July 30, 2010

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July 27, 2010

The Evolving Challenges of Immigration

Immigration has long presented opportunities and challenges, both for emigrants and host countries, while also serving as a hot-button issue in times of crisis. Now, in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and in the midst of the global economic downturn, new patterns in global immigration have emerged, presenting policymakers with novel challenges. At the same time, Europe's struggles with integrating its Muslim immigrant communities provide a cautionary tale about the lasting repercussions of short-sighted immigration and integration policies.

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July 13, 2010

Rethinking the Post-American World

Posited at the height of global discomfort with American unilateralism, the post-American world has become a widely accepted framework for understanding the emerging geopolitical landscape. But how have predictions of the shift in global power from the U.S. and the West to the East and "the Rest" stood the test of time and events? Have intervening developments confirmed the trajectory of the United States' relative decline and the emerging powers' relative rise? Or is it time to rethink the post-American world?

June 29, 2010

Regional Security: Organizations and Architecture

In an increasingly regionalized world, stable security architectures have long been the chimera of regional integration. Whether in Central Asia, the Persian Gulf or Africa, local rivalries, longstanding mistrust, and interference from outside powers have often undermined ambitious plans for transforming regional security organizations into stable security architectures. But if these organizations have not lived up to the expectations of their champions and critics, they have made important contributions and no small amount of progress.

June 15, 2010

Strategic Industries in a Globalized World

America's economic and military power has long been based on its dominance in key strategic industries. Three in particular exemplify this dynamic: space, military aircraft and semiconductors. But outmoded policy approaches, the advent of new technologies, and changes in the globalized supply chain threaten to radically alter the nature of all three industries -- and their relationship to American power.

June 01, 2010

Regional Integration in Asia

Asia is increasingly taking its place in a "world of regions," with economic integration having accelerated since the financial crisis of 1997-98. But the pace of regional political integration lags behind, in part due to a crowded and confusing institutional field, and in part due to questions raised by shifting balances of power. The way forward will both depend on and determine the geopolitical landscape, within the region and beyond.

May 19, 2010

U.N. Peacekeeping: The New Blue

The U.N.'s peacekeeping debacles of the 1990s led to a thorough examination of the guiding principles of such deployments. What followed was a decade of ambitious missions that has moved the U.N. beyond peacekeeping to peace-building operations. Now, with missions often facing increasingly complex political situations on the ground and heightened scrutiny from afar, a new set of challenges faces U.N. peacekeeping operations.

May 04, 2010

Leaving Iraq: What Comes Next?

Seven years after the U.S. invasion, and with President Barack Obama holding to his troop withdrawal timeline, fundamental questions still remain about Iraq's future. Will the security vacuum following the U.S. withdrawal be filled by growing stability and integration, or renewed violence and division? What are the prospects for resolving tensions between Arabs and Kurds? What impact will Iraq have on the region, and what role will its neighbors play in Iraq? And what are the chances of departing American troops being confronted with a Shiite "last hurrah"? In other words, what will we leave behind when we leave Iraq?

April 20, 2010

When Democracy Derails

After a decade of promising gains, democratic institutions are increasingly under fire, underscoring the need for democracy promotion to be accompanied by democracy protection. But at a time when old-fashioned coups are being supplemented by constitutional power-grabs and violently contested elections, the international community must re-examine the policy tools at its disposal to keep democracy from going off the tracks.

April 06, 2010

Power in the Age of Telecom

The increasing penetration of mobile telephony is driving a pervasive revolution in human connectivity, empowering individuals while creating security challenges for states. Governments must consider ways of adapting traditional security concerns to changing infrastructure and technologies. But as mobile phones become tools not only for communication, but also for the delivery of services and transaction of business, they also shift the very foundations of economic power in the globalized world.

March 23, 2010

U.S. Foreign Policy: Shooting Ourselves in the Foot?

Debates over U.S foreign policy often overlook the ways in which domestic structural, institutional and political realities handicap policymaking. Yet, despite growing calls for fundamental changes in the way America conceives of and addresses its foreign policy and national security priorities, those domestic obstacles remain stubborn and persistent.

March 09, 2010

The EU at a Crossroads

As the European Union enters the post-Lisbon era, questions remain about the role it will play in the world. From defense and security to economic government, the EU still faces tough choices about whether to strengthen the union or maintain national prerogatives. The decisions it makes will determine whether it will become a global power, or a spectator in the emerging multipolar world.

