World

  • Not Just Their Problem: Roger Thurow Explains Why We Have All Been Missing Opportunities in African Agriculture

    Not Just Their Problem: Roger Thurow Explains Why We Have All Been Missing Opportunities in African Agriculture

    Roger Thurow has served as a senior fellow on the global food and agriculture team at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs since January 2010. Before joining the Council, he reported for the Wall Street Journal where he wrote a series of stories on famine in Africa that was a…

  • How Our Perceptions of Victims’ Humanity Increases Some Violence, But Not All

    How Our Perceptions of Victims’ Humanity Increases Some Violence, But Not All

    Dehumanization is the process through which we come to believe that a person cannot think, feel, and behave intentionally, nor experience right and wrong. A substantial body of literature from the social sciences posits that dehumanization may be the psychological rationale motivating acts of mass violence, such as the Holocaust…

  • In Their Own Words: North Korea’s Changing Motives in Nuclear Testing

    In Their Own Words: North Korea’s Changing Motives in Nuclear Testing

    North Korea conducted three nuclear tests between 2006 and 2013, but this rate has intensified to three tests in the past two years alone. This threat of unchecked nuclear escalation has led to an all-time low in U.S.–North Korea relations and turned East Asia into a potential flashpoint. North Korea’s…

  • When Helping Hurts: The Unexpected Costs of Post-War Reconciliation

    When Helping Hurts: The Unexpected Costs of Post-War Reconciliation

    War! What is it good for? Civil war dissolves social structures and threatens personal livelihoods, domestically displacing both combatants and civilians. Even after hostilities cease, individuals and communities face a long and daunting recovery process. Reconciliation between victims and perpetrators of violence can be particularly difficult in addressing lingering emotional…

  • Creating Safe Cyberspace: Strategies for Deterring Cyberattacks

    Creating Safe Cyberspace: Strategies for Deterring Cyberattacks

    Thousands, perhaps even millions, of successful cyberattacks occur each year across governmental and commercial sectors in the U.S., and attempts at cyber infiltration and hacking recorded by state and local governments often exceed a million cases each day. A growing reliance on the Internet creates a greater level of cyber…

  • ‘All Countries Have a Stake’: Dr. Kennette Benedict Talks Nuclear Security and Global Responsibility

    ‘All Countries Have a Stake’: Dr. Kennette Benedict Talks Nuclear Security and Global Responsibility

    People and nations worldwide cannot be assured of their safety as long as nuclear warheads remain ready for launch. How do we address the unspeakable dangers of nuclear war in today’s political climate? Dr. Kennette Benedict speaks about current and future nuclear security considerations in light of global responsibility and…

  • Protecting Their Own? The Real Reasons States Build Border Walls

    Protecting Their Own? The Real Reasons States Build Border Walls

    Why do some nations build walls along their borders? In some cases, such walls are defensive structures aimed at blunting potential military incursions from a hostile neighbor, which was true for the Maginot Line between France and Germany, as well as for the Great Wall of China. However, many of…

  • Advancing the Study of Nuclear (Non)proliferation

    Advancing the Study of Nuclear (Non)proliferation

    Clichés such as “good research reflects reality” notwithstanding, academics often find that they must sacrifice pragmatic concerns in favor of analytical convenience when conducting research. As a result, many studies attempt to mimic real-world situations using normative frameworks and analytical tools. Crafted in response to emerging global nuclear threats, contemporary…

  • The Future of US Foreign Policy: An End to Liberal Internationalism?

    The Future of US Foreign Policy: An End to Liberal Internationalism?

    Liberal internationalism, despite what the phrase may imply, does not favor the views of Democrats over Republicans. Instead, liberal internationalism features bipartisan values—including freedom, democracy, an open global economy, and respect for human rights. Defined by international engagement, it promotes liberal states’ engagement with other states’ affairs and wider global…

  • Why Do Former Rivals Form Non-Aggression Pacts?

    Why Do Former Rivals Form Non-Aggression Pacts?

    Non-aggression pacts, designed to reduce the possibility of future conflict, are distinctive from other military alliances because they do not necessitate active coordination between signatories. However, what they do have in common with other types of alliances is that they allow for the involvement of third parties. Besides recognizing mutual…

  • Intermestic Dynamics of Power Transitions in Dictatorships

    Intermestic Dynamics of Power Transitions in Dictatorships

    In the face of domestic opposition, a dictator accountable for human rights violations is unlikely to relinquish power due to fears of domestic punishment and international prosecution. What if the domestic opposition has also caused unspeakable civilian casualties? This would present an opportunity for strategic adjustments to a dictator’s decision…