Allison J. Smith

CFR Staff

Allison J. Smith

Associate Director, CFR RealEcon Initiative

Allison J. Smith is associate director for global economics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where she works with the director of CFR’s Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies on RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership. Before joining CFR, Smith worked as a consultant conducting anti-money laundering investigations and as a paralegal in the areas of commercial litigation and criminal defense. Smith holds a BA in international relations and Russian from Beloit College and an MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

RealEcon

How Countries Stack Up on Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs

President Donald Trump has announced that on April 2 he will impose tariffs on countries engaged in “non-reciprocal” trade with the United States, but the formula for calculating reciprocal tariff rates remains unclear.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman March 28, 2025 RealEcon
Trade

Trade Calendar

Trade and tariffs are a central part of President Donald Trump’s international economic policy. Stay up to date with the Council on Foreign Relation’s calendar of significant trade-related events.

by Allison J. Smith June 11, 2025 RealEcon
RealEcon

The End of the Trail: RealEcon Makes Its Final Stop of 2024 in Oregon

Oregon is a resource-rich, trade-dependent state where many benefit from international engagement, but economic challenges persist.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman December 30, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Juxtaposing Realities in New England: RealEcon Visits Massachusetts and New Hampshire

New England tells the story of two different economic realities: one of prosperous, highly educated, international elites; the other of middle-class families struggling to cope with the cost of living.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman November 13, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Trade-offs in the Desert: RealEcon Visits Arizona

From semiconductors and water conservation to mining and the clean energy transition, Arizona is balancing trade-offs that will have important lessons for the country.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman October 30, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Reimagining American Cities: RealEcon Visits Western Pennsylvania and New York

On the latest leg of its listening tour, RealEcon walks through the transformation of industrial cities in the Northeast.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman August 15, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

On to Wisconsin: RealEcon Visits the Badger State

From ginseng farms to food-processing facilities, Wisconsin businesses shine light on how trade policy and foreign investment impact rural America.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman May 14, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Leadership Starts With Listening

Building a durable consensus for U.S. economic leadership requires listening to what Americans think. The first stop in the RealEcon team's listening tour was Florida.

by Allison J. Smith April 1, 2024 RealEcon
Economics

American Views on Economic Leadership

CFR’s RealEcon team traveled across the country to ask Americans what they think of trade, aid, and other international economic policies.

Report by Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith March 25, 2025 RealEcon
Matthew P. Goodman

RealEcon

Tucson Economic Leaders Collaborate with Council on Foreign Relations to Shape National Policy

Featuring Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith via Hoodline October 23, 2024

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

What Is NATO?

The alliance continues to bolster its military deterrent in Europe amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and has expanded its membership in recent years.

by Jonathan Masters June 18, 2025

Iran

The Islamic Republic’s Power Centers

Who calls the shots in Iran on economic policy, security, and domestic calls for reform? A look at the government’s organization chart indicates how complicated the answer is.

by CFR.org Editors June 16, 2025

Iran

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

The IRGC is one of the most powerful organizations in Iran, conceived as the principal defender of the 1979 revolution, and now a critical link to Islamist militant groups violently opposed to Israel and the United States.

by CFR.org Editors June 13, 2025

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