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2. The Future of US Strategic Competition with China
- Author:
- Atlantic Council
- Publication Date:
- 07-2019
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Please join the Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, for a public panel discussion on forward-looking recommendations for the future of US-China relations and US strategy towards China. How should the United States and its allies work together to respond to China’s ongoing rise? What are the advantages and limits of the current US approach? Ultimately, can the United States and China be both strategic competitors and, at least in some areas, strategic cooperators at the same time? The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world. The Center honors General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy of service and embodies his ethos of nonpartisan commitment to the cause of security, support for US leadership in cooperation with allies and partners, and dedication to the mentorship of the next generation of leaders.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- China and America
3. HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series
- Author:
- Maciej Kotowski
- Publication Date:
- 10-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
- Abstract:
- This paper investigates the formation of production and trading networks in an economy with general interdependencies and complex property rights. The right to exclude,a core tenet of property, grants asset owners a form of monopoly power that influences granular economic interactions. Equilibrium networks reflect the distribution of these ownership claims. Inefficient production networks may endure in equilibrium as firms multi-source to mitigate hold-up risk. Short supply chains also reduce this risk, but may preclude the production of complex goods. A generalized Top Trading Cycles algorithm, applicable to a production economy, identifies equilibrium outcomes in the model. Such outcomes can be decentralized via a price system.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, International Affairs, Intellectual Property/Copyright, and National & provincial initiatives
- Political Geography:
- America
4. Trump Isn’t Really Trying to End America’s Wars
- Author:
- Andrew J. Bacevich
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Abstract:
- Let us stipulate at the outset that President Trump is a vulgar and dishonest fraud without a principled bone in his body. Yet history is nothing if not a tale overflowing with irony. Despite his massive shortcomings, President Trump appears intent on recalibrating America’s role in the world. Initiating a long-overdue process of aligning U.S. policy with actually existing global conditions just may prove to be his providentially anointed function.
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
5. The Ukraine Whistleblowers and the Rise of Partisan Whistleblowing
- Author:
- Hannah Gurman
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Abstract:
- This moment should spark a conversation about the place of national security whistleblowing in a democratic society.
- Topic:
- International Security, International Affairs, Intellectual Property/Copyright, Political Activism, and Democracy
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
6. Threats to democracy in the Trump era
- Author:
- Brookings Institute
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- On February 7, David Frum joined a panel of experts at Brookings to discuss the burgeoning threats to democratic institutions in the Trump era.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and Democracy
- Political Geography:
- America
7. Trump Tariffs Primarily Hit Multinational Supply Chains, Harm US Technology Competitiveness
- Author:
- Mary Lovely
- Publication Date:
- 05-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- he Trump administration’s Section 301 tariffs are an ineffective response to US concerns about China’s high-technology aspirations. They are a prime example of 20th century tools aimed at the knowledge-embodying trade flows of the 21st century. Instead, these tariffs disadvantage American producers and harm US allies operating in East Asia while missing the mark on penalizing Chinese domestic firms that may have misappropriated US and other advanced economies’ technologies.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
8. Borrowers with Large Balances: Rising Student Debt and Falling Repayment Rates
- Author:
- Adam Looney and Constantine Yannelis
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- We examine the distribution of student loan balances and repayment rates in the United States using administrative student loan data. We show that increases in credit limits and expansions in credit availability resulted in rising borrowing amounts, and that the share of borrowers holding very large balances has surged. For instance, the share of borrowers leaving school with more than $50,000 of federal student debt increased from 2 percent in 1992 to 17 percent in 2014. Consequently, a small share of borrowers now owes the majority of loan dollars in the United States. Although these large-balance borrowers have historically strong labor market outcomes and low rates of default, repayment rates have slowed significantly between 1990 and 2014 reflecting, in part, changes in the characteristics of students, the schools they attended, and the rising amounts borrowed. A decomposition analysis indicates that changes in the types of institutions attended, student demographics, default rates, and increased participation of alternative repayment plans and forbearance largely explain the decrease in student loan repayment.
