Ed Husain argues for the creation of a global venture to support local and community organizations throughout the Middle East that forward counternarratives to violent extremism.

Julia Sweig argues that the Obama administration should tighten regulations of firearm sales—both at the domestic and at the import-and-export level—in order to reduce rates of gun violence in Latin America.

U.S. policy of isolating Gaza is counterproductive and inadvertently helps entrench the terrorist group Hamas' control. The Obama administration should instead encourage trade and contacts between the West Bank and Gazan people to reestablish national institutions and elections, thereby empowering Palestinian partners for peace.

Blake Clayton argues that federal lawmakers should overturn the ban on exporting crude oil produced in the United States.

CFR Senior Fellow Max Boot and the Brookings Institution's Michael Doran argue that the United States should relearn the Cold War craft of political warfare to promote its interests in the Middle East.

CFR Senior Fellow Thomas Bollyky argues that new strategies are needed to address the latest treatment-access crisis over patented medications, particularly as noncommunicable diseases continue to rapidly emerge in low- and middle-income countries.

Douglas Dillon Fellow Micah Zenko asserts that shifting lead executive authority for U.S. drone strikes from the CIA to the Pentagon is the essential first step toward greater transparency and oversight.

Benn Steil offers a neat and innovative way for the Federal Reserve to reverse its monetary stimulus efforts as the economy recovers, without the worrisome economic and political consequences of having to sell off its massive stock of mortgage-backed securities.

In looking abroad to promote economic growth, Robert Pastor argues the United States need not go further than its two closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico. Leaders of the three countries can build off of NAFTA to create a more seamless market by negotiating a common external tariff, eliminating restrictions on transportation and services, funding new continental infrastructure, and fostering a sense of community among North Americans.

Intervening in Pakistani elections is a losing proposition, CFR Senior Fellow Daniel Markey argues. If pro-American leaders win, they will be tainted by association; if their opponents win, the United States will have alienated potential partners.

President Barack Obama expanded the Merida Initiative beyond its original military scope but, CFR Senior Fellow Shannon O'Neil notes, implementation will require concerted efforts in both bilateral diplomacy and domestic policy.

Weak rule of law in the developing world deprives countless people of legal rights and economic opportunity. Bridging the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, a global trust could build developing nations' capacity to implement the rule of law, improving human rights and economic outcomes at little cost.

As Zimbabwe moves closer to elections, the prospect for political violence grows. CFR Senior Fellow John Campbell argues that coordination on Zimbabwe policy can be the basis of a stronger overall U.S.-South Africa relationship to help promote free, fair and credible elections.

Facing a global economic challenge, the United States should build a multilingual workforce prepared to thrive in today's world market, which would require a national initiative to improve foreign language education.

In anticipation of the pullout of foreign forces—and the bulk of foreign financing—CFR Senior Fellow Max Boot argues that the United States should dedicate resources to maintain security and prevent the reemergence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

In an era of global supply chains, the United States should pursue regulatory integration on a regional basis. A new White House initiative provides the opportunity to implement this strategy.

Medicines are increasingly the product of complex supply chains, introducing vulnerabilities to their reliability and safety. CFR Senior Fellow Laurie Garrett lays out how G8 and G20 nations can help to remedy the drug safety crisis.

Emerging economies taking advantage of mineral and petroleum wealth often face corruption and conflict rather than benefit from sustainable development. This resource curse can be obviated, CFR Fellow Terra Lawson-Remer argues, if capital-exporting countries, banks, and corporations insist on transparency.

CFR Senior Fellow Sheila A. Smith argues that the time has come for Japan and the United States to set priorities for military missions, formalize mechanisms for crisis management coordination, and work toward a long-term basing strategy that consolidates U.S. and Japanese facilities.

CFR Director of International Economics Benn Steil argues that the "Volcker rule" ban on bank proprietary trading won't prevent financial crises, and that the troubled effort to implement it should be abandoned in favor of controls on bank leverage.