Politics and Government | Council on Foreign Relations

Nigeria

Rule by Salary

Public employee wages have become a blunt political instrument in the hands of many African governments.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare September 13, 2022 Africa in Transition
United States

Heading Off a Future Constitutional Calamity

The Electoral Count Reform Act offers the opportunity to address a potentially existential national security threat with a relatively small number of keystrokes revising the U.S. Code—but time is short to get it done.

Blog Post by Christopher M. Tuttle September 12, 2022 Renewing America
Haiti

A Smarter U.S. Assistance Strategy for Haiti

Implementing the Global Fragility Act in Haiti necessitates a change in U.S. assumptions and actions, writes Susan D. Page. The United States should work alongside Haitians desirous of charting their own transition to democracy and support Haitian-chosen policies and leadership.

Report by Susan D. Page September 8, 2022 Center for Preventive Action

Kenya

What Next for Kenya?

Now affirmed by the Supreme Court, the Ruto administration will have campaign promises put to the test.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin September 7, 2022 Africa in Transition
Russia

Mikhail Gorbachev on the Streets of Accra

The aftershock of the collapse of the Soviet empire reverberated from Cape Town to Cairo.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare September 6, 2022 Africa in Transition
Middle East and North Africa

How Inter-Shia Strife Is Threatening Iraqi Security

Violence between rival Shiite factions has raised concerns that Iraq’s weak government is facing prolonged political upheaval.

In Brief by Max Boot August 31, 2022

Russia

Gorbachev: Conflicted Catalyst of Cold War’s End

Mikhail Gorbachev will be remembered in the West for laying the basis for more constructive relations to ease the end of the Cold War, but vilified in Russia for speeding the Soviet Union’s demise.

Article by Thomas Graham August 31, 2022 Europe Program
Nigeria

Nigerian Higher Education at a Crossroads

The Nigerian government and university professors stare each other down as the fate of the country’s tertiary education hangs in the balance.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare August 29, 2022 Africa in Transition
Middle East and North Africa

Turkey’s Growing Foreign Policy Ambitions

Turkey’s geography and membership in NATO have long given the country an influential voice in foreign policy, but the assertive policies of President Erdogan have complicated its role.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson August 24, 2022
United States

How Does U.S. Voter Turnout Compare to the Rest of the World’s?

The debate over how to address persistently low voter turnout is heating up ahead of the midterm elections.

In Brief by Lyon Nishizawa August 24, 2022 Renewing America
Middle East and North Africa

Yemen’s Tragedy: War, Stalemate, and Suffering

Yemen’s internal divisions and a Saudi-led military intervention have spawned an intractable political, military, and humanitarian crisis.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson August 22, 2022
Kenya

Taking Stock of the Kenyan Election

With a divided electoral commission and legal challenges in the works, Kenya’s presidential election is neither the disaster some feared, nor the unambiguous success hoped for by champions of democracy.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin August 17, 2022 Africa in Transition
South Korea

The Evolution of South Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Policy Debate

The evolving policy debate over nuclear weapons acquisition in South Korea has implications for the security framework of the Korean Peninsula and greater Northeast Asian region, as well as for U.S. response options.

Blog Post by Jennifer Ahn August 16, 2022 Asia Unbound
Nigeria

Massive Borrowing Puts Nigeria’s Future at Risk

The country’s bloated debt portfolio is the outcome of decades-long economic mismanagement.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare August 16, 2022 Africa in Transition
Sub-Saharan Africa

Biden Signals Policy Reset, but African Leaders Must Meet Washington Halfway

African leaders must hold the United States to its vow, even as they put their own house in order.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare August 10, 2022 Africa in Transition