Sen. Barack Obama’s foreign policy team includes former State Department veterans and newcomers from academia who seek to reinvigorate U.S. diplomacy.

The G20 meetings in Toronto will be marked by competing agendas on global growth and financial regulations. This Backgrounder looks at the range of policy concerns.

One year into the U.S. State Department’s effort to transform foreign assistance programs, funding is up but criticism remains over the scope of the reforms.

The U.S. government has boosted spending on international broadcasting since 9/11, expanding its reach to the Internet and satellite TV. But critics say these outlets have lost their focus.

As U.S. public opinion increasingly favors stronger immigration controls, the Senate considers a bill that would impose harsh penalties on illegal immigrants. The U.S.-Mexican relationship has suffer…