AGI
Jeffrey Rathke

Jeff Rathke

President of AGI

Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American-German Institute at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining AGI, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department’s engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany. His Washington assignments have included deputy director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs and duty officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center.

Mr. Rathke was a Weinberg Fellow at Princeton University (2003–2004), winning the Master’s in Public Policy Prize. He also served at U.S. Embassies in Dublin, Moscow, and Riga, which he helped open after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr. Rathke has been awarded national honors by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as several State Department awards. He holds an M.P.P. degree from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University. He speaks German, Russian, and Latvian.

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jrathke@aicgs.org

Recent Content

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Episode 93: Sahra Wagenknecht Tries to Shake Up German Politics with a New Party

On October 23, one of Germany’s most popular politicians Sahra Wagenknecht announced that she would leave the Left Party and form a new political party. The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (BSW) …

Episode 92: State Elections in Bavaria and Hesse

Two German Länder elected their state parliaments on Sunday, October 8: Bavaria and Hesse. In both states, it appears that the current coalitions will continue, led by center-right parties (the …

Episode 90: A Fragmenting Global Economic System?

The multilateral economic order is in crisis. The WTO no longer has the final word on trade issues, the IMF and World bank have lost market share as lenders, and …

Episode 89: Forty Years of Anticipating Trends

Dr. Jill McGovern has been involved with AGI since the idea for it came about in 1981. As part of our AGI at Forty series, Dr. McGovern reflects on how …

Episode 87: German Political Turbulence and the Rise of the Alternative for Germany

Squabbles within Germany’s coalition parties and unpopular policy decisions—including a controversial home heating bill spearheaded by Green Party Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck—have dragged the approval rating of the traffic light …

Episode 86: Transatlantic Alignment in the International Economic Order

In its economic policies, the Biden administration has focused on domestic investment, close collaboration with like-minded democracies, and addressing geopolitical challenges. The EU is proposing an economic security strategy; the …

After the Security Strategy, the Real Work Begins

The government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz published a national security strategy on June 14. The document appeared half a year later than promised in the coalition agreement, but it …

Episode 85: Addressing Germany’s Colonial Legacy

Germany is well-known for its robust memory culture that deals with the crimes of National Socialism and the Holocaust; however, it has only recently begun to address legacy of its …

Episode 84: The Evolution of German-American Relations

On this episode of The Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke; Dr. Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of AGI’s Society, Culture & Politics Program; and Dr. Jackson Janes, President Emeritus …

Episode 83: Can the WTO Retool for an Age of Geoeconomic Competition?

The open and rules-based trading system is at an inflection point. Countries are reexamining their trade policies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s rise, and Russia’s invasion of …

Episode 82: Dealing with Social Divisions and Integration in Memmingen

On this episode of The Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke and Susanne Dieper, Director of Programs and Grants, discuss the latest findings in the AGI project “Social Divisions and Questions …

Episode 81: Sustaining Germany’s Support for Ukraine—A Conversation with Dr. Norbert Röttgen

On this episode of the Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke speaks with Dr. Norbert Röttgen, member of the German Bundestag (CDU) and Vice Chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke, about Germany’s efforts …