February 16, 2010

Green Power: Geopolitics after Oil

How the shift to renewable energy will redraw the geopolitical map.

February 02, 2010

Three to Watch: Davutoglu, Okada & Amorim

The men behind the foreign policies of three key powers.

January 19, 2010

New Approaches to Old Conflicts

When conflicts grow old, so too do the lenses through which we look at them, limiting our ability to find solutions. By questioning assumptions, radically rethinking methods, or simply expanding the range of inputs, we can't guarantee success. But we can alter the habits of thought that prevent it. WPR examines, New Approaches to Old Conflicts.

January 05, 2010

Africa, the Success Story

Despite an enduring image of victimhood, Africans have made steady progress over the past 20 years in democracy, economic development and conflict resolution. Much remains to be accomplished, and many of the gains remain fragile. But the days of thinking of Africa as a continent-wide basket case are over. WPR examines, Africa, the Success Story.

December 08, 2009

The Practice and Politics of Nation-Building

If there is a "third rail" of U.S. foreign policy, nation-building would be high on the list of contenders. Yet if the word itself is universally decried, the policies that characterize it have played a recurring role in America's, and the international community's, interventions abroad. WPR examines The Practice and Politics of Nation-Building.

November 24, 2009

The Next 'Berlin Wall Moment'

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, WPR asked six prominent commentators what feature of today's geopolitical landscape might not be as durable as we imagine. Thomas P.M. Barnett, Ian Bremmer and Alexander Kliment, Nikolas Gvosdev, Walter Russell Mead, and Jacqueline Newmyer examine The Next "Berlin Wall Moment."

November 10, 2009

China's Once and Future Rise

China's rise has become a familiar trope, but the reality of the country's emergence often has been obscured by caricature. Can China overcome the obstacles to its continued ascendancy? How will its next generation of leaders face those challenges? And what are the implications for U.S.-China relations? WPR examines China's Once and Future Rise.

October 27, 2009

National Security in the Bio-Era

Global pandemics and war have long shaped human history. But due to our unprecedented ability to intervene in the spread and containment of disease as well as the recovery from injury, national security must increasingly be approached from a cellular and even a molecular level. WPR examines National Security in the Bio-Era.

October 13, 2009

Reinventing Diplomacy

While the world changes at a rapidly accelerating pace, diplomacy is in many ways rooted in the past. In order to remain both relevant and effective, diplomats must adopt new technologies, new profiles, and new ways of thinking about old methods. WPR examines Reinventing Diplomacy.

September 29, 2009

Globalization's Tripwires

Globalization's rapid advance has highlighted the need for multilateral consensus. But on issues ranging from global trade to climate change to Security Council reform, that seems increasingly hard to come by. WPR examines Globalization's Tripwires.

September 15, 2009

Illicit Flows and Transnational Threats

A byproduct of globalization, the explosion in illicit flows across borders has empowered non-state actors, giving rise to new and daunting transnational threats. But is the state always the victim? WPR examines Illicit Flows and Transnational Threats.

September 01, 2009

Sovereignty in the Information Age

By undermining traditional notions of sovereignty, the revolution in information and communication technologies has radically transformed the nature of relations between states, states and non-state actors, and states and their citizens. WPR examines Sovereignty in the Information Age.

August 04, 2009

The Road to Zero

President Barack Obama has set an ambitious agenda for arms control and nonproliferation, making a START follow-on agreement with Russia and strengthening the NPT top priorities. But critics argue there are more promising ways to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. WPR examines The Road to Zero.

July 22, 2009

Back to the Future

In the rush to find the "big new idea" to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, U.S. policymakers have perhaps abandoned tried and true doctrines too quickly. Three, in particular, seem to warrant renewed interest: the Powell Doctrine, the Nixon Doctrine and Containment. WPR takes a trip Back to the Future.

July 07, 2009

Risk and Resilience in the Globalized Age

Globalization and network connectivity have changed the nature of the risks we face and dramatically increased the potential consequences of them. But unless policymaking systems adapt to this new environment, we will remain vulnerable to global perturbations. WPR examines Risk and Resilience.

June 23, 2009

Aid Reborn: New Actors, New Assumptions

The landscape of foreign aid and development is changing dramatically, with new actors, both public and private, challenging the international aid architecture, and a new generation of workers challenging its assumptions. WPR examines Aid Reborn.

