Using riot police to break up peaceful protest is becoming common Heather Sullivan - April 26, 2024 In recent years, authorities have rolled back policies designed to manage protests peacefully.
Unpacking Israel’s deterrence strategy after Iran’s missile attack Stacie Goddard and Boaz Atzili - April 25, 2024 A conversation with Boaz Aztili on Israel’s deterrence moves – and Iran's calculations
Good Playlist: Songs about war – and opposition to war ▶️ Brent E. Sasley - April 24, 2024 How does music help us think about group violence?
Why the House Speaker finally greenlit Ukraine aid Sarah Binder - April 23, 2024 There are underappreciated factors behind Rep. Mike Johnson’s shift.
Iran is playing a high-stakes game by attacking Israel Jacquelyn Schneider - April 17, 2024 What political science tells us about conflict, war, and unmanned attacks.
Welcome the Good Authority fellows! Kim Yi Dionne and John Sides - April 16, 2024 Meet our six new fellows.
A viral poll result got debunked. People are learning the wrong lesson. John Sides - March 11, 2024 Are all polls with opt-in samples wrong? Not quite.
Can the U.S. pressure Israel to end the war? Jeremy Pressman - February 12, 2024 The U.S. government has a long history of trying to restrain Israel, with mixed success.
What to expect from the UN in the Israel-Hamas war Erik Voeten - February 1, 2024 The UN will have to overcome deep distrust among Israelis.
UN court says Israel may have violated the Genocide Convention Kelebogile Zvobgo - January 30, 2024 South Africa’s case against Israel for suspected violations in Gaza may take years to resolve.
Good to Know: Hostage taking and the rise in hostage diplomacy Danielle Gilbert - January 17, 2024 Media stories spotlight the high stakes – and the pressure to bring hostages home.
Why global commerce is now in the crossfire Bruce Jones - January 11, 2024 From the Red Sea to the Baltic and the Pacific, geopolitics are putting global commerce at risk.
Our 10 most popular posts of 2023 E.J. Graff - December 30, 2023 The Gaza conflict, Republicans in the U.S. House, and India's alleged assassination program filled the list.
Why Congress’s 2023 was so dismal Sarah Binder - December 26, 2023 And be ready for a repeat in 2024.
Five things that didn’t happen in the world in 2023 Elizabeth N. Saunders - December 22, 2023 We missed some breakthroughs, but we dodged some disasters.
Human rights in the U.S. and around the world in 2023 Kelebogile Zvobgo and K. Chad Clay - December 18, 2023 An expert explains some big developments in human rights this year.
What it will take to end the Israel-Hamas war 🎧 Erik Voeten and Barbara Walter - December 15, 2023 An expert on civil war weighs in.
Good Authority launches podcast feed 🎧 Kim Yi Dionne - December 15, 2023 Find interviews, audio versions of select pieces, and more in our podcast feed.
A closer look at the Gaza casualty data Marc Lynch and Sarah Parkinson - December 14, 2023 Casualty counts can be a political tool – and how we report the data has real consequences.
The UN set out to protect human rights 75 years ago Kelebogile Zvobgo - December 10, 2023 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was an important start – but there’s much work still ahead.
75 years on, why is the UN Genocide Convention so hard to enforce? Kelebogile Zvobgo - December 9, 2023 Often states deliberate and debate while people die.
Why Colombia’s ELN freed a soccer star’s parents Danielle Gilbert - November 15, 2023 Research on kidnappings by armed groups explains the impact on Colombia’s peace process.
Will Congress shut down the government over aid to Israel and Ukraine? Elizabeth N. Saunders, Sarah Binder, Michael Tesler, Jordan Tama, and Andrew Payne - November 14, 2023 Four experts examine how U.S. foreign policy is dividing both Republicans and Democrats.
Putin’s Russia navigates Middle East conflict and war in Ukraine Joshua Tucker, Samuel Greene, and Kathryn Stoner - November 6, 2023 Two experts discuss the broader impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
Why the U.S. border wall is getting more and more popular Michael Tesler - November 3, 2023 There are long and short-term factors behind this trend.
