The 2012 election, fraught with bitter rhetoric, has finally passed. Yet, for the billions that were spent by the two parties and their respective allies, this campaign was largely devoid of details and vision, leaving major questions unanswered about the country’s future. My fellow Republicans especially must face political reality heading into the 113th Congress. … Read more
Dear Readers, This November has been a month of momentous change. The world’s two largest economies chose their newest leaders. At home, 131 million people went to the polls and cast ballots, an event unique only in its ordinariness. For the 1.3 billion Chinese citizens, such an occurrence is unfathomable. Instead, the Central Committee of … Read more
No Easy Day: the Autobiography of a Navy SEAL has been one of the most controversial and talked about books published this year because it is the first account of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden to have been written by one of the SEALs who took part in the raid. The book was … Read more
When Democrats call for broader levels of gun control, they’re potentially cashing in on a political winner. Most people—including this gun-loving, former NRA member—recognize, or at least are beginning to acknowledge, how unnecessarily dangerous assault rifles and oversized clips are. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking an assault weapons ban or a clip size … Read more
Most college students can hardly remember a time when America was not at war. To many of us, it may seem unfathomable, if the words of President Obama hold true, that the final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2014 will conclude the first chapter of the War on Terror. Even if potential conflicts with … Read more
Extremist groups like Al-Qaeda are no strangers to the African continent with operations in Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia, most notably through the militant group Al-Shabaab. Their growing prowess, especially in Northern Africa, was illustrated by Al-Qaeda’s recent involvement in the Malian coup d’état. Al-Qaeda’s naturalization in Africa has been perceived as a threat to not … Read more
In June 2012, TrustLaw, a Thompson Reuters Foundation Service organization, released a poll ranking the G20 countries in terms of their overall environment towards women. Canada, not surprisingly, ranked first, while India ranked last, even behind Saudi Arabia. Why the world’s largest democracy has failed to create a safe and supportive environment for women remains … Read more
The HPR sat down with Michael Shear, editor of the New York Times’ The Caucus Blog, to talk about political coverage and the media in the 2012 election and beyond. Harvard Political Review: What was the biggest difference in the media’s role in 2012 compared to 2008? Michael Shear: The speed with which we were all … Read more
Much ink has been spilt in search of a ‘conservative Canada’ – a place where libertarians and traditionalists can take refuge from the left-leaning government du jour. Liberals have jokingly suggested third world locales like Afghanistan and Somalia with their ‘hands-off’ approach to governance of any kind. More levelheaded pundits have pointed to Chile, Hong … Read more
Think of a country that maintains friendly relations with Israel, the United States, and Iran. No, this is not a reference to Switzerland. This nation is India. Ever since India’s independence in 1947, its foreign policy has been largely devoid of a grand strategy. This began with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s development of the Non-Aligned Movement, … Read more