In The News

Will South Africa Split Apart?

David Adler August 8, 2016
Majority control by South Africa’s dominant political party is slipping in metropolitan areas. “The ANC has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, but it faces growing threats from the left, from the right, and from within the party itself,” explains David Adler for Foreign Affairs, as voters reject “economic stagnation, official corruption, and poor public services.” The hope is...

Through the Venezuelan Looking Glass

Ricardo Hausmann August 4, 2016
Despite history’s many warnings about leaders’ erratic behavior ending up in catastrophe, similar stories are unfolding today. Venezuela, despite having the world’s largest oil reserves, is suffering from severe shortages of basic supplies, a crisis that’s the consequence of increasingly absurd government policies, suggests Ricardo Hausmann, economist, Harvard professor and former minister of...

In Humayun Khan and His Family, A Complex Portrait of Patriotism

AJ Willingham August 1, 2016
US Army Captain Humayun Khan, 27, the son of Pakistani immigrants, died in service of his country in Iraq. Twelve years later, Khizr Khan, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of candidate Hillary Clinton. The father’s speech, a powerful testament to American values, criticized Donald Trump and resonated in the convention hall and beyond, demonstrating the ability of US citizens...

Erdogan Targets More Than 50,000 in Purge After Failed Turkish Coup

Humeyra Pamuk and Ercan Gurses July 20, 2016
The Turkish government is said to be blaming a self-exiled religious leader for a July 15 coup attempt and targeting his supporters in the military, judiciary and education systems. Fethullah Gulen lives in Pennsylvania and denies having a role in the coup attempt. “A former ally-turned critic of Erdogan, he suggested the president staged it as an excuse for a crackdown after a steady...

A Coup Is Foiled in Turkey, What Next?

Marc Grossman July 19, 2016
A harsh response after a failed attempted coup in a divided Turkey leaves many allies and neighbors questioning if the government can commit to pluralism, easing political divisions while battling extremism. Turkish security requires commitment in the fight against ISIS, with no accommodation, and domestic policies that promote tolerance and the rule of law, explains Marc Grossman, a vice...

Turkish Forces Try to Crush Remnants of Coup

Orhan Coskun and Gulsen Solaker July 17, 2016
Turkey crushed a military coup attempt that has left more than 250 civilians and military personnel dead and more than 6,000 detained. Criticism has dogged the Turkish president in recent years for limiting democratic rights. “A successful overthrow of Erdogan, who has ruled the country of about 80 million people since 2003, would have marked one of the biggest shifts in the Middle East in years...

Electorate Tremors: The Era of the Angry Voter Is Upon Us

Julia Amalia Heyer, Gordon Repinski, Mathieu von Rohr, Christoph Scheuermann and Holger Stark July 15, 2016
Voters are outraged about intense global competition that has put local factories and other workplaces on notice, reducing jobs and wages. Voters in democracies worry about losing control over communities, and they blame all facets of globalization. “The outrage is directed against elites in politics and in the business community, against the established political parties, against the ‘mainstream...