June 09, 2009

Intractable Conflict

The conflicts in Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Cyprus have now spanned generations. Whether violent or "frozen," locked in impasse or cycling between hope and disappointment, each offers insights into a phenomenon that resists diplomatic and military solutions alike. WPR examines Intractable Conflict.

May 19, 2009

Germany: The Reluctant Power

Increasingly, the U.S. and Europe have turned to Germany for leadership in addressing the financial crisis, global security issues and a resurgent Russia. But will Germany be willing to play a more assertive role in the global arena? WPR examines The Reluctant Power.

May 05, 2009

The Curtain Rises: Obama's Opening Act

At the symbolic 100-day threshhold of the Obama presidency, World Politics Review asked five prominent foreign policy commentators to offer their take on the initial direction of President Obama's foreign policy. Thomas P.M. Barnett, Steve Clemons, Anthony Cordesman, Nikolas Gvosdev and Joshua Muravchik review Obama's Opening Act.

April 14, 2009

From the Rubble: The Post-Crisis Order

The global economic crisis is forcing governments to balance the need for coordinated action with national interests. The resulting tension between cooperation and competition will determine the contours of the global order that emerges in the aftermath. WPR examines The Post-Crisis Order.

March 31, 2009

The Age of Counterinsurgency

America's bitter experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has elevated a generation of counterinsurgents to positions of influence in Washington. But how well will their theories apply to Afghanistan? And what can America's COIN practitioners learn from Colombia's ongoing campaign against the FARC? WPR examines The Age of Counterinsurgency.

March 16, 2009

The Open Hand: Engaging Islam

President Barack Obama took office promising to extend an "open hand" to the Islamic World. But what will the effort entail? From public diplomacy to democracy promotion to efforts to address Islamic radicalism, WPR examines The Open Hand: Engaging Islam.

March 02, 2009

The Blue Planet: Water and Geopolitics

Some forecasters have predicted alarming scenarios of conflict over maritime and freshwater resources. But while visions of "Water Wars" have captured the popular imagination, shared rivers and the world's oceans can also lead to increased cooperation among states. WPR examines The Blue Planet: Water and Geopolitics.

February 16, 2009

The State of the State

The nation-state is increasingly under pressure from above and below. Multilateral organizations, hybrid actors and increasingly empowered populaces have crowded the international arena with options for action and challenges for government policy. WPR examines the State of the State.

February 02, 2009

The Changing Landscape of U.S. Intelligence

From the failure to prevent the attacks of 9/11, to controversial estimates on Iraq's WMDs and Iran's nuclear program, the U.S. intelligence community has been dragged out of the shadows and into the spotlight. President Obama inherits an intelligence community in transition. WPR examines the Changing Landscape of U.S. Intelligence.

January 12, 2009

The Emerging Continent

From the emergence of Brazil and the populist left, to the gathering momentum of regional integration, South America has experienced a decade of growth and change while America's attention has been turned elsewhere. WPR examines the Emerging Continent.

December 22, 2008

The New Great Game

Central Asia's energy reserves make it the prize of a new "Great Game," with rival powers maneuvering for access to pipeline routes and military bases. The region's complicated human rights issues cloud the picture for policymakers. WPR examines Central Asia.

December 01, 2008

The Asian Triangle

Attempts to improve the situation in Afghanistan without in turn destabilizing Pakistan have led to an emerging consensus regarding a "regional approach" that sees the India-Pakistan rivalry as a key to stabilizing the region. But lurking in the shadows of the India-Pakistan rivalry is China. WPR examines The Asian Triangle.

November 11, 2008

The Obama Presidency

With the U.S. presidential election finally decided, attention has now turned to just how President-elect Barack Obama will handle American foreign policy. Two prominent foreign policy analysts examine the challenges and opportunities that await The Obama Presidency.

October 26, 2008

The Al-Qaida We Don't Know

Ten years after al-Qaida declared war against the United States, much of what we know about the group is filtered through the lens of the Global War on Terror, a concept that distorts as much as it reveals. But a sound strategic response requires clear understanding of the enemy. WPR examines The Al-Qaida We Don't Know.

October 14, 2008

The Future Face of Conflict

In the midst of two wars and with an "era of persistent conflict" foreseen ahead, America and its military are confronting battlefield urgencies and operational complexities that challenge the very way in which we conceive of warfare. WPR examines the Future Face of Conflict.