversation between Shashi Tharoor, best-selling author, politician and former diplomat, and Kal Raustiala, director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. Their discussion will examine the changing international system and the evolving position of the United States at a time when other powers, including India, are seeking greater influence.
Foreign policy columnist Seema Sirohi will moderate the second panel and will bring together Harvard historian Caroline Elkins, former ambassador Nina Hachigian and novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Elkins is the author of Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, while Nguyen’s work has explored themes of empire, memory and American identity. The panel is expected to broaden the conversation beyond contemporary geopolitics by examining how imperial history, migration, memory, and national identity shape the way countries understand power.
The event comes at a moment when debates over the future of the international order have intensified, with questions surrounding American leadership, the rise of other global powers and the durability of institutions created during the post-World War II era.
For India, the conversation offers an opportunity to consider how its growing economic, diplomatic and strategic importance could shape an international system in which the United States may no longer exercise the same level of dominance.
The program will conclude with a reception featuring world food vendors and entertainment, providing attendees with an opportunity to continue the conversation and connect with others.