- Topic:
- Education and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
9. Trump, Xi and the eclipse of the liberal world order
- Author:
- Andreas Bøje Forsby
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- Until recently, we were operating under the assumption that the liberal world order would prove sufficiently inclusive, productive and resilient to serve as a stable framework for international cooperation. But such optimism seems increasingly unwarranted as a wide host of existential challenges have materialized, including the return of geopolitics, the resurgence of autocratic leadership, the revival of economic protectionism and the rising tide of populism and nationalism.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
10. Unpacked: New trade tariffs and the U.S. economy
- Author:
- Eswar Prasad
- Publication Date:
- 01-2018
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Senior Fellow Eswar Prasad unpacks the impact of the new steel and aluminum tariffs proposed by the Trump administration. He explains that the new tariffs have undermined America’s leadership as proponents of free trade and will decrease America’s economic influence across the globe.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
11. Congress Can Be Bipartisan: The Case of Human Rights
- Author:
- USIP
- Publication Date:
- 03-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- In an American political culture coarsened by belligerence, dozens within Congress still are shaping bipartisan foreign policies to maintain a strong U.S. defense of human rights worldwide. The ability of Congress to sustain bipartisanship on human rights issues is vital to long-term international stability and U.S. national security, according to the Republican and Democratic co-chairs of Congress’ prominent human rights group—the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
- Topic:
- Human Rights
- Political Geography:
- America
12. U.S. Leverage in South Asia: Enough to Meet Policy Goals?
- Author:
- Fred Strasser
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- As the U.S. seeks to advance its interests in South Asia 17 years into the Afghanistan war, a basic policy question unavoidably presents itself: How much leverage does America really have in the region?
- Topic:
- International Relations
- Political Geography:
- America and South Asia
13. A Tale of Three Headlines
- Author:
- David Boaz
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Democrats accuse President Trump of abuse of executive power and “thinking he is a dictator.” But then, Republicans made similar charges about President Obama. They all have a point. At least since the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, there has been a flow of power from civil society to government, from the states to the federal government, and from Congress to the executive branch. But a recent newspaper headline reminded me of some other headlines that tell a story.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
14. Repeal, Don’t Replace, the AUMF
- Author:
- Gene Healy
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- For the past 17 years, presidents have used the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as a blank check to wage war whenever and wherever they please. Congress is now debating several replacement AUMFs—but these, too, pose the danger of granting the president far broader war powers than the Constitution envisioned. At a Capitol Hill Briefing, Cato’s GENE HEALY and JOHNGLASER made the case for repealing, rather than replacing, the AUMF.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
15. Why Americans pay too much for health care
- Author:
- Institute CATO
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Why do we pay $600 for EpiPens, a long-existing piece of technology that contains just a dollar’s worth of medicine? Why do hospitalized patients so frequently receive bills laden with inflated charges that come out of the blue from out-ofnetwork providers or that demand payment for services that weren’t delivered?
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
16. Checkpoint America
- Author:
- Institute Cato
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- In April, Cato’s Patrick Eddington introduced his new online initiative Checkpoint America: Monitoring the Constitution-Free Zone.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
17. Cato Educates Capitol Hill
- Author:
- Cato Institute
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Congressional staff members play a vital role in shaping policy—they make decisions on which issues their bosses prioritize, which arguments the representatives and senators hear, and what language makes it into legislation. Cato’s popular Capitol Hill Briefings offer these staff members timely briefings on the most pressing issues facing their offices. At these events, Cato scholars and other experts update the staff on their latest scholarship and policy recommendations, critique current or upcoming legislation, and answer staffers’ questions.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
18. Your Uber Ambulance Has Arrived
- Author:
- Institute Cato
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Ambulances are notoriously expensive—one ride may cost more than $1,000, and insurance companies frequently refuse to cover them. In the past, patients had few alternatives to get themselves to the hospital—but in “Does Ride-Sharing Substitute for Ambulances?” (Research Briefs in Economic Policy no. 114), Leon S. Moskatel of Scripps Mercy Hospital and David J. G. Slusky of the University of Kansas demonstrate how the age of Uber and Lyft is changing that and is reducing expensive and unnecessary ambulance trips.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
19. Indispensable Remedy: The Broad Scope of the Constitution’s Impeachment Power
- Author:
- Gene Healy
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Presidential impeachments are vanishingly rare in American constitutional history: in the 230 years since ratification, only three presidents have faced serious attempts to remove them from office. And yet, as President Donald J. Trump’s tumultuous tenure continues, it seems increasingly plausible that we’ll see a fourth.
