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 102: The Trends Driving Europe’s Future

Every four years, the U.S. National Intelligence Council publishes its Global Trends report, an unclassified document that seeks to assess the key factors that shape the strategic environment for the …

Episode 101: Germany and the United States in an American Election Year

German Ambassador to the United States Andreas Michaelis joins The Zeitgeist podcast to discuss the state of the German-American relationship, how Germany is working with its key partners in Europe …

Episode 100: The Enduring Allure of Weimar Music and Culture

Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester have been playing the music of and inspired by the 1920s and 30s for almost forty years, to enormous success in Germany and internationally. …

Jeff Rathke on the U.S. Presidential Elections and Transatlantic Relations

Ahead of the New Hampshire primary, AGI President Jeff Rathke spoke to Südwest Presse (in German) about what motivates the U.S. electorate, the likelihood of a Trump/Biden rematch, and what …

Episode 99: Transatlantic Risks in 2024

2024 will be a year of crisis and change—the Russian aggression against Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and Africa; the continuing effects of climate change; and the biggest election …

Episode 98: 2023 in Review

2023 was a tumultuous year in German politics and foreign policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government is polling at record lows following a series of unpopular policies and setbacks in …

The United States and Europe must recalibrate their security partnership

In a new op-ed for Defense News, AGI President Jeff Rathke and AGI/Halle Foundation Intern Theresa Lütkefend argue that the United States and its transatlantic partners should move beyond the …

Episode 96: The United States and Germany in a Shifting Global Order

The international order built by the United States after World War II is under strain, and the consensus about America’s role that used to unite U.S. political leaders and the …

Episode 95: German Security Policy’s Balancing Act

Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller joins this episode of The Zeitgeist to discuss Germany, transatlantic defense, and the West’s response to today’s challenging security order. Are Germany and the United States doing …

Statement on Rising Incidents of Anti-Semitism in Germany and the United States

The terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 shocked the world, a stunning, deliberate, and cooardinated act of violence that became the deadliest day for Jews since the end of …

Publication Preview: The German-Israeli Special Relationship

In the coming weeks, the American-German Institute will publish “The German-Israeli Special Relationship: A Chronicle of Four Decades, 1983-2023” from Senior Fellow Dr. Lily Gardner Feldman. In light of the …

Episode 94: The German-Israeli Relationship Following the October 7 Terror Attacks

On October 7, Hamas terrorists carried out a surprise attack that killed 1,400 people—the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Over 200 people remain hostages. One of the first foreign leaders …