Americas

Desmond Lachman President Trump’s management of the US economy is setting his party up for failure in the 2026 midterms. James Carville, Bill Clinton’s political advisor, famously said that when it came to elections, “it’s the economy, stupid.” This week’s convincing Democratic Party triumph at the polls in …

Graham Allison President Trump’s statements about nuclear testing affirm his determination to ensure that the United States maintains the most powerful nuclear arsenal in the world. Last week, President Trump announced that “because of other countries[’] testing programs,” he had “instructed the Department of War to begin testing …

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a set of 17 metallic elements that have become indispensable to modern technology and defense industries. Although they are not truly “rare” in the Earth’s crust, they are difficult to find in concentrated deposits and are expensive to separate and refine. The group …

Almost a decade ago, I would have wagered my entire wealth on the defeat of candidate Donald Trump in the primaries of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. My premises were clear: presidential elections should be contests among politicians, of which the U.S. has an abundance, making it unlikely …

Maya Carlin USS Ford (CVN-78) represents a generational leap in the Navy’s power projection strategy. While the US Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class supercarriers have earned their reputation as true forces of power projection, the service’s newest carrier class is considered to be even more capable. Currently, the USS Gerald R. …

Kester Klomegah For the past couple of years, Russia has noticeably been shifting toward trade while intensifying the dynamics of ‘soft power’ within the framework of its foreign policy with Africa. In many ways, the expanded cultural programs, including art and sports and education exchanges aimed at enhancing …

Harrison Kass Although battleships were supplanted by aircraft carriers by the end of World War II, they remain a testament to a bygone era of warfare—and a symbol of their nations’ might. For nearly half a century, the battleship was the singular symbol of a nation’s composite power: …

Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic The recent Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agreement hints at the features of an emerging world order. Donald Trump’s recent achievements in the Middle East, which came about in no small measure thanks to the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and several other states, should not overshadow his successful …

Zahidul Miaji In a realist world, power is rarely exercised alone. It takes coordination, sustained support, and mutual loyalty to project strength. That is the foundation of any enduring alliance. Since the Cold War, Western powers have built a sophisticated web of strategic alliances, sometimes tested but still …