Isobel Coleman and Terra Lawson-Remer share seven lessons from their new book, Pathways to Freedom: Political and Economic Lessons From Democratic Transitions.

John Campbell examines escalating violence in Nigeria.

Ray Takeyh weighs the prospects for change in Iran under the newly elected President Hassan Rowhani.

The U.S. military can learn from West Point about how to approach sexual misconduct cases, writes Jeanne Hull.

A conservative candidate seems likely to win Iran's presidential election this week, but the reform movement may yet be energized by the remaining moderate contender, says CFR's Ray Takeyh.

Are Iran's presidential elections too tightly controlled, or will they offer an opportunity for reformist voices to emerge? This Issue Guide traces the campaign and essential background.

Robert Mugabe, age eighty-nine and in failing health, has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980. Zimbabwe faces numerous potential scenarios once he dies or, highly unlikely, if he is defeated in the upcoming summer elections.

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Syria has been mired in deadly strife since March 2011 and the outlook for resolving what is now a full blown civil war looks increasingly dire. The worst case outcome for Syria is one whereby the country fragments and becomes a failed state in which the Damascus government no longer controls its own territory. Under such a scenario, the glue holding the country together comes unstuck.

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Ed Husain advises the United States to support the Turkish government in response to recent protests in Istanbul.

Ray Takeyh asks, "after nearly a decade of delusory diplomacy, it may be time to ask: What if Iran's supreme leader actually means what he says?"

Steven A. Cook, CFR Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, and Henri Barkey, Cohen Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University, discuss the protests in Turkey and how they will affect Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule.

Isobel Coleman hosts Shannon O'Neil for a discussion about the political and economic transition of Mexico and Brazil as part of a Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative series on Realizing Democracy: Lessons from Transitioning Countries.

Steven Cook and Michael Koplow examine recent developments in Istanbul.

As measured by life outcomes, India does not value the lives of its sons as highly as it values the lives of its daughters. Moreover, it allows sexual violence to go unpunished and its victims undefended, whether on the city streets, in villages, in police stations, or in the courts. A powerful impetus for change exists in India, but the challenge of closing the gap between calls for reform and true long-term change looms large.

After the disqualification of popular former president Rafsanjani, it's unclear which of the remaining, mostly conservative candidates will triumph in the June presidential election, says expert Farideh Farhi.

Global monitors say Iran's human rights situation is poor and unlikely to improve amid a climate of political uncertainty and growing external pressures. But activists urge continued international scrutiny of Iran's violations.

The United States did not have diplomatic relations with mainland China in the late 1940s after the communist takeover (though theoretically it maintained diplomatic relations through ties with Taiwan). The United States ended diplomatic relations with Vietnam following the Vietnam War in 1975.

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In his testimony before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Yanzhong Huang discusses China's recent public health crises. He focused on two areas: encouraging further government transparency and emboldening civil society to help enact policy changes.

John Campbell examines Nigeria's ongoing problems: an Islamic insurgency, a security crackdown, and sectarian clashes.