In The News

Lula: The End of Latin American Populism?

Ernesto Zedillo December 13, 2002
For nearly a century, populism has been the most pervasive and successful campaign strategy in Latin America; however, as a political and economic tactic once in office, it has consistently betrayed its followers. Quite frequently, populist regimes – democratic or authoritarian – deliver short-term prosperity followed by “painful financial collapse.” And with the Brazilian financial situation...

PAS Gets Tips from Turkey on How to Win Elections

Brendan Pereira December 5, 2002
In our era of super-fast communication and cheap international transportation, even ideas and political strategies are not always wholly domestic. Leaders of an Islamic Malaysian political party just returned home from a trip to Turkey where they consulted with newly-elected Islamic politicians and asked about the secret to political success. "'The victory in Turkey has really inspired...

Pew Survey Finds America’s Global Stature Diminished

December 4, 2002
The globalization of media and the information technology revolution have made American actions visible to the entire world. In a wide-sweeping survey of 38,000 people in 44 countries – a feat accomplished in large part thanks to globalization – the Pew Foundation finds a gloomy image of the US overseas. From the state of American democracy to America's unilateralist stance in the...

The Axis of Irony

Strobe Talbott November 26, 2002
The Iraq crisis could have the ironic but salutary effect of reinvigorating the United Nations, revealing George W. Bush to be more of a multilateralist than the rest of the world thought (and feared), and establishing a welcome degree of continuity in American foreign policy. - YaleGlobal

A Beleaguered Hemisphere

November 22, 2002
Hailed as a shining example of the merits of free trade and democratic reforms in the early 1990s, Latin America has become burdened by a series of economic downturns and tumultuous political conditions. Addressing its concerns in isolation does not seem like a viable option. With events in other world regions demanding attention from the United States, the problems of its southern neighbor have...

War and Politics: Islamists Gain Votes as U.S. Acts

Neil MacFarquhar November 6, 2002
Democratic elections, like the ones recently held in Bahrain and Turkey reflect a turn away from American influence and towards religious leadership. The public interpretation of the US war against terrorism as a war against Islam and Arab culture has been exploited by religiously-oriented political parties to bring about recent victories in the Middle East. Some observers argue that voters in...

Iran's President Presses for Dialogue in Spain

Camelia Entekhabi-Fard November 5, 2002
Iran's President Khatami recently became the first Iranian leader to visit Spain since the 1979 revolution. The mere fact of his visit was made even more significant by productive dialogue between President Khatami and Spanish leaders on issues of trade, security, Islam, and democracy. Iran is eager to win the respect of European Union countries, especially after President Bush made it...