What is described as the strategic shift in U.S. strategy from post-9/11 counterterrorism toward great power competition?

• A. Shift from post-9/11 counterterrorism and nation-building to great power competition with China/Russia, using economic/tech tools alongside military.
• B. Shift to exclusive cyber warfare only.
• C. Shift to domestic-only security and no international role.
• D. No shift; continue post-9/11 approach.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is a shift to great power competition as the organizing frame for U.S. strategy, moving beyond a sole focus on counterterrorism and nation-building after 9/11. This view holds that China and Russia pose long-term, multi-domain challenges—military, economic, technological, and diplomatic—and that success depends on a broad toolkit: deterrence and military readiness plus economic statecraft and technology competition. Tools like sanctions, export controls, investment restrictions, and efforts to lead in advanced technologies (AI, semiconductors, 5G, etc.), all coordinated with allies, are part of how the U.S. aims to shape the global environment. So, the choice describing a shift from post-9/11 counterterrorism to great power competition with China and Russia, using economic/tech tools alongside military means, best captures this strategic pivot. The other options miss the broader, multi-domain shift: cyber warfare alone isn’t the whole strategy, domestic-only security ignores international engagement, and there is indeed a shift away from the prior approach.