Research

How do leaders use external events or pressures as political levers to facilitate domestic reforms? In this article, the authors build a theory of aspirational politics to address this question. We show that aspirations to improve a country's international status can help leaders justify the implementation of their preferred domestic policies.

Infectious disease outbreaks often come in parallel with the rise of infodemic – the rapid spread of information that is typically unreliable and not based on scientific merit. 

American democracy is facing pressure from all sides: For months, there have been partly violent protests against systemic racism and police violence of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The COVID pandemic has already claimed over 200,000 lives and has extreme economic consequences. Coupled with a polarized media landscape and the growing influence of social media, the pandemic has further exposed deep social divisions along ideological, economic and ethnic fault lines. In addition, the Trump administration is stepping up its escalatory description of the integrity of the American electoral system - what some consider to be a rigid electoral and party system in need of reform. How will the social conflicts affect the understanding of (American) democracy? How is the political establishment contributing to alienation from the Constitution?

Ice in the Arctic is melting at record rates and warming at twice the global average — and the Trump administration continues to hand over control of the Arctic to Big Oil. The House Natural Resources Democrats hosted a forum on Monday, October 5, to learn how the higher temperatures are wreaking havoc on wildlife, fisheries and humans who have call the Arctic home for generations.

The authors explain why over recent decades, militant groups with the kind of vast international network of affiliates, allies, and supporters that ISIS has assembled have proved difficult to defeat. Alliances have helped ISIS expand and gain influence in good times and have relieved pressure by deflecting attention toward affiliates in bad times. 

When China’s top leaders met in August to review the year and assess the challenges ahead, they took satisfaction in their nation’s success compared to the floundering performance of the US and Europe in dealing with coronavirus. In President Xi Jinping’s bottom line: China had “fully demonstrated the clear superiority of Communist party leadership and our socialist system”.

Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook spoke to German national radio on President Trump's COVID diagnosis and how it will affect the next few weeks of the campaign.

As perplexing as the White House’s approach to the treaty has been, it is still important to consider how a nuclear surge in 2021 might affect American capabilities and the strategic balance. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes clear that the proposed “up-loading” of the existing nuclear force will not make a meaningful difference in achieving any of Washington’s stated objectives. Worse, such a move would surely come at a high cost to bilateral trust, international reputation, and cause further damage to an already-crippled global nonproliferation regime.

In this week’s update on COVID-19 and Economic Diplomacy: Eurozone’s economic rebound shows signs of slowing. Poverty in Asia will rise for the first time in 20 years. A Federal Reserve survey found inequality increased during 2016-2019.

To survive the challenges we must reinforce respect for science and nature, sensible public policy and the interconnected world.