Elliott Abrams argues that President Obama's recent State of the Union address settled the matter on the existence of an Obama Doctrine.

The Council on Foreign Relations has launched a new blog, The Candidates and the World, to provide information and nonpartisan analysis on the foreign policy and national security dimensions of the 2012 presidential race.

A year after President Hosni Mubarak's ouster from power, U.S.-Egypt relations are under threat as Cairo presses charges against U.S. nongovernmental pro-democracy workers. CFR's Steven A. Cook discusses the implications this has for U.S. aid to Egypt.

Even as Greek leaders agree to new austerity measures, the IMF is calling on Greece's official creditors to take losses on its bond holdings. Analysts and policymakers increasingly question the wisdom of EU-mandated austerity measures at the expense of growth.

President Obama gave these remarks on February 9, 2012 regarding the "landmark settlement with the nation's largest banks that will speed relief to the hardest-hit homeowners, end some of the most abusive practices of the mortgage industry, and begin to turn the page on an era of recklessness that has left so much damage in its wake".

Europeans are closely watching the U.S. presidential campaign despite their ongoing economic troubles because the United States remains the number one power in the world, says German expert Josef Joffe.

The 2009 Statement of Principles of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism are, according the U.S. Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, "a set of broad nuclear security goals that encompass a range of deterrence, detection, prevention, and response objectives. The eight principles contained within the SOP aim to develop partnership capacity to combat nuclear terrorism, consistent with national legal authorities and obligations as well as relevant international legal frameworks such as the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, and United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1540".

Ed Husain says military options in Syria would do much more harm than good.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: President Obama presents the 2013 budget to Congress; the Senate Armed Services Committee debates worldwide threats; Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visits Washington; and the one-year anniversary of Mubarak's ouster is marked.

This roundtable meeting was part of the project, Entrepreneurs and Market Linkages in Conflict and Post-Conflict Environments, organized by the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative.

The next U.S. president will face at least three sets of energy challenges: continuing to reduce oil dependence, increasing U.S. supplies sustainably, and addressing acute crises such as supply disruptions, says CFR's Michael Levi.

Peter Orszag wants the United States to rely more on automatic stabilizers to stem the shocks from recessions.

Michael Hodin says the path to fiscal sustainability lies in funding research programs and healthy aging initiatives that reduce the government outlays needed to care for an aging population.

The White House released this fact sheet on 'harnessing innovation for global development' (part of President Obama's Global Development Policy) on February 8, 2012.

China has increased its economic ties with Africa as it seeks to fulfill its growing energy demands. But China's way of doing business has prompted international criticism, even as its policy of noninterference faces new challenges.

As the Pentagon attempts to refocus the U.S. military strategy toward Asia, the department is facing major budget constraints. Experts disagree on how to balance the fiscal challenge with the country's national security priorities.

Nicholas Noe argues that an internationally led reconciliation effort and subsequent peace-keeping presence in Syria would bypass the resulting destruction of a military intervention or civil war, while still keeping the diplomatic upper hand.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times writes that the U.S. Constitution no longer acts as the model for modern states. He cites the consitution's conservative interpretation and relatively few secured rights in making it a poor model in light of newer constitutions that reflect modern values and contexts.

Steve Coll, Robert Grenier, and Daniel Markey look at changes in U.S.-Pakistan relations over the past year and make recommendations for moving forward.

David Marchick calls for new U.S. government efforts to increase the small share of Chinese direct investment in the United States, including combating perceived prejudices, removing policy impediments, and encouraging U.S. businesses to partner with their Chinese counterparts.