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341. Five Key Decisions to Revitalize US Critical Mineral Stockpiles

Author:
Tom Moerenhout, Cina Vazir, and Irina Patrahau
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:
The United States is at a pivotal moment to modernize its approach to critical mineral stockpiling. Minerals are increasingly central to American strategic interests, yet the US remains heavily reliant on foreign suppliers, particularly China, for processed materials. This dependency exposes the US to major vulnerabilities in national, economic, and climate security. The National Defense Stockpile (NDS) can be a key policy lever to reduce these vulnerabilities. At present, however, the NDS is underfunded, covering only a fraction of projected needs in a national emergency. It also may not be realizing its potential to address underlying market failures that threaten US economic interests in addition to its historical defense role. This report, part of the Critical Materials Initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, finds that an economic stockpile with market-shaping quantities of material may cost more than six times the amount of a defense-oriented stockpile. It is therefore important to integrate stockpiling choices into the wider array of policy options, analyzing whether a stockpile is the most efficient tool to address the specific market failure at hand for each material and transaction. The report outlines five foundational choices if a stockpiling strategy is adopted, as bipartisan support suggests is possible, and offers related recommendations for US policymakers designing such a system.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Science and Technology, Innovation, Critical Minerals, and Stockpiling
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

342. A World Adrift: Reordering and New Pathways of Cooperation

Author:
Mely Caballero-Anthony
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Abstract:
Global governance is under severe strain as geopolitical conflicts, climate risks, pandemics, technological disruptions, and widening inequalities unfold amid the United States’ retrenchment from the international arena and China’s assertiveness in global affairs. A more pluralistic global landscape is emerging where new and old institutions coexist. Regional and middle powers, including groupings like ASEAN, can shape a more stable and cooperative order through inclusive, rules-based frameworks that strengthen resilience and revitalise multilateralism.
Topic:
Governance, Geopolitics, Institutions, ASEAN, Regional Power, and Middle Power
Political Geography:
China and United States of America

343. After the American Retreat: How Southeast Asia Can Seize its Climate Future

Author:
Adam Hansen and Pey Peili
Publication Date:
10-2025
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Abstract:
The Trump administration’s aggressive rollback of US climate policy has left a global void. Yet, for Southeast Asia, this is not just a crisis but a catalyst. By leveraging critical minerals to sustain US engagement and through strengthening ties with new partners, the region can forge a resilient, independent green path.
Topic:
Climate Change, Partnerships, Donald Trump, Critical Minerals, and Political Engagement
Political Geography:
North America, Southeast Asia, and United States of America

344. Deterioration of relations between the US and India

Author:
Patryk Kugiel
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
The imposition by Donald Trump’s administration of 50% tariffs on goods from India, a tightened migration policy, as well as the strengthening of US cooperation with Pakistan, have all led to the most serious crisis in Indian-American relations in 25 years. Although both sides will try to ease tensions and return to normal cooperation, the shift in US policy has undermined India's trust in the US. As a result, India will be more willing to cooperate with other partners, including the BRICS countries. It will be important for the EU to strengthen its cooperation with India in order to try to prevent a deeper anti-Western drift in Indian policy.
Topic:
International Cooperation, Bilateral Relations, European Union, Donald Trump, and Migration Policy
Political Geography:
Pakistan, South Asia, India, North America, and United States of America

345. The political scene in Israel a year before the Knesset elections

Author:
Michał Wojnarowicz
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
The parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2026 will be the first chance for Israeli political forces to renew their social mandate since the Gaza Strip war began. Polls show that Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition may lose its majority. This could prompt the government to use foreign policy more for electoral purposes. The opposition’s chances depend on how well it consolidates and how effective the new parties' messages are. External influences on the campaign, especially from the US, will likely intensify.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Politics, Elections, Knesset, Parliament, and 2023 Gaza War
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and United States of America

346. Energy Derussification of Poland's Visegrad Partners

Author:
Łukasz Ogrodnik and Tymon Pastucha
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
While Czechia has moved away from importing Russian energy resources, Hungary and Slovakia remain the most dependent EU countries. As a result of EU and US sanctions against Russia, both countries will have to make efforts to reduce this dependence. This prospect represents an opportunity for Poland to deepen cooperation in its role as a provider of energy security.
Topic:
Sanctions, European Union, Visegrad Group, Energy, and Energy Security
Political Geography:
Russia, Europe, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, United States of America, and Czechia