What India is saying about the Israel-Hamas war Christopher Clary and Shubha Kamala Prasad - November 2, 2023 Can India balance support for Israel with its long-standing commitment to Palestine?
How can international law protect civilians in the Israel-Hamas war? Stacie Goddard and Tanisha Fazal - October 30, 2023 An expert explains the laws of war.
Will protests over the Israel-Hamas war shift U.S. policy? Marc Lynch, Jeremy Pressman, and Jay Ulfelder - October 27, 2023 Two experts share their insights on the growing number of U.S. protest events.
What political scientists know about occupation, applied to Gaza Elizabeth N. Saunders, Diana Greenwald, Dana El Kurd, David Edelstein, and Alexander Downes - October 24, 2023 Experts on the politics of foreign occupations tackle big questions in this week’s Good Chat.
How Republicans can turn the House’s lights back on Sarah Binder - October 24, 2023 But electing a speaker won’t resolve the crisis.
How should we think about a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza? Elizabeth N. Saunders and Kelly M. Greenhill - October 20, 2023 Governments and non-state actors use mass migration as a tool of war.
The ICC is investigating violence in Israel and Palestine Kelebogile Zvobgo - October 18, 2023 Israel doesn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction – but it should.
Biden will visit Israel during a war. That’s unprecedented. Elizabeth N. Saunders - October 17, 2023 The humanitarian crisis and escalation fears heighten uncertainty.
Why the Gaza hostage crisis is different Danielle Gilbert - October 13, 2023 What we know about Hamas hostage-taking and Israel’s hostage recovery policy.
Will the Hamas attack on Israel lead to a broader regional war? Elizabeth N. Saunders and Austin Carson - October 12, 2023 Even bitter adversaries have tools to control escalation.
Gaza and Israel: Five things to watch Marc Lynch - October 9, 2023 Here’s what you need to know following Saturday’s attack by Hamas.
Does Putin have a vote in U.S. elections? Elizabeth N. Saunders, Marina E. Henke, Nadiya Kostyuk, Rachel Myrick, and Kenneth Schultz - September 28, 2023 International relations scholars have a ‘good chat’ about U.S. elections and foreign policy.
Will foreign policy actually matter in the 2024 U.S. election? Elizabeth N. Saunders - September 21, 2023 It may not matter much to voters, but foreign policy is definitely on the ballot.
Why does Biden want Saudi-Israeli normalization so badly? Marc Lynch - September 20, 2023 The Abraham Accords may define a new regional order.
Israel’s Religious Zionists gained ground in the November election Brendan Szendro - December 16, 2022 What is Religious Zionism, and why is it getting more popular in Israel?
Rich people who own newspapers can shift elections. Israel shows how. Nikita Lalwani - December 5, 2022 Sheldon Adelson’s newspaper moved Israeli voters to the right. Could a similar newspaper shift votes in a U.S. swing state?
Why are Germans losing enthusiasm for helping Ukraine? Yehonatan Abramson, Pauline Jones, Dean Dulay, and Anil Menon - November 23, 2022 It’s not just about energy costs, our research finds. Germans have a deep cultural aversion toward military intervention.
What Middle East scholars really think about boycotting Israel Shibley Telhami and Marc Lynch - November 22, 2022 The latest Middle East Scholars Barometer survey explored this contentious issue — and more
Israeli elections have become a referendum on Netanyahu Liron Lavi and Clareta Treger - November 17, 2022 After five elections in four years, how do Israelis view democracy?
If OPEC is a cartel, it’s not a very good one Henry Farrell - October 10, 2022 This book tells you what you need to know about Saudi Arabia, OPEC, and global oil politics
Are Iran’s hijab protests different from past protest waves? Ali Kadivar - September 22, 2022 Broader and broader swaths of society are showing that they’re outraged, with grievances that won’t soon go away.
