In The News

25 Years After Berlin, Do We Still Need Walls?

Peter Schurman May 1, 2015
The end of the Cold War and the 20th century offered a moment of hope that old enemies could put aside grudges to strive for peace and prosperity. Yet most nations did not take advantage of the rare historic opportunity to try for additional reconciliations. So many challenges are global in nature – climate change, inequality, diseases like Ebola, human trafficking – yet governments do not tackle...

Seeking Business, Cuomo Heads to Cuba With a New York Trade Delegation

Susanne Craig April 23, 2015
The announcement of plans to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism unleashed a flood of business interest. US Congress must approve lifting the full trade embargo, and business leaders could apply pressure to politicians who have long benefited from the divisions. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wasted no time, leading a 26-hour trip to Cuba with business leaders from JetBlue...

European Union Divided Over Greek Bailout

Chris Miller April 16, 2015
Fervent democracy at the national level is hampering monetary policymaking for the broader European Union in bringing quick end to the Greek debt crisis, explains Chris Miller, a Yale doctoral candidate and research associate at the Hoover Institution. Greek voters resent austerity measures imposed by the rest of Europe led by Germany, yet polls show that two thirds prefer staying in the eurozone...

Nigeria: Buhari’s Victory in Nigerian Election Has Global Significance

Richard Joseph April 1, 2015
Nigeria experienced its first peaceful and democratic transfer of power to an opposition candidates with the victory of Muhammadu Buhari. Voters and global onlookers expect a hard stance on corruption, terrorism and poverty. “Inexplicably, Africa's largest armed force, which has been given enormous financial outlays, has not been able to subdue a ragtag militia,” writes Richard Joseph in an...

Tunisia Museum Attack Is Blow to Democratic Shift

David D. Kirkpatrick March 20, 2015
In the wake of the Arab Spring protests, Tunisia became a success story by developing a democratic government and economy that serve citizens. “Gunmen in military uniforms killed 19 people on Wednesday in a midday attack on a museum in downtown Tunis, dealing a new blow to the tourist industry that is vital to Tunisia as it struggles to consolidate the only transition to democracy after the Arab...

Thai Coup Alienates US Giving China New Opening

Shawn W. Crispin March 5, 2015
After months of street protests, the Thai military ousted Prime Minster Yingluck Shinawatra’s elected government in May 2014, replacing her with General Prayuth Chan-ocha. Thailand has been a long-time strategic partner for the United States on many global initiatives, and US diplomats criticized the coup. “As the erstwhile allies drift apart, China has moved to fill the gap with economic aid and...

New Ceasefire Points Toward Frozen Conflict in Ukraine

David R. Cameron February 12, 2015
A ceasefire in the fighting for eastern Ukraine was announced after leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine met in Minsk. But a ceasefire alone may not produce a comprehensive settlement or an enduring peace, warns David R. Cameron, professor of political science at Yale University. “That requires resolution of the underlying, and possibly intractable, dispute over the constitutional form...