This morning, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rang the bell to open the New York Stock Exchange. As the last day the markets are open before Sunday’s ten year anniversary of the attacks of September 11, the ceremony will have special meaning. Secretary Clinton, as Senator from New York, was among the officials who opened the floor to trading on September 17, 2001, the first day the exchange reopened after the attacks.

Much has changed in the world in the decade since September 11, 2001. Top military and business leaders have argued that in order to keep our country safe in today’s complex and dangerous world, the U.S. must remain an engaged leader, and the programs funded by the International Affairs Budget do just that. Earlier this year, in a speech at USGLC’s Washington Conference, Secretary Clinton discussed her vision for the future of national security, which emphasizes the power of international development.   She argued that “successful development helps to stabilize society, [and] reduces the risk of future conflict.”

In the last 10 years, the global economy has also become more interconnected, with American businesses relying on international trade in order to grow and create jobs here at home. Ensuring U.S. companies can compete in the global marketplace is also a key foreign policy goal in the post September 11 world, as Secretary Clinton made clear in her address this summer. “Not only can we afford to maintain a strong civilian presence, we cannot afford not to,” she explained, “if we don’t seize the opportunities available today, other countries will.”

A recent report, authored by top business leaders, illustrates the connections between U.S. global leadership and our economic prosperity here at home. Titled “U.S. Global Leadership: A Strategic Investment in U.S. Jobs,”  it was crafted after extensive research and strategy sessions by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Economic Working Group. Click here to read the report.