In the context of the holiday season, Julia E. Sweig assesses President Obama's response to the Newtown shootings.

President Obama gave this press conference at the White House on December 19, 2012.

Micah Zenko says, "Similar to everyday choices like which brand of cereal to buy, how senior military officials present and characterize military options strongly influences policymakers' decisions."

The discussion outlines a new U.S. grand strategy focused on reinvigorating solidarity between the United States and established democracies in defense of a world based on liberal principles and the rule of law.

John B. Bellinger III says, "Over the last 230 years, the Senate has approved more than 1,500 treaties. In 2013, Mr. Obama must demonstrate leadership by putting greater effort in securing Senate approval of essential treaties that advance American interests, including the Law of the Sea Convention."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice explains her decision to withdraw her nomination as secretary of state: "I have never shied away from a fight for a cause I believe in. But, as it became clear that my potential nomination would spark an enduring partisan battle, I concluded that it would be wrong to allow this debate to continue distracting from urgent national priorities."

What's the difference between debt and deficit? What does the "fiscal cliff," a combination of tax increases and spending cuts, mean for deficit reduction? Research Links on Debt and Deficits provides news, research, data, and proposed solutions on debt and deficit in the United States (local and federal) and international comparisons.

Americans want to see Congress and the president make a deal on the "fiscal cliff," but the incentives are strongest for policymakers to act only after the cliff has come and gone—and wreaked a great deal of havoc in the process, says Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.

Top White House and congressional leaders privately agree that tax reform goes well beyond individuals and rates, and that several changes can be made to craft an economic boom.

Foreign policy experts agree that while President Obama will want to keep his foreign policy focus domestic in his second term, global challenges will force their way into the president's agenda.

Peter Orszag explains why Build America Bonds could become victims of the fiscal cliff and why they should be saved.

Aaron David Miller argues that it may not be possible for President Obama to turn around foreign policy legacy in the second term of his presidency.

House Speaker John Boehner gave these remarks, regarding the fiscal cliff and spending cuts, in the House on December 11, 2012.

President Obama gave these remarks at the Daimler Detroit Diesel Plant in Michigan on December 10, 2021.

House Speaker John Boehner released this column discussing the fiscal cliff on December 7, 2012.

In his second term, Obama wants to pull back Americas involvements abroad and secure a domestic legacy. The international community will keep calling America back into the fray, says the Economist.

Peter Orszag writes that reaching a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff will require Republicans and Democrats to be more flexible about the positions they have staked out over tax and entitlement reforms.

The challenge that is facing President Obama now is how to regain the ground lost in foreign affairs and shaping U.S. national security policy.

In the past, U.S. officials have been less than eager to define a specific redline for the Iranian threat. While setting a March deadline could provide more certainty and coercive leverage to compel Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, it also places U.S. "credibility" on the line, says Micah Zenko.

This CRS report investigates what impact, if any, foreign aid dollars are having, and whether foreign aid programs are achieving their intended objectives.