- Topic:
- International Affairs, Democracy, and Constitution
- Political Geography:
- America
20. Tax Reform and Interstate Migration
- Author:
- Chris Edwards
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was the largest overhaul of the federal income tax in decades. The law changed deductions, exemptions, and tax rates for individuals, while reducing taxes on businesses.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and Immigration
- Political Geography:
- America
21. The Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on Small Business
- Author:
- Michael D Bordo
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- The Dodd Frank Act of 2010 (DFA) was designed to overcome the sources of excessive leverage and systemic risk in the U.S. financial sector perceived to have created the Great Financial Crisis of 2007–2008. Since then, considerable controversy has swirled around the efficacy of various components of the multifaceted act. Many have been critical of the Volcker Rule, while others have praised the elevation of capital ratios and the requirements for banks to undergo periodic stress tests. However, there has been mounting concern in the financial community, Congress, and the press over the negative impact of the DFA regulations on small banks and businesses.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
22. Government and the Cost of Living Income-Based vs. Cost-Based Approaches to Alleviating Poverty
- Author:
- Ryan Bourne
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Federal, state, and local governments seek to assist poor households financially using transfers, minimum wage laws, and subsidies for important goods and services. This “income-based” approach to alleviating poverty aims both to raise household incomes directly and to shift the cost of items, such as food, housing, or health care, to taxpayers. Most contemporary ideas to help the poor sit firmly within this paradigm
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
23. U.S. Citizens Targeted by ICE: U.S. Citizens Targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas
- Author:
- David Bier
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- Texas law SB 4 imposes jail time on local police who fail to detain anyone whom federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests. Data from Travis County, Texas, show that ICE targets large numbers of U.S. citizens. From October 2005 to August 2017, 814 targets of ICE detainers in Travis County-3.3 percent of all requests-claimed U.S. citizenship and presented officers with a Social Security number (SSN). ICE subsequently canceled or declined to execute about a quarter of those detainer requests. Based on statements from ICE officials, the best explanation for not executing these detainers is that ICE targeted at least 228 U.S. citizens in the county before canceling or declining to execute those detainers. SB 4 will likely increase the detention of U.S. citizens for supposed violations of immigration law by preventing local police from releasing them.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and Immigration
- Political Geography:
- America
24. Could Trump Deliver Iran an Oil Windfall?
- Author:
- Richard Nephew
- Publication Date:
- 07-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- The president’s recent statement that OPEC should reduce their prices may merely be an attempt to assign blame for rising gasoline prices in the midst of the US driving season or an even more cynical attempt to rally his political base in opposition to globalism. Or, it may have something to do with the president’s own decision to create a crisis with Iran. While attention is duly paid to how much Americans have to pay at the pump, a more subtle and complicated story will soon play out with respect to Iran and the reapplication of US sanctions ordered by Trump on May 8, 2018. In fact, unless oil prices are contained, the primary result of the president’s action may be to ensure that Iran profits from the oil market risks that sanctions have created.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy, Geopolitics, and Global Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America, Iran, and Global Focus
25. The Role of Natural Gas in Europe's Electricity Sector Through 2030
- Author:
- Tim Boersma and Tatiana Mitrova
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- The developments underway in Europe’s natural gas sector are some of the most influential and closely watched in the global gas market. In the past decade, Europe has seen significant demand swings, falling domestic production, growing concerns about dependence on Russian gas, and the advent of US liquefied natural gas exports to the world. Just as important has been the emerging competition from renewable fuels. Indeed, questions are now arising about whether Europe needs new investments in natural gas infrastructure or if those investments would become stranded assets. However, suggesting that the EU does not need new investments risks underestimating the role—or the potential role—natural gas plays in various sectors of Europe’s energy economy, including industry, transportation, and commercial and residential usage.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
26. The Energy, Economic, and Emissions Impacts of a Federal US Carbon Tax
- Author:
- Noah Kaufman and Kate Gordon
- Publication Date:
- 07-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Climate change is a serious threat to global progress and stability. Actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and stabilize global temperatures can avoid impacts of climate change on human health, the economy, national security, and the environment. But without a strong federal-level climate policy response from the United States, chances of serious global climate action are slim.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
27. The Effects of Carbon Tax Policies on the US Economy and the Welfare of Households
- Author:
- John Diamond and George Zodrow
- Publication Date:
- 07-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- The potential for utilizing a federal carbon tax to address the risks of climate change has been discussed in U.S. policy debates on both sides of the aisle. Under a carbon tax, consumers and producers would account for the costs of climate change in their decision making. The policy would reduce greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing the efficiency of private markets.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy, International Affairs, and Domestic Politics
- Political Geography:
- America
28. The United States braces itself for the midterm elections: Is there a foreign-policy dimension?
- Author:
- Ville Sinkkonen
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Foreign policy rarely plays a decisive role in congressional elections in the US. However, President Trump’s tendency to mix foreign policy into the domestic debate might increase its salience. Electoral success for the Democrats could both constrain and embolden the president’s international conduct.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
29. The sustainability of the questionable US presidency: The Trump era might last longer than expected
- Author:
- Mika Aaltola
- Publication Date:
- 08-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The 2020 US presidential election could be a close call with a narrow margin of victory. Many key factors underlying Donald Trump’s 2016 electoral success are still active and might suffice to win over a very polarized electorate in an extremely ugly election.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and Democracy
- Political Geography:
- America
30. Government of the People, by the Elite, for the Rich Unequal Responsiveness in an Unlikely Case
- Author:
- Lea Elsässer, Svenja Hense, and Armin Schäfer
- Publication Date:
- 10-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
- Abstract:
- Empirical studies have shown that US politics is heavily tilted in favor of the better-off, as political decisions tend to reflect the preferences of the rich while largely ignoring those of the poor and the middle classes. These findings have prompted a lively debate about potential mechanisms that cause this pattern of unequal responsiveness. Existing studies suggest that specific characteristics of the political system are a major explanatory factor – in particular, private donations and campaign financing. We build on these studies but focus for the first time on an entirely different case. In this paper, we ask whether similar patterns of unequal responsiveness are discernible in Germany, which not only is a more egalitarian country, but also funds election campaigns entirely differently from the US. We analyze an original dataset of more than 800 survey questions posed between 1980 and 2013. The questions deal with specific political decisions debated at the time and cover a broad range of politically relevant topics. Our results show a notable association between political decisions and the opinions of the rich, but none or even a negative association for the poor. Representational inequality in Germany thus resembles the findings for the US case, despite its different institutional setting. Against this background, we conclude by discussing potential mechanisms of unequal responsiveness
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and Hegemony
- Political Geography:
- America
31. Advancing the U.S.-Korea Economic Agenda
- Author:
- Wendy Cutler and Hyemin Lee
- Publication Date:
- 01-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Asia Society
- Abstract:
- For nearly 70 years, the United StatesRepublic of Korea (hereafter, Korea) alliance has remained strong, built mainly on shared strategic and national security interests. While the North Korean nuclear threat has long dominated political discussions and media headlines, today the economic pillar of the relationship is no less important. Economic engagement and cooperation have been strengthened since the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) went into effect in 2012, which in turn helped solidify the overall bilateral relationship.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America and Korea
32. A new Direction in U.S- Russia Relations?
- Author:
- Paul Saunders
- Publication Date:
- 01-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Abstract:
- America’s relationship with Russia was among the most controversial foreignpolicy issues of the 2016 presidential campaign, and has remained so in the Trump administration’s initial weeks. Much of the controversy has been strictly political, focused primarily on exploiting anger and suspicion toward Moscow as a weapon during the election campaign and, more recently, in confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s key foreign-policy and national-security nominees. That said, public discussion before and after the November election has also exposed sharp differences over U.S. policy toward Russia and the assessments of U.S. and Russian interests, objectives and values that shape Washington’s choices. This volume seeks to contribute to that debate by exploring U.S. options in pursuing President Trump’s stated intent to engage with Moscow
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Japan and America
33. The US Withdrawal from Syria: Causes, Contexts and Consequences
- Author:
- Al Jazeera Center for Studies
- Publication Date:
- 12-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Al Jazeera Center for Studies
- Abstract:
- Trump’s decision leaves the Kurdish nationalists of the KDP defenceless and, with their patron gone, will likely cause splits among Arab forces allied with Kurdish militiamen. Regionally, it sends a message to US allies in the Gulf about the Trump’s commitment to the Iran-containment strategy.