347. Brazil Faces Mounting Pressure from the United States

Author:
Mateusz Piotrowski and Bartłomiej Znojek
Publication Date:
09-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
A political motivation was the main driver of the U.S. measures against Brazil and its authorities in July and August, as President Donald Trump tried to protect former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro from criminal charges of plotting a coup d’état. The Trump administration responded to Bolsonaro’s conviction on 11 September with new threats and additional sanctions. The Brazilian government will intensify its attempts at dialogue with the U.S. and seek support from other BRICS+ members, among other partners, and assistance for domestic industries affected by the punitive U.S. tariffs. The conflict with the United States will influence the course of the campaign ahead of next year’s general elections in Brazil.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Sanctions, Elections, Tariffs, Coup, Donald Trump, BRICS, and Jair Bolsonaro
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, and United States of America

348. U.S. Implements "Reciprocal" Tariffs, Significantly Altering Foreign Trade Conditions

Author:
Damian Wnukowski
Publication Date:
08-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
After a suspension period, the so-called reciprocal tariffs came into force on 7 August, establishing new conditions for trade between the U.S. and its partners. This will increase predictability in international trade, but will also likely weaken global economic growth. The diversity and complexity of the regulations may hinder their implementation and undermine the principles of international trade within the WTO system.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, Economic Growth, Tariffs, and WTO
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

349. U.S. Fosters Rwanda-Congo Peace Deal for Mineral Rights

Author:
Jędrzej Czerep
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
On 27 June in Washington, the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement, reached under U.S. auspices. It is based on a “security for minerals” formula. Although it carries the promise of development by linking the economies of the DRC, Rwanda, and the U.S. in the extractive sector, the chances of its full implementation are slim.
Topic:
Security, Bilateral Relations, Economy, Extractive Industries, and Critical Minerals
Political Geography:
Africa, Rwanda, United States of America, and Congo

350. Development cooperation at a tipping point: how, why and through what mechanisms do policy norms break?

Author:
Andy Sumner and Stephan Klingebiel
Publication Date:
01-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:
This paper applies the concepts and theories of “policy norms” to the disruptive effects of the second Trump administration on global development cooperation. We argue that recent US actions represent more than a domestic political shift. They signal a tipping point to longstanding norms of the development cooperation system and specifically multilateralism as well as notions of global solidarity. This paper's objective is to explain how, why and through which political and institutional mechanisms policy norms break down or are reconstituted in global development cooperation. It uses the current moment as a case study of “norm antipreneurship”, potentially even “norm imperialism” illustrating the political and institutional strategies through which policy norms are currently being contested, dismantled or displaced. This paper addresses a set of questions: (i) What are the core mechanisms through which development cooperation norms are formed, contested and fragmented? (ii) How is the second Trump administration seeking to reshape normative regimes in development cooperation? (iii) What research agenda is needed to understand norm change in a multipolar and contested development cooperation landscape?
Topic:
Development, International Cooperation, Multilateralism, Donald Trump, and Multipolarity
Political Geography:
Global Focus and United States of America

351. China Facing Domestic Economic Challenges and Trade War with the U.S.

Author:
Marcin Przychodniak
Publication Date:
05-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
Abstract:
A session of China’s parliament in March confirmed that the main source of the country’s economic growth in 2025 is to be state-supported industrial production, including the development of the high-tech sector, along with increasing domestic consumption and exports. The shape of China’s economic policy will be influenced by, among other things, the course of the trade conflict with the United States. For the EU, China’s economic plans imply the need to further protect the single market and increase competitiveness.
Topic:
Economy, Economic Growth, Trade Wars, and Industry
Political Geography:
China, Asia, North America, and United States of America

352. Up against Trump, Canada's unlikely European destiny

Author:
André Gattolin
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Robert Schuman Foundation (RSF)
Abstract:
Caught up in the offensive launched last December by Donald Trump against his northern neighbour, Canadians are now grappling with existential questions, leading them to rethink the ties that have bound them to the United States until now. America's ‘betrayal’ has prompted the country to question its real sovereignty and its future place in a disrupted world order. As a direct consequence of this upheaval, Europe is the focus of renewed interest within Canadian society. But is it a credible alternative to Canada's excessive dependence on its neighbour? Is it conceivable that the country could one day join the European Union? If not, what paths could lead to a shared future between these two major entities of the Western world? Since 29 November 2024, Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to annex Canada and make it the 51st state of the United States. What initially appeared to be mere bluster on the part of the White House occupant quickly turned into a real threat with the immediate enactment of coercive customs and border measures. Once the initial shock had passed, a genuine wave of spontaneous and peaceful revolt quickly swept across the country. The boycott of American products and retail chains, as well as mass cancellation of planned trips to the United States were the first signs of this. Far from being short-lived, this defiance seems to be here to stay. According to a recent survey, two-thirds of Canadians continue to reduce their purchases of American goods, and 70% now prefer products of Canadian origin [1].
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Bilateral Relations, Transatlantic Relations, and Boycott
Political Geography:
Europe, Canada, North America, and United States of America

