# Multimedia 

Multimedia 

---

- [Podcasts](/podcasts)
- [Cato Video](/multimedia/cato-video)
- [Video Series](/search/category/video-series)
- [Events](/multimedia/events)

Download:

[ 

Video 

](https://fastly-unsigned-us-east-1-prod.brightcovecdn.com/media/v1/pmp4/static/clear/6039378657001/24537c48-fe18-4503-b122-cad52bbe25ed/1dd88036-bad2-42a0-bd98-b87b25102f9d/main.mp4) 

Events • February 26, 2020 

# The Failure of Forcible Regime-Change Operations 

The United States has, at various times in its history, used military force to overthrow foreign governments. In recent years, however, there has been a growing scholarly consensus that these regime-change operations are often ineffective and produce deleterious side effects. Scholars have found that regime-change missions, whether trying to achieve political, security, economic, or humanitarian goals, do not succeed as envisioned. Instead, they are likely to spark civil wars; lead to lower levels of democracy; increase repression; and, in the end, draw the intervener into lengthy nation-building projects. Instead of promoting more democracy and advancing American security, forcible regime change undermines the effectiveness of other foreign policy tools. Such operations therefore ultimately harm America’s ability to achieve its policy goals.

Come hear a panel of distinguished experts discuss the use of regime-change operations and its effect on U.S. foreign policy.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

##### Featuring 

![Ben Denison](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2022-01/ben-denison.jpg?itok=YZ8G_2Lc) 

##### Ben Denison 

Nonresident Fellow, Defense Priorities

[ 

](https://twitter.com/DenisonBe) 

##### Lindsey O’Rourke 

![Alexander Downes headshot](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2022-01/alexander-downes.png?itok=6BSe2FL5) 

##### Alexander B. Downes 

Author, Associate Professor and Codirector of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies, George Washington University

[ 

](https://twitter.com/ProfDownes) 

[![Media Name: preble.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/authors/crops/preble.jpg?itok=2y52zSuL)](/people/christopher-preble) 

##### [Christopher A. Preble](/people/christopher-preble)

Former Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies; Senior Fellow, Stimson Center 

[ 

](https://twitter.com/capreble)