The Post-Obama World

Putin’s hard/soft strategy

– Jill Dougherty

The unpredictability of Vladimir Putin’s “hard” and “soft” sides constantly confound the West, but his approach has an internal logic of its own.

What is “good” college teaching?

– Warren Treadgold

When it comes to evaluating their college professors, students’ opinions are sometimes given more respect than is good for their education.

Russia, the U.S., and the backstory behind the breakdown

– Vladislav Zubok

In 2009, the Obama administration attempted to “reset” the United States– Russia relationship. Today, it’s in ruins. How did things get this bad?

Reconsidering Booker T. Washington in the age of Amazon

– Jonathan Malesic

Though long dismissed as a proponent of respectability politics, Washington's ideas about work and dignity merit serious thought in the era of the 24-hour workday.

One way to resolve the Israeli-Arab conflict: a three-state confederation

– Sanford Lakoff

The shortcomings of the two-state solution are becoming increasingly evident. A three-state confederation could offer a lasting resolution.

In the age of Trump, what does it mean to be “classy”?

– Adam Rosen

The long, hot, summer of Trump prompts a question about one of the billionaire’s favorite words: what does it mean to be classy?

Beyond the Iranian Nuclear Deal: Where Do We Go from Here?

– Roberto Toscano

Iran always considered the nuclear issue more as a means than as an end.

Foreign policy has lost its creativity. Design Thinking is the answer.

– Elizabeth Radziszewski

Business has had success in innovating to meet the challenges of a globalizing, interconnected world. Why hasn’t our foreign policy shown similar creativity?

Ukraine and the lethal hand of history

– Robert Thurston

Whatever the ambitions of Putin, his interference in Ukraine would have come to little without the country’s charged history of internal division.

The “grandmaster” logic behind Obama's audacious foreign policy

– Francis A. Kornegay, Jr.

Like a chess master, Obama may have a hidden logic to his foreign policy — one that is apparent only now, at the end of his presidency.

After Obama, four lessons for U.S. engagement in Africa

– Paul D. Williams

In Africa, flexibility will do the United States more good than a strategy that is written in stone.

Why South Asia’s rise should interest the U.S.

– Gurumurthy Kalyanaram

A salient but overlooked dynamic during the Obama presidency is the rise of new strategic opportunities for the U.S. in South Asia.

Will U.S.-Ukraine relations survive the Obama years?

– Olexiy Haran and Petro Burkovskyi

The Obama administration, for all its diplomatic efforts, is partly to blame for the trouble in Ukraine.

Obama, Merkel, and the questions nobody asked

– Ludger Kühnhardt

Obama had “Yes, we can,” and Merkel had “We can make it” — two answers to non-existent questions. With time running out on their administrations, what questions should Obama & Merkel ask, and how should they be answered? Here are four things the leaders cannot afford to ignore.

Transformational change? Time will tell.

– K.Y. Amoako

Critics of Obama’s efforts in Africa abound, but they may be rushing to judgment — and missing the bigger picture.

President Obama’s Asia scorecard

– David Shambaugh

The Obama administration deserves high marks for its Asia policy, but it will bequeath to its successor some potential flashpoints in the region.

Only Connect: Russia between Individualism and Collectivism

– Anna Arutunyan

As Russian communities grapple with historical baggage, they are on their way to creating a real national identity.

Forging security partnerships in Africa: what lies ahead?

– James A. Schear

President Obama’s successor will face a steep uphill climb in seeking to forge stronger, more enduring bonds between America’s interests and Africa’s security needs.

Japan, the United States, and a changed Pacific

– Ellis S. Krauss

Obama’s “pivot to Asia” has been matched by Japan’s own pivot to America.

Does China have what it takes to become a global hegemon?

– Peter Van Ness

So far, few other nations have been eager to accept the global leadership of a nationalistic dictatorship run by the Chinese Communist Party.

A question asked since 1888: Why can’t great men be president?

– David Schoenbaum

Second only to Tocqueville in exploring what makes America American, James Bryce’s “The American Commonwealth” made its debut in 1888. One chapter title in particular sticks with us.

Sino-Japanese Relations during the Obama Presidency

– Ming Wan

Like Obama and his predecessors, it would make sense for the next American president to combine cooperation and toughness in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Evolution of an Islamist

– Marie L. Besançon

Dr. Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani epitomizes an important political evolution that is taking place in the Republic of the Sudan.

How Deep Is Dayton?

– Anna Ohanyan

Assessing the regional impact of the 1995 Dayton Accords.