"Principled compromise, prioritizing China, compassion, democracy-support, addressing detainee and drone policy as blemishes on our brand, and re-balancing soft and hard power tools ought to be touchstones of a post-2012 GOP foreign policy," says Mark P. Lagon.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2012
Stewart M. Patrick and Emma Welch assess the debate over an international conventional arms trade treaty and find that U.S. domestic objections are unfounded.
See more in United States, UN, Arms Control and Disarmament
The upcoming NATO summit will include talks on the endgame in Afghanistan, a new smart defense doctrine, and bolstering global partnerships, all of it colored by fundamental questions about the role and mission of the alliance, says CFR's Stewart Patrick.
Peter Garber delves into China's offshore currency market to understand what drives its growth and what it means for further liberalization of the renminbi.
See more in China, Geoeconomics
Jeffrey Frankel looks to history as a guide in determining the renminbi’s prospects for becoming an international currency.
See more in China, Geoeconomics
Robert McCauley asks whether Chinese officials can guide the renminbi to internationalization while preserving their influence over credit growth and allocation.
See more in China, Geoeconomics
Takatoshi Ito charts the renminbi’s progress toward becoming an international currency and discusses what steps China should take to complete the process.
See more in China, Geoeconomics
Alan Taylor explores what benefits the global monetary system could expect from an internationalized renminbi.
See more in China, Geoeconomics
In this Markets and Democracy Brief, CFR's Mark Lagon argues for a more consistent approach to human rights promotion than the United States has often pursued in the past.
See more in United States, Bahrain, Human Rights
Mark Lagon argues that President Obama's approach to foreign affairs suggests that while the president may be for “soft power,” he is not so sure about America's moral authority to project it.
See more in Russian Fed., Egypt, Iran, Global Governance, Presidency
Stewart M. Patrick says President Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly this year will be his most challenging yet.
See more in Palestinian Authority, UN, U.S. Strategy and Politics
President Obama's speech to the UK parliament was a proper reminder of the importance of the transatlantic alliance to global governance amid the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East, writes CFR's Stewart Patrick.
See more in United States, U.K., Global Governance
Stewart M. Patrick says U.S. national security officials should focus on strong developing countries--and not failed states--as sources of transnational threats.
See more in United States, National Security and Defense, International Peace and Security
President Obama has staked a proper middle course on military intervention in Libya, boosted enormously by burden sharing with coalition allies, says CFR's Stewart Patrick.
See more in Libya, Democracy and Human Rights, U.S. Strategy and Politics
In this Markets and Democracy Brief, Mark Lagon examines the uneven history of promoting democracy in U.S. foreign policy and offers lessons for how the United States can best advance democracy today.
See more in United States, Democracy Promotion
Events in Egypt highlight the need for the U.S. government to drop double standards on governance and human rights issues when dealing with friendly dictatorships, writes CFR's Mark Lagon.
See more in Egypt, Democracy and Human Rights
Empty chairs at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for China's Liu Xiaobo and a top UN diplomat demonstrate China's power and influence, along with its vulnerability on human rights issues, says CFR's Mark Lagon.
See more in China, Democracy and Human Rights
Kara C. McDonald and Stewart M. Patrick offer recommendations for U.S. leadership in United Nations Security Council reform and expansion.
See more in United States, UN
President Obama's Asia trip was marked by trade-related letdowns, missed opportunities, and fresh reminders that divergences of interests could be hard to finesse, say four CFR experts.
See more in Asia, U.S. Strategy and Politics
The Obama administration should follow its endorsement of India's bid for UN Security Council membership by initiating a plan for Council expansion based on clear criteria for permanent membership, writes CFR's Stewart Patrick.
See more in India, UN, U.S. Strategy and Politics
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The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
Reforming U.S. Drone Strike Policies
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
The Power Surge
A groundbreaking analysis of what the changes in American energy mean for the economy, national security, and the environment. More
Two Nations Indivisible
A roadmap for the United States' greatest overlooked foreign policy challenge of our time--relations with its southern neighbor. More
Why Growth Matters
Two experts argue that despite myriad development strategies, only one can succeed in alleviating poverty in India: the overall growth of the country's economy. More
