In 1997, Madeleine Albright was named the first female Secretary of State and became, at that time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. As Secretary of State, Dr. Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade and business, labor and environmental standards abroad. She returned to the Y on January 20 to talk with James F. Hoge, Jr., editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, about the state of international relations and her new book, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership. In the video clip above she discusses democracy’s tarnished reputation and how to improve it.

Hoge’s Foreign Affairs Series at the Y continues on May 7 with Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and host of Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria on PBS.