home > campaign 2008 > election must reads
April 9, 2008
Many analysts say NAFTA has not had as devastating an impact on the U.S. job market as the Democratic candidates claim, the New Republic reports. Still, John Judis writes, the trade agreement has stressed the U.S. work force by driving up illegal immigration to the United States.
See more in North America, Trade
April & May 2008
The Hoover Institution's Policy Review considers the pitfalls of subsidizing energy alternatives.
See more in United States, Energy
March 31, 2008
The Financial Times says the foreign policy of the Bush administration will likely "form the basis for the approach of its successor."
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
March 30, 2008
The United States has struggled to devise an effective counterinsurgency strategy in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Nicholas Schmidle writes.
See more in Pakistan, International Peace and Security
March 27, 2008
The Economist looks back on the foreign policy agenda of the Bush administration, and says the 2008 presidential election could give the United States "the best chance it has had to resolve its internal disagreements about American foreign policy."
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
March 26, 2008
Barack Obama has said if he is elected, he will meet without preconditions with U.S. adversaries, including leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran, among others. The Wall Street Journal considers the potential consequenses of such talks.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
March 13, 2008
Pew's Andrew Kohut looks at public opinion on foreign policy issues, including Iraq, the use of torture, and free trade. Each candidate will attempt to show "that the opposition’s way of thinking about foreign policy is out of touch with a moderate point of view," Kohut writes.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
March 2, 2008
The New York Times asks how much of an impact the issue of immigration will have in the 2008 election.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 28, 2008
This report examines the influence the new minority population growth in the United States will have on the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. Brookings Senior Fellow William Frey says the candidates must "cope with a racially balkanized electorate, with regionally distinct voting blocks that face sometimes conflicting interests, especially in the highly prized purple states."
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 25, 2008
The National Journal looks at the policy distinctions between Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on Iraq and immigration, among other issues.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 20, 2008
Joe Klein relates his experience discussing the U.S. presidential election with Middle Easterners at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha.
See more in Middle East, U.S. Election 2008
January/February 2008
The Atlantic looks at what a withdrawal from Iraq could mean for American politics.
See more in United States, U.S. Strategy and Politics
February 14, 2008
Frank Rich says the Democrats' best hopes for victory in the 2008 election "have less to do with their own ideas than with the sorry state of their opponents." He says compared to the fractious Republican coalition, the Democrats seem like "a model of coherence and unity."
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 14, 2008
The Economist says America must "evaluate Obama the potential president, not Obama the phenomenon." An Obama presidency could "transform America's image," but, the piece asks, would he actually be able to govern successfully?
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 12, 2008
David Brooks writes that the Democratic presidential candidates' promises to withdraw troops from Iraq and allocate funds for domestic programs, including clean energy subsidies and universal health care, are unrealistic. Brooks predicts a major rift in the Democratic party if the next president attempts to end the war.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 7, 2008
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder says the Democratic primary system, though not flawless, has served the party well.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 6, 2008
David Ranson analyzes the presidential candidates' positions on free trade, and says the United States needs "a president who is wise enough to recognize that protectionism impedes our exports as well as our imports."
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
February 2008
A profile of Ron Paul's surprising campaign by Reason magazine.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
January 28, 2008
George Packer writes that perhaps the most important difference between Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama lies in their rival conceptions of the presidency—Clinton as executive, Obama as visionary.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
January 28, 2008
Out of 3,000 questions television interviewers have asked presidential candidates during the 2008 campaign so far, only six have been about global warming.
See more in United States, Climate Change
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