- Topic:
- International Security and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Syria
34. Indo-US Strategic Partnership and Regional Politics
- Author:
- Mujahid Hussain
- Publication Date:
- 01-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Abstract:
- The United States and India relationship has changed from offense to more extensive engagement since 2004. With mutual interest and potential of both, the US and India relationship has matured into a strategic partnership through mutual atomic cooperation. This paper investigates the cost and advantage of the strategic partnership of India and the US and the effect on the South Asian balance of power in the backdrop of PakUS relationships. It additionally concentrates on the security structure of the neighborhood, and challenges for the US to keep up strategic partnerships with the opponents India and Pakistan
- Topic:
- Politics and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- America and India
35. Proposed Public Charge Rule Would Significantly Reduce Legal Admissions and Adjustment to Lawful Permanent Resident Status of Working Class Persons
- Author:
- Donald Kerwin
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Migration Studies of New York
- Abstract:
- On October 10, 2018, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its long-anticipated proposed rule on inadmissibility on public charge grounds.[1] The rule seeks to “better ensure” that applicants for admission to the United States as immigrants (permanent residents) and nonimmigrants (temporary residents),[2] as well as applicants for adjustment to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status within the United States, will be “self-sufficient” and “not depend on public resources to meet their needs, but rather rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their family, sponsor, and private organizations.”[3] Under the proposed rule, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers would consider receipt of cash benefits and, in a break from the past, non-cash medical, housing, and food benefits in making public charge determinations. The proposed DHS rule details the factors — positive and negative — to be weighed in these decisions.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Immigration
- Political Geography:
- America
36. U.S. Trade policy under Trump
- Author:
- Peter Gibbon and Jakob Vestergaard
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- A few weeks ahead of the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to be held in Buenos Aires from 10 to 13 December, the international trade community is gripped with a mixture of angst, disbelief and despair. Although US President, Donald Trump, made radical statements during his presidential campaign – including the infamous statement that the “WTO is a disaster” [for the US] – few expected much of that to translate into actual policies when he was elected and appointed President. Yet, this is very much what has in fact happened over the past 10 months.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
37. The Fund for American Studies: Celebrating 50 Years of Educating Leaders Throughout the World
- Author:
- Roger R Ream
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Ambassadors Review
- Abstract:
- The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) was founded in 1967 with a mission focused on influencing the intellectual climate in the world by giving young people entering leadership positions a balanced perspective on political and economic systems. It was founded in the heat of the Cold War and during a period of growing unrest and even violent upheaval on college campuses. Many of the founders of the organization were actively engaged in international programs, including former Congressman Walter Judd and political organizer David R. Jones.
- Topic:
- International Organization and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
38. The Power of Rapid-Response Public Diplomacy: The IVLP On Demand
- Author:
- Monica Damberg-Ott
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Ambassadors Review
- Abstract:
- The U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, or IVLP, is often referred to as the “gold standard” of exchange programs th within the public diplomacy community. The program celebrated its 75 anniversary in 2015, and more than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 505 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government,1 since its inception in 1940. Margaret Thatcher, Hamid Karzai, and Indira Gandhi, to name just a few, are alumni. But with recent budget constraints and the need to demonstrate immediate, results-driven programming, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is placing greater emphasis on its most flexible rapid-response exchanges. Among those programs is the highly adaptable and policy-responsive option: the IVLP On Demand. So how does it differ from the original model, how does it compare, and how might it help show results more quickly?
- Topic:
- Diplomacy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
39. U.S.-Ghana Relations Are Strong Following December 2016 Elections
- Author:
- Robert Jackson
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Ambassadors Review
- Abstract:
- Ghana is one of the leading democracies on the African continent, with multiple peaceful interparty transitions since the return of multi-party democracy in 1992; a good record on human rights; an apolitical military; and a lively, free media. Ghanaians often note that whenever the Republican Party wins the White House, Ghana’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) wins Jubilee House—a coincidental tradition that held true again in 2016. Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections were peaceful, transparent, and credible; U.S. engagement played a critical role in that success, as well as in the resulting peaceful transition of power.
