Paying off creditors the right way “Blessed are the young,” Herbert Hoover quipped, “for they shall inherit the national debt.” With the national debt approaching $14 trillion, however, policymakers are looking to deal with the debt sooner rather than later. As the global economy recovers, they may decide to depreciate the dollar in order to … Read more
What ails our foreign policy establishment? Recently, President Obama has been severely tested in his conduct of the Afghan war, battered by his own party for his escalation of George W. Bush’s quagmire. Insurgents seem to be surging in province after province. Washington’s man on the ground, President Hamid Karzai, continues to siphon American aid … Read more
Fighting U.S.-China trade imbalance demands long-term strategy In September, one of the world’s most important bilateral trade relationships was on the verge of crisis. In retaliation for American support of Japanese claims to the Senkaku Islands, the People’s Republic of China launched a boycott of rare earth metals, prompting fears of a new economic conflict. … Read more
Two years of “da” to a new partnership From the establishment of the Soviet Union until the last decade of the twentieth century, world politics pivoted on a complex bilateral rivalry that effectively dominated international relations. With the fall of the Soviet Union, however, the extent to which the U.S.-Russia relationship had to remain a … Read more
The silver lining of shortfalls in PEPFAR funding By many accounts, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was among the most impressive accomplishments of George W. Bush’s foreign policy. Since 2004, PEPFAR has increased the number of Africans receiving antiretroviral therapy from 50,000 to 2.5 million. Despite the program’s successes, however, PEPFAR’s funding … Read more
The recent hiccups in U.S.-Japan relations 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. Born out of the Cold War, the agreement provided a framework under which the United States gave Japan economic opportunities and military protection in exchange for Japanese alignment with the … Read more
Suffrage for non-citizens raises fundamental questions It can be easy to forget that suffrage laws in the United States have changed a great deal over the years; indeed they have changed relatively recently. As a general matter, suffrage rights evolve to become more inclusive, but there is at least one group that, since the beginning … Read more
How Gingrich should navigate the 2012 presidential election There is widespread speculation, often fueled by the man himself, that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who has been out of office for over a decade, will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012. While Gingrich, as speaker, accumulated his fair share of political … Read more
Why the current primary system, imperfect as it is, is here to stay With the 2010 midterms in the books, prospective candidates are already looking ahead to the 2012 presidential election. While President Obama will probably secure the Democratic nomination easily, Republicans must develop their campaigns in the coming months to navigate the political jungle … Read more
Liberal frustration with Obama’s politics-as-usual At a Boston rally for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in October, protesters who were disappointed with President Barack Obama’s inaction on global AIDS relief funding interrupted his speech, chanting, “We’ll fight for you if you fight AIDS.” Obama had come to Boston to encourage local Democrats to get out the … Read more