Claim: The Council on Foreign Relations is also referred to as the CFR.

The Council on Foreign Relations -LRB- CFR -RRB- , founded in 1921 , is a United States nonprofit think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs . It is headquartered in New York City , with an additional office in Washington , D.C. Its membership , which numbers 4,900 , has included senior politicians , more than a dozen secretaries of state , CIA directors , bankers , lawyers , professors , and senior media figures . The CFR promotes globalization , free trade , reducing financial regulations on transnational corporations , and economic consolidation into regional blocs such as NAFTA or the European Union , and develops policy recommendations that reflect these goals .   The CFR meetings convene government officials , global business leaders and prominent members of the intelligence and foreign-policy community to discuss international issues . CFR publishes the bi-monthly journal Foreign Affairs , and runs the David Rockefeller Studies Program , which influences foreign policy by making recommendations to the presidential administration and diplomatic community , testifying before Congress , interacting with the media , and publishing on foreign policy issues .