In The News

Ukraine After Yanukovych

David R. Cameron February 27, 2014
In November, Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych rejected signing an Association Agreement with the European Union and later negotiated a bailout deal with Russia. Months of protests led to a week of violence and culminated in Yanukovych’s removal from office. The parliament moved swiftly to reorganize: demobilizing the police, firing most of the government ministers, and electing Oleksandr...

US Policy Toward Venezuela: Seeing The Larger Picture

Steve Ellner February 25, 2014
Some critics question US policy that weakens central governments and calls for regime change in pluralistic states like Ukraine or Syria without good strategy for the next step in governance. “Could it be that in cases of governments considered adverse to U.S. interests, Washington prefers a civil war over a normal situation free of discord and violence?” questions Steve Ellner in an essay for...

Can Machiavellian Renzi Save Italy?

Joseph LaPalombara February 25, 2014
Machiavellian maneuvers rely on clever deceit and appearances to achieve political goals, as described by Niccolò Machiavelli in his short book The Prince, published in 1532. Using political machinations, disrupting a coalition carefully crafted by the leader of his own party and promising expansive reforms, Matteo Renzi followed Machiavelli’s playbook to become prime minister of Italy, suggests...

Two Talibans and India

Ashok Malik February 24, 2014
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will pose challenges for the country and the entire region, including India. “Even if a security agreement is signed with the government in Kabul that allows the Americans to retain a small presence, the overarching security umbrella that has been in place since the Taliban defeat in 2001 would have receded,” writes Ashok Malik for the Times of India. “In...

Ukraine President and Opponents Sign Deal in Bid to End Violence

Nate Rawlings February 21, 2014
After months of protests and a week of violent clashes that left more than 75 dead and threats of sanctions from the West, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders have signed a deal, brokered by Europe, that includes early but not yet scheduled elections and a new national unity government. “Ukraine has been at the center of a geopolitical struggle between Russia and the E.U...

Debt Ceiling Redux?

James Leitner and Ian Shapiro February 20, 2014
US Congress raised the artificial debt ceiling to pay bills without a fuss, but the move may galvanize extremists who want to slow government spending, explain James Leitner, president of Falcon Management, and Ian Shapiro, a Yale political science professor. Economists around the globe agree the United States should slow spending and reduce debt, but oppose the crude approach that would...

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

Nayan Chanda February 20, 2014
Subsidies, originally intended as a tool of fairness, often transform into a tool for political power. The subsidies carry costs, both financial as well as with distorted and destabilized markets. Governments struggle to manage budgets, huge stockpiles, wasted resources and even unrest, explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor in his column for Businessworld. “History is replete with examples of...