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Ghana
40. The United States and Namibia: Promoting Success in a Young African Democracy
- Author:
- Thomas F Daughton
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Ambassadors Review
- Abstract:
- ust 27 years old, the Republic of Namibia is among Africa’s youngest countries, but one that stands out on the continent for its functioning multiparty democracy, open market economy and history of peaceful transitions of presidential power. The reasons for Namibia’s success lie in the international process that created it and in the pragmatism of its people. That international process and the United States’ involvement in it have also complicated the U.S.-Namibia relationship in the last three decades. But the United States has long recognized that an investment in the success of a country like Namibia is a strategic long-term investment in our own security. With that in mind, the United States has invested heavily since Namibian independence in 1990 to help ensure that the young country succeeds.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Ghana
41. The United States and Colombia: A Special Relationship
- Author:
- Juan Pinzón Carlos
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Ambassadors Review
- Abstract:
- The world has changed for Colombia. For the first time in more than 50 years, we are a nation building a lasting and stable peace. What has not changed is the special relationship Colombia shares with the United States. As the oldest and strongest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, the relationship between our two countries is deeply rooted in our steadfast commitment to the shared values of democracy, freedom and equality.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Colombia
42. Take the Money and Run
- Author:
- Jacqueline L. Hazelton
- Publication Date:
- 09-2017
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- How can the United States best assure its interests abroad when a partner state faces an insurgency? The question has vexed policymakers, military officers, and scholars throughout the Cold War and into the post–9/11 era. When the United States finds its military might turned against itself by insurgents, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, thoughts often turn to the small U.S.-supported counterinsurgency campaign in El Salvador from 1979 to 1992. The Salvadoran government defended itself against Marxist-nationalist-liberal-socialist rebels in a civil war that ended in a peace deal. The small-footprint U.S. intervention is appealing as an alternative to the tens of thousands of troops deployed in bigger quagmires. Conventional wisdom says that the brutal, repressive Salvadoran government instituted liberalizing, democratizing reforms to defeat the insurgency. Analysis of contemporaneous documents and interviews with participants, however, reveals that the campaign is a poor model for future U.S. interventions, for three reasons. First, the government retained power by waging a war of terrorism and attrition against insurgents and civilians alike. Second, Salvadoran elites resisted U.S. pressure for reforms. Third, chance rather than U.S. choices played a significant role in the war's outcome, meaning that replication of the pattern of events is unlikely.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
43. Trumps National Security Strategy: A new brand of mercantilism
- Author:
- Salman Ahmed and Alexander Bick
- Publication Date:
- 08-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- The sixteen national security strategies issued by presidents Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama reaffirmed U.S. leadership of a liberal international order, even as they acknowledged it enabled the rise of others and eroded U.S. economic dominance. President Donald Trump may decide that is no longer tenable. His forthcoming national security strategy will be closely scrutinized to understand what “America First” means for the U.S. role in the world and whether it represents a shift toward a narrower, neo-mercantile approach.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
44. The Nuclear Ban treaty: What would follow
- Author:
- George Perkovich
- Publication Date:
- 05-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- In May 2017, negotiators at the United Nations introduced a draft convention to prohibit the possession of nuclear weapons, as a way to hasten progress toward eventual nuclear disarmament, as called for in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). All the nuclear-armed states except North Korea have boycotted the negotiations, along with many U.S. allies. Unfortunately, the good motives behind the treaty do not mean it will enhance international security, prevent nuclear proliferation, or facilitate actual nuclear disarmament. It may even have unintended consequences that make these goals harder to achieve. Yet there are steps that nuclear-armed states could take, perhaps nudged along by their allies, to help heal rifts that the proposed ban treaty has highlighted.
