Five Truths about Terrorism
Terrorism is a serious problem, but it has been blown out of proportion by political opportunism and a sensationalist news media. Managing terrorism requires us to recognize that it is a form of...
View ArticleDonald Trump’s Message
Donald Trump’s lead in the race for the Republican Party’s nomination as its presidential candidate in November has caused consternation. The real danger is not that Trump will do what he says if he...
View ArticleBrexit and the Balance of Power
Faced with a rising China, a declining but risk-inclined Russia, and the prospect of prolonged turmoil in the Middle East, close transatlantic cooperation will be crucial to maintaining a liberal...
View ArticleHow Trump Would Weaken America
Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive US presidential nominee, has expressed deep skepticism about the value of America’s alliances. His is a very nineteenth-century view of the world.
View ArticleDo We Want Powerful Leaders?
A trend toward greater authoritarianism seems to be spreading worldwide, from Russia and China to the US. And yet, while abuse of power – the ability to cause others to do what we want – is as old as...
View ArticleLying and Leadership
The fact that leaders’ ends may sometimes justify violating norms about honesty does not mean that all lies are equal, or that we must suspend our moral judgment in such cases. So how can we judge...
View ArticleInternet or Splinternet?
The importance of the Internet – to individuals, societies, companies, and economies – cannot be overstated. But, as a recent report by the Global Commission on Internet Governance shows, it is at risk...
View ArticleTrump’s Emotional Intelligence Deficit
High-level Republicans who are refusing to support Donald Trump often declare that he lacks the "temperament" to be US president. And they are right: Trump lacks a key dimension of emotional...
View ArticlePutting the Populist Revolt in Its Place
The political revolt against the "establishment elites" in many Western democracies over the last year has caused many to declare that globalization is in retreat. But it may be premature to draw such...
View ArticleDonald Trump’s Foreign-Policy Challenges
During his campaign, US President-elect Donald Trump challenged the alliances and institutions that underpin the liberal world order, but he spelled out few specific policies. Perhaps the most...
View ArticleThe Kremlin and the US Election
In an election that turned on 100,000 votes in three key states, some observers argue that Russian cyber interference in the political process – if not in the voting process itself – may have had a...
View ArticleThe Kindleberger Trap
Charles Kindleberger, one of the intellectual architects of the Marshall Plan, argued that the disastrous decade of the 1930s was a result of the United States' failure to provide global public goods...
View ArticleDonald Trump’s Dark Art of the Tweet
Thus far, Trump has proven a more effective political communicator than his critics expected. But whether he can succeed in the long term with his unconventional approach is one of the great questions...
View ArticleA Normative Approach to Preventing Cyberwarfare
The Russian cyber attacks that were meant to skew the 2016 US election toward Donald Trump have raised new concerns about conflicts in cyberspace. How might normative taboos, such as those against...
View ArticleWhat I Tell My Non-American Friends
Contrary to some commentary, Donald Trump’s presidency does not represent a profound threat to the American political system. But it does reflect deep-rooted problems in the US – namely, rising social...
View ArticleInformation Warfare Versus Soft Power
Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and its suspected hacking of French President Emmanuel Macron’s campaign servers, should surprise no one, given President Vladimir Putin’s...
View ArticleXi Jinping’s Marco Polo Strategy
Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a highly orchestrated forum for his Belt and Road Initiative, which will involve 65 countries containing some 4.5 billion people. Xi’s plan to...
View ArticleTrump’s Gift to Europe
At a recent conference in France, a number of Europeans surprised their American guests by arguing that President Donald Trump might be good for Europe. With Trump returning to Europe for the G20...
View ArticleControlling Cyber Conflict
At the annual BlackHat cyber-security conference in Las Vegas, 60% of attendees said they expect the US to suffer a successful attack against its critical infrastructure in the next two years. Can...
View ArticleHow Much Does Trump Matter?
With a narcissistic personality and a short attention span, and lacking experience in world affairs, Donald Trump tends to project slogans rather than strategy in foreign policy. But just as US global...
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