Analysis

Analysis offers a new angle on a contemporary or historical issue. These articles are policy-oriented and cover current developments around the globe that impinge upon American foreign policy and national security priorities.

Why Tough is Not Enough in Foreign Policy

I grew up in the rural Midwest, the youngest of four siblings. I worked farm jobs, played sports, and never wore shoes as a kid. As an adult, I joined the Marine Corps and became an ultra-runner, eventually running...

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Purple State China: China’s Preferences in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election are…Complicated

In 2016, policy-relevant opinion in China favored Donald Trump’s election. In an overly simplistic and partisan assessment, and echoing claims by Trump himself, United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) Director William Evanina claimed in August that Beijing...

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Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections and the Problem of Oligarchic Rule

On October 31, Georgian voters will head to the polls to elect a new parliament. The election is seen as a litmus test of legitimacy for the ruling Georgian Dream Party (GD) and as a referendum on party leader...

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Treading Water: Malaysia’s Navy Modernization

Considering that the South China Sea divides Malaysia into two halves and that its neighbors—most notably the People’s Republic of China—have not only claimed part or all of those waters but also increased their naval and coast guard presence...

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Dueling Visions: America’s Role in the World and the 2020 Election

We know for a fact from polling that this is not an election in which major foreign policy issues or the differing worldviews of the candidates are looming large in the minds of voters. Where these issues do creep...

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China’s Monopoly on Rare Earth Elements—and Why We Should Care

According to geologists, rare earths are not rare, but they are precious. The answer to what appears to be a riddle lies in accessibility. Comprising 17 elements that are used extensively in both consumer electronics and national defense equipment,...

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Uncertain Prospects: South China Sea Code of Conduct Negotiations

For nearly two decades, diplomats from Southeast Asian countries and China have met to discuss the implementation of a “code of conduct” for the South China Sea. The goal of that code is to manage the tensions that may...

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Malta, Italy, and Mediterranean Migration: A Long History and an Ongoing Issue

In July 2013, the Sunday Telegraph issued a report on the escalating refugee crisis in Malta. In the previous decade, Malta had seen thousands of Africans make their way to the tiny island nation, which lies just over a...

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Understanding China’s Digital Yuan

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank, is expected to publicly launch a digital version of the yuan as soon as late 2020. The project is being fast-tracked, partly in response to Facebook’s Libra and the COVID-19...

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Why Russia is a Geopolitical Winner in Mali’s Coup

On August 18, Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was overthrown in a coup d’etat led by breakaway elements of the Malian Armed Forces. The United Nations (UN) swiftly condemned the coup, and the Economic Community of West African States...

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