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Politics and Government

Politics and Government
commentary
The Realities of Civil War
Gian Gentile
Oct 9, 2019
The National Interest
Civil war is not a pretty thing to see or be a part of. Those understandably engaged with the intense debate over whether or not the president should be impeached should not suggest that impeachment would result in civil war in our country. There are peaceful means available for us as Americans to follow in order to solve the problems at hand.
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Democracy
commentary
African Dictators Have Been Losing Power—Some to Democratic Governments. Militaries Can Tip the Scales Toward Democracy
Nathaniel Allen, Alexander H. Noyes @alexhnoyes
Sep 16, 2019
The Washington Post Monkey Cage Blog
Africa's security forces most often make headlines when they commit atrocities, crack down on protesters, or seize power in coups. But Africa's troops can also contribute to democracy and peace when they lay down their arms or refuse orders to turn their guns against the people.
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Democracy
commentary
How Can the United States Support Democracies in the Former USSR?
Kenneth Yalowitz, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Sep 16, 2019
The National Interest
The West has only modest capacity to influence circumstances in most post-Soviet countries. In Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova, however, the West has the potential to make a real difference by supporting civil society and improved governance.
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Taiwan
commentary
A Tale of Two Cities China Ignores at Its Peril
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Sep 12, 2019
South China Morning Post
Beijing may believe that, eventually, Taiwanese politics will turn in its favor. But it should consider experiences from the other two territories currently living under the formula—Hong Kong and Macau—to better understand why “one country, two systems” will never work in Taiwan, regardless of politics.
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Political Reform Movements
commentary
Why Ethiopia Sailed While Zimbabwe Sank
Hilary Matfess, Alexander H. Noyes @alexhnoyes
Sep 9, 2019
Foreign Policy
At a time when outside powers are calibrating how they respond to political transitions around the world, the divergent paths of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe illustrate their precariousness and offer lessons for how the international community can support democratization processes in Africa and beyond.
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India
commentary
India and Kashmir, Now One
Rafiq Dossani
Aug 13, 2019
United Press International
In a legally risky move that's already having consequences on the ground, the Modi government scrapped the part of the Indian constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status. How consequential is this? And how should the international community react?
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India
commentary
Kashmir's Democracy—and the World's
Jonah Blank
Aug 8, 2019
The Atlantic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi just changed the status of the restive Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This may be the most important event in an enormously volatile part of the world since the end of the last century, with repercussions that will extend far beyond Kashmir itself.
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United Kingdom
commentary
A Challenging Moment for Boris Johnson
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Jul 23, 2019
The Hill
As Britain's next prime minister, Boris Johnson will bring advantages, and disadvantages, in seeking to lead the United Kingdom through a period as challenging as the Suez Crisis or (perhaps) the darkest days of World War II.
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Politics and Government
blog
New Book by Arthur Brooks Tells Americans to Answer Hate with Love
Jul 8, 2019
Arthur Brooks spoke at a RAND event to discuss his new book, Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt. He stressed that we don't have to disagree less but that we have to disagree better.
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Hong Kong
commentary
Beijing Won't Allow Its Hong Kong Integration Experiment to Fail
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jul 3, 2019
The Hill
Recent events in Hong Kong have posed the stiffest challenge yet to Beijing's sovereignty. If sustained, they could push China to react to protect its national interests.
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Military Strategy
commentary
The Flawed Logic of Proportionality
Raphael S. Cohen
Jul 1, 2019
The Hill
President Trump halted a retaliatory strike against Iran on the basis that it would have claimed many Iranian lives and was not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. There are many good reasons to avoid attacking Iran, but if Washington must resort to force in the future, it should avoid the flawed logic of proportionality.
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Warfare and Military Operations
commentary
Changing the Way America Goes to War
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
Jun 25, 2019
Fox News Channel
America's vast power, and the weakness of most of its enemies, has allowed it to get away with a striking absence of deliberative judgment when deciding on war, as the Iraq case makes clear. But that free pass is coming to an end. It's time for the United States to rethink the way it decides on wars of choice.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Preparing for a Venezuela After Maduro
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jun 24, 2019
Foreign Affairs
If it becomes evident that Maduro isn't about to fall, then the Trump administration should revisit its sanctions and rescind those that weigh most heavily on the Venezuelan people, while targeting and isolating the regime.
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Politics and Government
commentary
One Country, Two Systems, Lots of Problems
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jun 21, 2019
Foreign Policy
The enormous protests in Hong Kong since spring have led to fresh fears about the viability of China's “one country, two systems” policy. It's an idea that Macau and Hong Kong officially subscribe to and Taiwan fiercely resists—but one increasingly questioned from all sides.
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Iran
commentary
A Post-2020 U.S. Return to the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai, Elisa Catalano Ewers
Jun 20, 2019
Foreign Policy
Now that the United States is out of the Iran nuclear deal, signing back on will not be as simple or as practical as some may hope. Too much has happened since it was first inked in 2015. With the political landscape in Tehran and Washington still taking shape, those who want to return to some kind of deal should start planning.
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Iran
commentary
The Costs of Confrontation with Iran Are Mounting
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Jun 17, 2019
The Hill
Even if the United States and Iran avoid a direct military clash, recent escalation and the U.S. maximum pressure campaign are exacting long-term costs for U.S. interests and regional stability in ways that may be difficult if not impossible to reverse.
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