Society and Culture

Ask CFR Experts

Is it part of the U.S. anti-drug policy to sell weapons to Mexico to combat drug cartels?

Asked by Zub Merch

Under the security cooperation agreement called the Merida Initiative, the United States provides military and law enforcement assistance to the Mexican government in support of efforts to combat drug cartels and organized crime. The United States and Mexico jointly developed this agreement in response to a substantial increase in drug-related criminal activity and violence on both sides of the border.

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See more in North America, Mexico, United States, Defense/Homeland Security, Nation Building, Civil Society, Narcotics Control

Op-Ed

The Big One?

Author: Laurie Garrett
Foreign Policy

Laurie Garrett offers a detailed account of how the H7N9 virus emerged and describes the two possible paths it may now follow, by pulling from her own experiences in the SARS epidemic ten years ago and reflecting on parallels between the two.

See more in China, Global Health, Health and Disease, Health

Foreign Affairs Article

Why American Education Fails

Author: Jal Mehta

Since the end of the industrial age, Americans have worried about improving their education system. But the country has never been able to make much progress. Other nations do it better, and the United States must learn from their examples if it hopes to catch up.

See more in United States, Education