The Dark Side: Sex in Global Affairs

Sexual behavior and the relations between sexes are some of the most visible markers of cultural differences. But the effects of sexual convention are felt across nations and societies. AIDS, human trafficking and gender inequality are increasingly global problems that have significant implications for international security and prosperity.

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.

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