James Steinberg

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James B. Steinberg
16th United States Deputy Secretary of State
In office
January 28, 2009  July 28, 2011
President Barack Obama
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
Preceded by John Negroponte
Succeeded by William Joseph Burns
Personal details
Born (1953-07-05) July 5, 1953
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Sherburne B. Abbott
Children two

James Braidy "Jim" Steinberg (born July 5, 1953)[1] is an American academic and political advisor, and former Deputy Secretary of State. He is currently Dean and Professor of Social Science, International Affairs, and Law at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Biography

Early career

Steinber was born to a Jewish family in Boston, Massachusetts.[2] He was educated at Phillips Academy (1970),[citation needed] Harvard College (1973), and Yale Law School (1978).[2] His previous positions included a senior fellowship for US Strategic Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, UK (1985–1987), and senior analyst at RAND Corporation (1989–1993). Steinberg also served as a Senior Advisor to the Markle Foundation (2000-2001) and was a member of the Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age.

Carter campaign

During the national elections which brought U.S. President Jimmy Carter into office, Steinberg worked on the presidential campaign of the Carter-Mondale ticket.[3]

Clinton administration

Steinberg served as US State Department Director of Policy Planning (1994–1996), then Deputy National Security Advisor (December 1996–2001) to US President Bill Clinton. He also served on the Project on National Security Reform's Guiding Coalition.

Brookings Institution Director and Lyndon B. Johnson School Dean

After serving in the Clinton administration, Steinberg was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Institution's vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies (2001–2005). Steinberg was then Dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin (2006–2009) until his appointment as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State on January 28, 2009, taking a leave of absence from the School for the duration of his term in office.[4]

Obama administration

with Yukio Edano (January 27, 2011)

According to the Wall Street Journal, Steinberg, along with Daniel Kurtzer and Dennis Ross, were among the principal authors of Barack Obama’s address on the Middle East to AIPAC in June 2008, which was viewed as the Democratic Party nominee’s most expansive on international affairs.[5]

He was mentioned as being "at the top" of Obama's list of candidates for the post of National Security Advisor,[6] but Andrea Mitchell reported on November 24, 2008 that Hillary Clinton would appoint Steinberg Deputy Secretary of State.[7] On December 23, 2008, Steinberg himself confirmed the appointment in a letter addressed to students and faculty at the Johnson school.[8]

As Deputy Secretary of State and principal Deputy to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,[9] Steinberg notably coined the phrase "strategic reassurance" to describe U.S.-China relations suggestive of the idea that the United States should reassure China about welcoming China's rise while China would reassure the US and its neighbors that it would not conflict with their interests.[10][11]

Israel-U.S. Strategic Dialogue

In October 2010, Steinberg met with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, in Washington, D.C., where they discussed how to improve regional security and stability through boosting and growing the already strong cooperation between their two nations. During the talks, both delegates expressed their commitment to a lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors and their grave concern regarding Iran’s continued non-compliance with its international obligations through pursuit of a military nuclear program.[12]

The following spring, they met in Jerusalem where they again took advantage of the opportunity to work together to identify and strategize against the threats both countries face including the rapidly changing political situation in the Middle East and the ongoing Iranian nuclear program.[13]

Maxwell School Deanship

In March 2011, Steinberg was named Dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.[14] On July 28, 2011, he resigned as Deputy Secretary of State and assumed his new position.

Publications

Personal life

He is married to Sherburne B. Abbott, the director of the Center for Science and Practice of Sustainability at the University of Texas at Austin. They have two daughters: Jenna and Emma.[2]

References

  1. date & year of birth according to LCNAF CIP data
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jewish Virtual Library: "James B. Steinberg" retrieved October 26, 2013
  3. Mazzetti, Mark, "The New Team -- James B. Steinberg," The New York Times, November 8, 2008
  4. US Department of State biography for James B. Steinberg, accessed March 16, 2011
  5. Obama's Mideast Experts Emphasize Talks, Jay Solomon, Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2008; Page A7
  6. Want a Security Post? Say Nothing., Helene Cooper, New York Times, November 6, 2008
  7. Morning Show Summary., Mark Halperin, The Page, November 24, 2008
  8. Smith, Ben (December 23, 2008). "Steinberg confirms appointment". Politico. 
  9. US Department of State biography for James B. Steinberg, accessed March 16, 2011
  10. Currie, Kelley (October 22, 2009). "The Doctrine of 'Strategic Reassurance'". Wall Street Journal. 
  11. Rogin, Josh (November 6, 2009). "The end of the concept of "strategic reassurance"?". Foreign Policy. 
  12. "Joint Statement on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Dialogue". U.S. Department of State. 
  13. "Israel-U.S. Strategic Dialogue". 
  14. Rogin, Josh (March 30, 2011). "Steinberg leaving State, Burns moves up". Foreign Policy. 

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by
Sandy Berger
Deputy National Security Advisor
19972001
Succeeded by
Stephen Hadley
Political offices
Preceded by
John Negroponte
United States Deputy Secretary of State
2009 2011
Succeeded by
William Joseph Burns
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