Michael Gerson writes that "Obama will also need to be aware of certain issues-certain tripwires-that could trigger explosive controversy."

Michael Gerson discusses the problems that arise at the beginning of every presidency.

Michael Gerson suggests where President-elect Barack Obama should stay centrist and where he should be bold.

President-elect Barack Obama assembles his national security team at a time when responsibility for foreign policymaking has shifted increasingly to the White House, says Carnegie Endowment scholar David Rothkopf.

Experts from the Council on Foreign Relations, The Economist, and New York University Stern School of Business discuss the status of global finance and how the incoming Obama administration should handle the dire economic situation.

The next U.S. president will have to confront a deteriorating U.S.-Russia relationship.

CFR President Richard N. Haass, who worked on previous presidential transitions, says that given the current world situation, he believes the first priority for President-elect Barack Obama lies in "the financial and economic side," and that "the near-term foreign policy challenges are probably Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, [and] a little bit of Iraq."

Michael Gerson looks back after the election.

Michael Gerson discusses Senator Barack Obama being President-elect.

The handoff of foreign policy responsibility from one U.S. presidential administration to another has proven risky in many cases. The next transition occurs at a time of extraordinary global challenges.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain gave this speech In Arizona on November 4, 2008 on the night of Obama's presidential win.

President-Elect Barack Obama gave this speech in Chicago, Illinois after winning the presidential election on the night of November 4, 2008.

A guide to CFR resources examining U.S. foreign policy priorities and the presidential race.

Demographer Joseph Chamie examines one of the foremost foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president-- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Chamie offers four possible scenarios for demographic trends in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Peter Beinart writes that "this won't be the first time a culture war has come to a close."

The economy dominated the U.S. presidential campaign, but questions of national security and American power were never far away.

Pakistani journalist Imtiaz Ali says the Taliban has gained from the lack of schools and jobs in Pakistan's tribal region. He urges the United States to "be more discerning in where its money goes and how it's spent" in the region.

Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave this speech on energy policy in Toledo, Ohio on October 29, 2008.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain gave this speech on national security on October 29, 2008 in Tampa, Florida.

In this Bloomberg op-ed, Amity Shlaes takes a good look at McCain's economic program and finds it to be a serious agenda. McCain remembers a lot about the economic past and is the candidate who can best prevent us from repeating it.