Domestic Politics Archive

Today the United States is more receptive to major change in its global strategy than it has been for decades. Things unthinkable or relegated to the political fringe only a few years ago are now on the table. This includes the reconfiguration of both partnerships and adversarial relationships. As his administration winds down, President Barack Obama made modest openings toward some of America’s longstanding opponents like Cuba and Iran, and sealed rapprochements with one-time adversaries like Vietnam. Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has pushed in the opposite direction. Rather than forging new ties, he has called longstanding ones […]

Kenya’s national elections are more than a year away, but political tensions are already rising. Starting in late April, the main political opposition group began organizing a near-weekly protest against the commission charged with organizing the vote. Known as the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, it has accused the commission’s members of being in the pocket of President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is set to stand for a second term. The recent demonstrations have consistently been met with widespread police brutality; at least three protesters were killed during the latest incident late […]

Last week, Cyprus held legislative elections. While the two biggest parties, the Democratic Rally and the Progressive Party of Working People, lost significant support, they still managed to come in first and second place, respectively. In an email interview, James Ker-Lindsay, the Eurobank EFG senior research fellow on the politics of Southeast Europe, discussed the recent elections and what they mean for politics in Cyprus. WPR: What factors explain the declining support for the two main parties—the Democratic Rally (DISY) and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)—and the rise of the far right in the recent legislative elections in […]