353. Facing New Migration Realities: U.S.-Mexico Relations and Shared Interests

Author:
Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Doris Meissner, and Andrew Selee
Publication Date:
05-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
Migration patterns in the Western Hemisphere have changed considerably in just a few years, with large numbers of migrants from dozens of countries across the Americas and around the world traveling through the region. Many hoped to reach the United States, but others have remained within Latin America and the Caribbean. These shifting realities pushed many countries to deepen collaboration on migration management. No country has been more critical to U.S. border enforcement efforts than Mexico, which at times in 2024 recorded more migrant encounters in its territory than the U.S. Border Patrol did at the southwest border every month. Mexican policies have been central catalysts for sustained reductions in unauthorized migration at the U.S.-Mexico border that began in 2024 and have continued under the countries’ new administrations. Whether and in what form collaboration between the two countries will continue now rests in the hands of the administrations of U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. This policy brief provides an account of shifts in unauthorized migration and humanitarian protection trends in recent years, and the role the U.S.-Mexico relationship has played—and will continue to play—in responding to critical migration challenges. It examines the shift from burgeoning hemispheric cooperation on migration to a U.S. strategy based on large-scale deportations and threatened tariffs. The analysis was informed by in-depth interviews and roundtable discussions with U.S. and Mexican policymakers, researchers, and representatives of international and civil-society organizations.
Topic:
Migration, Bilateral Relations, Law Enforcement, Employment, Trafficking, Borders, and Labor Market
Political Geography:
North America, Mexico, and United States of America

354. AI Standard Choices Under Geopolitical Competition

Author:
Sangjun Yea
Publication Date:
10-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
This study examines how global competition over artificial intelligence (AI) standards is unfolding amid growing geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China. It develops a theoretical model to analyze how a third country decides whether to align its domestic AI standard with the U.S. or Chinese framework once both standards exist. The analysis highlights that the choice depends primarily on global and local network effects, market competition, and the role of domestic platforms intermediating AI services. The findings suggest that the technological superiority of foundation AI models and the expanding global user base are key determinants of international standards adoption, implying that AI standardization has become a strategic domain of global economic and political competition.
Topic:
Economics, Geopolitics, Artificial Intelligence, and Strategic Competition
Political Geography:
China, Asia, North America, and United States of America

355. Making Preschool Classroom Assessments Work for Dual Language Learners

Author:
Katherine Habben, Victoria Kim, and Lorena Mancilla
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
To effectively support the growth and learning of young children in their care, early childhood educators need to understand and be able to monitor the progress these children are making toward important milestones. Developmentally appropriate assessment practices are often used for such purposes with children whose home language is English, but for Dual Language Learners (DLLs)—young children who have at least one parent who speaks a language other than English at home—such practices are often a poor fit. Many widely used assessment tools and practices are not designed to account for their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, even though DLLs now comprise one-third of all children ages 0–5 in the United States. These assessments’ frequent reliance on English language proficiency and emphasis of mainstream cultural norms to gauge children’s learning and development can result in inaccurate measures of DLLs’ abilities and thereby lead to faulty conclusions about their developmental progress and educational needs. Federal policies and frameworks such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework acknowledge the importance of linguistically appropriate assessment. Similarly, national organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children have offered guidance on developmentally appropriate practices in diverse settings. While efforts such as these provide a strong foundation, they lack specific requirements or actionable steps that would help ensure widespread adoption and implementation of appropriate assessment tools and practices for DLLs. Several states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, and Oregon, have gone a step further and introduced early learning standards and assessment tools that reflect DLL needs. These initiatives represent meaningful progress toward effective assessment of all young children; however, they have not yet been widely or consistently implemented even within these states’ systems.
Topic:
Education, Children, Immigrants, Language, and Integration
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

356. Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration Courts

Author:
Kathleen Bush-Joseph, Doris Meissner, and Muzaffar Chishti
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
With 3.8 million deportation cases pending, the U.S. immigration courts are in crisis, and both administrative and legislative reforms are urgently needed to transform the system. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Justice Department agency that houses the immigration courts and their appellate body, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), has tried to modernize and speed up case completions. Yet in recent years, the filing of millions of new removal (deportation) cases and asylum applications from recent border arrivals have layered new pressure upon long-standing challenges and overwhelmed the courts. Consequently, it takes an average of four years for noncitizens to receive an asylum hearing, and a final decision can take much longer with appeals. These delays undermine the goals of the U.S. asylum and immigration enforcement systems: to determine who is eligible to stay in the United States, and to order those who are ineligible to depart or be removed in a timely manner. To understand how the courts have reached this point, this policy brief provides an overview of former President Joe Biden’s policies at the immigration courts as well as the initial actions of President Donald Trump’s second administration. Since retaking office, Trump has announced a number of new policies restricting access to asylum and rescinding other protections from deportation, while speeding the adjudication of removal cases. But his mass deportation campaign has also led to the filing of many new removal cases as immigration officers seek to arrest thousands of noncitizens per day.
Topic:
Immigration, Courts, Donald Trump, Deportation, Joe Biden, and Migration Policy
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