- Topic:
- International Security
- Political Geography:
- America
45. “Alternative” Strategic Perceptions in U.S.-China Relations
- Author:
- David J. Firestein and Euhwa Tran
- Publication Date:
- 05-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- The EastWest Institute has released a new report on U.S.-China relations—"Alternative” Strategic Perceptions in U.S.-China Relations. The report lays out the differing strategic perceptions of the United States and China with respect to some of the most topical and challenging issues on the U.S.-China agenda today. These starkly differing perceptions inform and exacerbate actual policy and fuel mistrust and broad mutual strategic suspicion. By exposing the diverging perceptions of the two countries and bringing those perceptions into the fabric of bilateral discourse more explicitly and honestly, this report creates the basis for a more honest, substantive, constructive, fruitful and mutually beneficial dialogue.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- China and America
46. Dialogue on U.S.-China Infrastructure Cooperation
- Author:
- Natalie Pretzer-Lin
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- On March 13, 2017, the EastWest Institute (EWI), in concert with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), convened the first ever conference on prospects for infrastructure cooperation between the United States and China. This conference, held in Beijing, brought together a U.S. delegation comprising investment and infrastructure experts—some of whom have advised the Trump administration on infrastructure—with Chinese counterparts from a number of private sector and state-owned enterprises. Discussion throughout the conference focused on the policy priorities of the Trump Administration; the Trump administration’s vision for the development of U.S. infrastructure; the current state of U.S.-China relations; and opportunities, challenges and recommendations for U.S.-China infrastructure cooperation.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- China and America
47. The Outlook for Energy Under a Trump Administration Major Volatility Ahead
- Author:
- David L. Goldwyn
- Publication Date:
- 01-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Oil, gas, and renewable energy markets will face high levels of uncertainty and potentially extreme volatility under a Trump administration in 2017. Some of these uncertainties flow from questions about the new administration’s yet-undefined policies on energy production, trade, and climate policy. Others flow from the basket of national security risks that a new US President was destined to inherit. Yet it is Mr. Trump’s signaling of major shifts in US foreign policy priorities that may have the greatest near-term impact on energy supply and demand. The impact of these uncertainties, following two years of reduced oil and gas investment and low energy prices, may inhibit investment and sow the seeds of a potential oil and gas price shock by 2020, if not sooner.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Post Truth Politics
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
48. The Outlook for Energy Under a Trump Administration Major Volatility Ahead
- Author:
- David L. Goldwyn
- Publication Date:
- 01-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Oil, gas, and renewable energy markets will face high levels of uncertainty and potentially extreme volatility under a Trump administration in 2017. Some of these uncertainties flow from questions about the new administration’s yet-undefined policies on energy production, trade, and climate policy. Others flow from the basket of national security risks that a new US President was destined to inherit. Yet it is Mr. Trump’s signaling of major shifts in US foreign policy priorities that may have the greatest near-term impact on energy supply and demand. The impact of these uncertainties, following two years of reduced oil and gas investment and low energy prices, may inhibit investment and sow the seeds of a potential oil and gas price shock by 2020, if not sooner.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Post Truth Politics
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
49. Cyber and Deterrence: The Military-Civil Nexus in High-End Conflict
- Author:
- Franklin Kramer, Robert J Butler, and Catherine Lotrionte
- Publication Date:
- 01-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This paper analyzes cyber’s role in deterrence and defense—and specifically the military-civil nexus and the relationship between the Department of Defense (DoD), the civil agencies, and the key private operational cyber entities, in particular the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and electric grid operators. The focus of the paper is on high-end conflict including actions by an advanced cyber adversary, whether state or nonstate, and not on the “day-to-day” intrusions and attacks as regularly occur and are generally dealt with by governmental agencies and the private sector without military involvement. High-end conflict can be expected to include attacks within the United States homeland as well as in forward theatres.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, International Security, Military Strategy, Military Affairs, and Cybersecurity
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
50. Reinvigorating U.S. Economic Strategy in the Asia Pacific
- Author:
- Charlene Barshefsky, Evan G. Greenberg, and Jon M. Huntsman Jr.
- Publication Date:
- 01-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Abstract:
- The Asia Pacific is home to over half of humanity and many of the world’s largest and most dynamic economies. Over the coming decades, no region of the world will do more to shape U.S. economic fortunes. More than ever before, American jobs and growth are tied to the Asia Pacific, and these opportunities are likely to grow. But the region is undergoing profound change. Today, mutually beneficial relations with the Asia Pacific are challenged by slowing growth, a rise in security tensions, and threats to the U.S.-led order. The rise of China is altering the Asia-Pacific landscape in profound ways and playing a critical role in the region’s prosperity and perceived stability. These economic and security shifts offer opportuni- ties for the United States to strengthen cooperation with emerging economies and reinforce part- nerships with established allies. But new policies are needed in what has become a more volatile environment. These policies must be grounded in the enduring interests of the United States and informed by the realities of a changing Asia Pacific. And just as economics is at the heart of Asia’s rise, so must economics be at the heart of an effective strategy.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Globalization, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- America and Asia-Pacific