In The News

Lack of Arabic Speakers is a Crack in US Security

Daniel Sneider October 5, 2004
The growing realities of world geopolitics have given non-traditional languages an elevated profile in the US-waged war on terrorism. The recent revelation that over 123,000 hours of FBI-collected audiotapes of terrorist "chatter" had been left untranslated has further sparked a movement toward developing competent translation and cultural agents. The US Army's Defense Language...

Where Did All the Jobs Go? Nowhere

Daniel W. Drezner September 29, 2004
The issue of outsourcing has figured quite prominently in US electoral politics this year. Despite the headlines and political rhetoric, points out political scientist Daniel Drezner, outsourcing is really a minor issue, accounting for less than one percent of mass layoffs last year. Technological innovation has a far larger impact on the American job market, though few pundits argue that...

Bush Administration Launches Latin Outreach Program

Pablo Bachelet September 28, 2004
As the 2004 US presidential elections draw near, the incumbent administration has begun targeting a relatively new constituency: immigrants from Latin America. A series of seminars held by the State Department will brief Central American community organizations on US policies regarding their respective native countries. In addition to warming the voters to the current presidency, government...

Even Near Home, a New Front Is Opening in the Terror Battle

Eric Lipton September 23, 2004
Website hosting companies in the US have become the unwitting carriers of terrorist information. Since web postings are hard to trace and can be removed at will, many terrorist groups now use the internet to disseminate information, including specific instructions for carrying out kidnappings and bombings. US prosecutors have begun a controversial campaign to track down - via hosting companies...

In Some States, Foreign Trade Means Jobs

Timothy Aeppel September 21, 2004
When outsourcing started becoming a trend in America's many industries, Midwestern states, such as Ohio and Michigan, suffered the biggest job losses. Compared to other US regions, however, the Midwest experienced higher-than-average exports, which helped lessen the impact on employment. A Bank of America market strategist suggests that "the more integrated a state is with the global...

The End of Unipolarity

Gautam Adhikari September 17, 2004
The end of the Cold War ushered in the beginning of a new era – one in which the economic, military, and political superiority of the United States seemed an undisputed fact. Gautam Adhikari reexamines the vocabulary of unquestioned – and often unquestionable – US authority. While the country's influence is undeniable, claims Adhikari, words such as "hyperpower" overstate its...

Bill Easing Travel Ban to Cuba Withdrawn

Pablo Bachelet September 16, 2004
Electoral politics continue to affect US policy toward Cuba. The focus of these policy debates are US restrictions on travel to the island nation. Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, citing election-year politics as a major obstacle, withdrew his initiative to ease such restrictions. "Unfortunately, the timing of this legislation this year does not lend itself to a reasoned and thoughtful...