May 22, 2015
AsiaThe United States and China have developed competing visions for reviving ancient trade routes connecting Asia and Europe. The U.S. diplomatic strategy focuses on Afghanistan, while China hopes to ec…
March 7, 2013
ReligionThe election of pope to lead the world’s one billion Catholics stirs debate over the spiritual authority of the pontiff and the church’s role in the world.
July 11, 2012
Financial MarketsControversies over too-big-to-fail financial institutions continue to mount. The Basel Accords represent the latest effort to ease risk and restore confidence, as this Backgrounder explains.
January 16, 2013
Food and Water SecurityGlobal food prices are being driven up by a number of factors including bad weather, low stocks, and unstable commodities markets. Combating price volatility and protecting food security will take in…
May 6, 2009
PakistanPresident Obama has made "strategic communications" an essential part of his move to boost the military and nation-building effort in Afghanistan. But experts say countering Taliban messaging will ta…
February 9, 2010
PeruPeru has avoided the development problems seen in other extraction-dependent economies, but experts say the country faces governance hurdles, especially on the environment.
February 3, 2009
Terrorism and CounterterrorismPresident Barack Obama’s attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., has criticized some of the Bush administration’s counter-terrorism moves, calling for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center…
March 25, 2009
United StatesThe U.S. State Department’s annual global rating of human rights performance antagonizes friend and foe alike. Many rights activists embrace the reports while some express doubts about their influenc…
October 17, 2007
DemocracyA Senate proposal calling for the restructuring of Iraq’s government has drawn fire from Iraqis who liken it to partition. Amid the criticism have emerged other controversial options.
February 22, 2007
Homeland SecurityBackgrounder: State and local governments are ramping up their own intelligence efforts, using fusion centers to funnel information.