President Obama's plans for a consolidated trade and commerce department underscores his goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014, but some question how creating a larger organization will increase efficiency.

The Pentagon's new strategic review signals a shift toward the Asia-Pacific region and calls for a leaner fighting force at a time when the United States must exercise fiscal restraint.

With the contest for GOP presidential contenders formally underway, both parties' prescriptions for economic growth and debt reduction are set to come under intensifying scrutiny.

The year 2011 was packed with unforeseen challenges for U.S. foreign policy. This guide lists a range of CFR materials on the year's most consequential developments and their implications, and expert forecasts on political and economic trends in 2012.

The payroll tax debate caps a year of legislative battles that call into question the ability of U.S. lawmakers to pass crucial long-term fiscal reforms in 2012.

One casualty of the latest U.S.-Pakistani frictions is the cutoff of critical supply routes for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, raising questions about cooperation in the region.

The failure of the bipartisan supercommittee adds to a pattern of legislative gridlock that has left critics and international investors doubting Congress's ability to address the nation's looming fiscal challenges.

The international Occupy movement faces crackdowns in several cities, but continues to spur public discourse over economic inequality. But there is sharp debate over how to translate protest into policy changes.

President Obama will end his Asia tour at the East Asia Summit in Bali, reinforcing U.S. commitments to allies. But experts say Washington must fix the U.S. economy to retain any long-term leadership role in the region.

Volatile global economic conditions have prompted hundreds of thousands of people around the world to demonstrate in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protesters. But the movement's potential for lasting impact stirs strong debate.

Legislative battles in Washington over once pro-forma actions on debt and transport infrastructure have raised deep concerns over the government's ability to enact sustained job-building and economic-recovery programs--and undergird U.S. competitiveness.

Bleak assessments by the IMF and the Fed this week underlined a worsening European sovereign debt crisis and stagnant U.S. economic growth, putting renewed pressure on global financial markets and intensifying policy debate.

Ailing U.S. infrastructure is seen as threatening U.S. competitiveness, but spending to fix it is a growing topic of debate between Republicans and Democrats as President Obama presses a new jobs program.

This CFR Issue Guide provides expert analysis and essential background on the central questions facing U.S. policymakers ten years after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

International financial market upheaval continues in response to eurozone worries and the U.S. Fed's decision to keep its benchmark rate near zero until mid-2013. Analysts are divided on whether the Fed's move will curb volatility.

With markets rattled by the downgrade of U.S. debt, some experts fear running out of policy tools to prevent another global recession, while others are calling on government and central banks to improve fiscal and monetary policy coordination.

A tumultuous week in global markets that saw major indexes plunge aroused concerns of a double-dip recession driven by U.S. economic lethargy and the European Union's resurgent sovereign debt crisis.

While a last-minute deal was able to raise the U.S. debt ceiling ahead of default, global investors are frustrated by the unnecessary brush with crisis and by the culture of U.S. political brinkmanship. The long-term impact on U.S. treasuries is unclear.

As partisan wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling continues in Washington, fears are mounting that a default could trigger another global economic crisis. This guide offers timely analysis on the global implications of the U.S. debt crisis.

Whatever the outcome of the debt ceiling debate, many analysts expect a downgrade in the U.S. debt rating because of doubts about deficit-reduction plans. The fallout could include higher borrowing costs, a weaker dollar, and market turbulence.