357. International Student Mobility: A Post-Pandemic Reset or a Broader Challenge?

Author:
Elizabeth Collett
Publication Date:
04-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
International education has become a huge market, estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Tertiary-level institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada continue to draw large numbers of international students, but other destination countries have also entered the mix. And while Chinese and Indian nationals are among the largest groups of international students, enrollment is growing from countries as varied as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Brazil. Yet after years of recruitment and growth, during which attracting international students was seen as an unalloyed good—for university research budgets, local economies, and knowledge circulation—attitudes are shifting in some major destination countries. The post-COVID-19 pandemic rebound in international student arrivals has raised concerns about their impact on already strained housing markets and led some governments to take steps to limit admissions. But this focus may obscure broader questions about the sustainability of rising numbers, some universities’ reliance on international student tuition, and whether international education is in fact helping countries meet critical skills needs. This Transatlantic Council on Migration report outlines important considerations for governments seeking to answer these questions. It provides an overview of recent developments in the international education sector and explores policy levers that can be used to shape demand for international study, the form learning opportunities take, and how they can be smartly aligned with future labor market needs.
Topic:
Immigration, Economic Mobility, Students, and International Education
Political Geography:
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and United States of America

358. All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

Author:
Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter, and Julie Sugarman
Publication Date:
09-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
Immigrants and their children are a vital part of Connecticut’s present and its future. Comprising 15 percent of the state's residents, immigrants have driven all population and workforce growth over the last decade and a half. In addition, about 30 percent of Connecticut children are part of immigrant families. Most immigrants in the state, as in the country overall, are successful and self-sufficient. However, many face periodic economic challenges, and most immigrants can benefit from integration support in their first several years in the United States. With an eye to the state’s future vitality, this report focuses on key state policies and services that aim to support upward mobility for all Connecticut families, examining ways in which they meet the needs of low-income immigrants and their children and how they might more effectively do so. Drawing on interviews with state and local actors, the study considers the following issue areas: adult education and workforce development, housing, low-wage workers, health care and social assistance, small businesses, immigration legal services, K-12 education, and early childhood services. The study also highlights opportunities to improve statewide coordination on immigrant integration and immigration policy issues.
Topic:
Education, Immigrants, Language, Social Mobility, and Adult Education
Political Geography:
North America, United States of America, and Connecticut

359. Behind the Scenes: Mapping How State and Local Governments Implement Language Access Measures

Author:
Jacob Hofstetter and Alexis Fintland
Publication Date:
05-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
Across the United States, a growing number of states, counties, cities, and individual agencies within state and local governments are developing language access measures. These measures aim to ensure that individuals with limited proficiency in English—of whom there were more than 27 million in 2023—can access public information and services for which they are eligible, such as through the use of interpreters, multilingual staff, and translation of written documents. The proliferation of language access measures reflects both longstanding obligations under federal civil rights law and regulations and a practical acknowledgment that state and local governments need to be able to effectively communicate with all members of the communities they serve. This report offers one of the first in-depth examinations of how state and local governments and their component agencies design, implement, and sustain language access measures. Drawing from interviews with state and local government staff, the study finds that while there is no one-size-fits-all approach for implementing language access, there are many lessons that can be learned from efforts to date and strategies that governments can adapt to their own contexts, needs, and capacities.
Topic:
Immigration, Language, Integration, Local Government, and Migration Policy
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

360. Assessing the impact of US funding cuts on communities and humanitarian response: Case studies from South Sudan and Mali

Author:
ALNAP
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
The report examines two country contexts – Mali and South Sudan – which both combine a strong prior presence of US funding, active humanitarian coordination structures and acute levels of needs. The findings shed light on how funding fluctuations influence humanitarian access, service delivery and community coping mechanisms, offering a crucial perspective on resource-driven shifts in the aid system from the perspective of both implementing actors and communities.
Topic:
Foreign Aid, USAID, Humanitarian Assistance, and Aid Cuts
Political Geography:
Africa, Mali, South Sudan, and United States of America