After World War II, "trading states" seemed to be charting a new path forward. But small was not beautiful. Even great powers found themselves negotiating larger markets through economic associations with others. It's time the United States became such a power.

Washington's approach to rebuilding economies devastated by conflicts and natural disasters is flawed.

The era in which U.S. foreign policy could be driven in counterproductive directions by an excess of power is in the process of ending.

The United States' mission in Afghanistan will not be accomplished until a central government exists there that can control the country's territory.

U.S. President Barack Obama has vocally promoted a human rights agenda. Now, his administration must translate his rhetoric into practice.

Imperial collapse may come much more suddenly than many historians imagine. A combination of fiscal deficits and military overstretch suggests that the United States may be the next empire on the precipice.

Despite international pressure, Iran appears to be continuing its march toward getting a nuclear bomb.

The future of the U.S.-Indian relationship will depend on whether India chooses to align with the United States and whether it sustains its own economic and social changes -- and on what policies Washington pursues in those areas that bear heavily on Indian interests.

The treaty that forms the backbone of postwar relations between Washington and Tokyo is one of the most enduring treaties since the Peace of Westphalia.

With the Lisbon Treaty now in effect, the European Union has more power to implement foreign policy decisions -- on paper, at least.

During his first year in office, U.S. President Barack Obama made engagement with U.S. adversaries one of his administration's priorities.

The magisterial Cambridge History of the Cold War views the Cold War as an undifferentiated chunk of history.

As Taipei drifts further into Beijing's sphere of influence, the United States must decide whether to continue arming Taiwan as a bulwark against a rising China or step back to allow the Taiwanese people to determine their own future.

Some threats to international security are so potentially damaging that preventing them in advance is preferable to remedying their effects.

As the Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo argues, the concept of foreign aid is flawed -- not just because corrupt dictators divert aid for nefarious or selfish purposes but also because even in reasonably democratic countries, aid creates perverse incentives and unintended consequences.

The rise of American foreign reporting was marked by outsized personalities and an expansive sense of mission. Today, the craft is in steady decline. But what will be lost if journalism disappears?

Strict export restrictions are making U.S. businesses less competitive and the country less secure. Policymakers must craft new regulations to help, rather than harm, U.S. interests.

The global economic crisis has revealed the folly of large U.S. budget and trade deficits, as well as of the strong dollar that makes them possible.

The Obama administration is right that the United States can safely cut some of its nuclear arsenal, but it must retain the right capabilities.

Since the United States first became a global superpower, it has been fashionable to speak of its decline.