The presidential candidates generally agree on support for democracy and human rights in Arab states, but have differed on several policy particulars, such as military intervention in Libya and Syria.

Egypt's newly sworn in President Mohamed Morsi will have to tackle everything from setting a rocky economy back on course to combining reform efforts with placating a powerful military, says expert Daniel Brumberg.

Whoever wins Mexico's presidential election will need to jumpstart economic growth, work toward energy reform, and deal with a violent drug war, says CFR's Shannon K. O'Neil.

Joshua Kurlantzick argues that state capitalism can be conducive to innovation.

Shannon K. O'Neil examines pledges by Mexico's presidential candidates to shift drug war priorities from arresting traffickers to reducing horrific violence.

As the United States prepares to exit Afghanistan, it is focusing too much on security, overlooking the political elements of the transition, write two former senior U.S. officials.

Ed Husain argues, "Russia should see that unless Assad gives way, the opposition will become more radicalized and increasingly jihadi."

Steven A. Cook says Mohamed Morsi's victory in Egypt's presidential election puts Islamists in control an office that was once the exclusive province of the military, but asks whether Sunday's Tahrir Square celebration was premature.

Joshua Kurlantzick says that after five decades of brutal military rule, Myanmar has been slowly shifting in the direction of legitimate democratic governance, but many serious obstacles still have to be overcome.

Ed Husain argues that Egypt is not a country with a military, but a military with a country.

With Vladimir Putin back in power in Russia, understanding him is more important than ever. Two recent books attempt to unravel the mystery, adding new insight into the Russian leader's life and rule.

Iraq is hardly the failed state that Ned Parker portrayed in these pages, argues Antony Blinken, the U.S. vice president's national security adviser. Norman Ricklefs sees Iraq's politics becoming more moderate and less sectarian. Parker replies that despite these improvements, Baghdad still violates human rights and ignores the rule of law.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential runoff elections, the Egyptian military is seeking to assert control to protect its privileges, says CFR's Steven A. Cook.

The Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve parliament has "thrown Egypt into turmoil once again," threatening the upcoming presidential election runoff and the hopes of the country's sixteen-month-old revolution, says CFR's Steven A. Cook.

Isobel Coleman argues that the dissolution of parliament and the upholding of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq's candidacy for presidency have immediately strengthened the hand of the "old guard" at the expense of the Islamists in Egypt.

Listen to CFR senior fellows Isobel Coleman and Steven A. Cook as they discuss Egypt's future.

Listen to CFR senior fellows Isobel Coleman and Steven A. Cook as they Egypt's future.

Ongoing violence and corruption in Iraq since the U.S. military pullout could augur a return to full-on sectarian strife and continued poor governance, says CFR's Ned Parker.

This was a meeting of the roundtable series, Opportunity and Exclusion in the Global Economy.

CFR Senior Fellow Isobel Coleman speaks with Boris Weber, director of ICT4Gov at the World Bank Institute, on how technology is being leveraged to promote good governance and increased transparency in fragile states and emerging markets.

This was a meeting of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Roundtable series.