Think Tanks

WASHINGTON — Within the span of about one year, U.S. intelligence went from celebrating its capability to prepare Ukraine for a surprise Russian invasion to an embarrassing and damaging leak of classified high-level documents by a low-level IT staffer. Rep.... Read More

WASHINGTON — How much does it cost the world for each ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere? Exactly how much does it warm the earth, change weather patterns, increase wildfires, disrupt food supplies, make an individual in Africa... Read More

WASHINGTON — In his first significant policy address since joining the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as vice chair, Travis Hill warned Washington to “avoid the temptation to overcorrect.” Offering some background and lessons learned from recent bank failures at the... Read More

WASHINGTON — As World Bank President David Malpass prepares to leave his position in June 2023, he worries about the very real possibility of global recession, and he fears that the next 10 years could be “a lost decade for... Read More

WASHINGTON — Given increased economic stress around the world, the official release of a new report by the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program on female entrepreneurship in the MENA region may be that much more relevant.  The Middle East and... Read More

WASHINGTON — American historian Melvyn Leffler discussed his latest book, "Confronting Saddam Hussein," at the Wilson Center. Twenty years after the start of the Iraq war, the eminent U.S. foreign policy researcher has a new interpretation of former President George... Read More

WASHINGTON — Appearing remotely, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković joined the D.C.-based Atlantic Council to celebrate Croatia’s incorporation into the Eurozone and Schengen Area and explain how his nation’s journey toward European integration could inspire Ukraine and Western Balkan countries... Read More

WASHINGTON — “By and large, this was the Cold War that turned hot,” Gen. David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.) and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said this week at the Atlantic Council, a D.C.-based think tank. Petraeus... Read More

WASHINGTON — As a full year closes in on what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that over 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighboring countries and over 65... Read More

WASHINGTON — The day after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the world that Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier threatened him with a missile strike in a phone call leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the statesman... Read More

WASHINGTON — Population trends analysts are still trying to quash the idea that overpopulation causes climate change.  While connected, there is no simple and direct relationship between human numbers and environmental impacts. So to move forward toward real environmental change,... Read More

WASHINGTON — “We should be under no delusions; we are not doing everything in our power,” outgoing COP26 president and British Cabinet Minister Alok Sharma candidly shared with the Wilson Center last week as he looked back on his three... Read More

ISTANBUL — There was candor and heated conversation as the Atlantic Council convened in Turkey this week for a conference to discuss next steps in the clean energy transition. Leaders from government, business and research communities gathered to take stock... Read More

WASHINGTON — The effort to mitigate climate change, reduce greenhouse gases, and decarbonize is a national priority of many countries, but since the transportation, building, and electricity sectors produce nearly two-thirds of GHG emissions in the United States alone, it’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — After what he called “encouraging” talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari dealt harsh chastisements and warnings for the United States at the Wilson Center on Tuesday morning. Despite saying he was... Read More

WASHINGTON — Beijing, in an effort to assert its own influence and reconfiguration of the global financial order, is working on long-term plans to decouple from the dollar, according to a new book introduced at the Wilson Center earlier this... Read More

WASHINGTON — As the European Union moves ahead with its Artificial Intelligence Act, it’s time for American lawmakers to pay attention to potential policies, said John Soroushian, a senior associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center.  “It’s important to pay... Read More

WASHINGTON — Fresh from a transatlantic delegation visit to Taiwan on behalf of the Atlantic Council and under the auspices of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is “increasingly worried about Chinese... Read More

WASHINGTON — Laughter rang out at the Brookings Institution when an audience question came to two White House staffers: “Was the internet a mistake?” The question came about a half hour into a discussion about how the U.S. is inspiring... Read More

WASHINGTON — Political primaries are not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, but it’s highly likely the founding fathers would have rejected them outright had anyone thought to suggest them at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Many Americans desperately seeking baby formula have experienced empty shelves over the last few months. Now the U.S. Department of Agriculture is increasing efforts to restock those shelves, especially for low-income families where the impact of the shortage... Read More

WASHINGTON — Countries have been negotiating limits on plastic use for years, but China’s 2018 announcement that it would stop accepting 24 kinds of plastic scrap import waste from foreign countries was undoubtedly a spark that ignited 175 countries of... Read More

WASHINGTON — As the World Trade Organization plans to convene in Geneva next month for its 12th ministerial conference, top officials — including the WTO’s last director — wonder if this conference will be a “make or break" moment for... Read More

WASHINGTON — Foreign policy and defense experts think Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could complicate the Biden administration’s national security plans. Classified versions of President Biden’s National Security Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review and National Defense Strategy were transmitted to Congress in... Read More

WASHINGTON — The European Union has claimed the role of global climate champion by taking charge of climate change discussions and passing an ambitious set of policy initiatives that codify the bloc’s push for climate neutrality by 2050. But the... Read More

WASHINGTON — The rapidly evolving turmoil and political leadership shift in Kazakhstan drew reactions from Washington, with special concern over the involvement of Russian-led security forces. But former U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol (2015-2018) says that despite all that... Read More

WASHINGTON — The pandemic led to increased bias against Asians according to a recent report. The RAND Corporation recently published findings from a series of surveys that identified key themes regarding the causes of, reaction to, and mitigation measures against... Read More

WASHINGTON — Investment markets around the world are realizing that a short-term focus on purely financial goals is no longer sufficient. But as the momentum behind environmental, social, and governance builds, it’s the European Union that is really leading the... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Brookings Institution recently held an event with experts discussing the growing hostility of education politics due to COVID-19 induced school closures, mask and vaccine mandates and how to protect the wellness of students in the new year. ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The blue economy is a critical subset of the ocean economy, according to Jason Scorse, director of the Center for the Blue Economy. And while some people may use the terms blue economy and ocean economy synonymously, he... Read More