Today is International Day of Peace. Can you measure what peace is? Roger Mac Ginty and Pamina Firchow - September 21, 2022 One way is to see whether people feel safe going about their daily lives, the Everyday Peace Indicators project finds
Can the NPT fulfill its promise to eliminate nuclear weapons? J. Luis Rodriguez - August 1, 2022 Latin American countries will push again for nuclear disarmament at this month’s review conference
How the cyberwar between Iran and Israel has intensified Gil Baram - July 24, 2022 Three things to know about the not-so-covert cyber-operations between these two adversaries
Will Israel further normalize relations with its Arab neighbors? Dana El Kurd - July 10, 2022 My research finds that closer ties with Israel means Arab regimes have new tools to repress their own citizens.
It’s risky for Biden to go to the Middle East Shibley Telhami - July 6, 2022 Fewer than one-quarter of Americans approve of the president’s mid-July trip, our survey found
Why do Russia and Ukraine exchange their prisoners? Christoph Valentin Steinert - May 27, 2022 It’s a humanitarian move, but there’s more to the calculations.
How the Ukraine crisis could make the Syrian civil war worse Tiina Hyyppä and Aaron Pilkington - May 23, 2022 Shifting Russian troops away from Syria risks opening up new threats
Ukraine’s Eurovision victory was political. So is Eurovision itself. Lauren Gilbert - May 16, 2022 Eurovision songs and voting are sometimes war by other means
Is there a difference between ‘defensive’ and ‘offensive’ weapons? Stephen Biddle - April 27, 2022 In Ukraine and beyond, skills, determination and tactics matter more than the mix of weapons
The U.K. wants to send refugees to Rwanda. That’s become a trend. Beatty Riedl, Eleanor Paynter, and Christa Kuntzelman - April 20, 2022 Similar plans in other countries suggest the U.K. program will endanger migrants, not protect them.
Ukraine war has side effects on Middle East geopolitics Shibley Telhami and Marc Lynch - April 10, 2022 Here’s what our 2022 survey of Middle East scholars found.
Why democracies win more wars than autocracies Dan Reiter and Allan C. Stam - March 30, 2022 Like Putin, dictators tend to start risky wars, our research shows
Russia and Ukraine are key exporters of food and energy. Will global prices spike? Cullen Hendrix - March 2, 2022 Here’s what the research tells us
The Ukraine crisis is now a nuclear crisis Caitlin Talmadge - February 27, 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin just put his nuclear forces on alert
Germany convicted a Syrian man of war crimes in Syria. Can national courts prosecute injustices everywhere? Maximo Langer, Margaret E. Peters, and Leslie Johns - January 14, 2022 The landmark case invoked the principle of ‘universal jurisdiction’
Archbishop Tutu’s radical commitment to humanity led him to criticize parties, people and institutions Carolyn E. Holmes - December 27, 2021 The beloved anti-apartheid activist demanded that the African National Congress also meet the standards of ‘ubuntu’
Sudan’s military has seized control. Will pro-democracy protests continue? Jeffrey Sachs - October 26, 2021 The military disbanded the joint council that has been overseeing the transition to democracy.
Tunisia has its first-ever female prime minister. That’s not as good for democracy as it sounds. Sivan Hirsch-Hoefler, Lihi Ben Shitrit, and Julia Elad-Strenger - October 12, 2021 Around the world, would-be authoritarians have been ‘pinkwashing’ policies that undermine democracy. Our research finds that it works.
Academic experts believe that Middle East politics are actually getting worse Shibley Telhami and Marc Lynch - September 16, 2021 Nearly two-thirds of our recent survey group think the Israeli-Palestinian situation is akin to apartheid
20 years later, America’s ‘War on Terror’ language has gone global Somdeep Sen and John Collins - September 9, 2021 Right-wing governments and movements often use these words to justify authoritarian and racist policies.
Canada’s prime minister called for early elections. Will this gamble pay off? Tyler Kustra - August 20, 2021 Opposition parties might not have the votes to stop a Liberal Party majority this time
Last month, three drones attacked an Israeli tanker. Here’s why that’s something new. James Rogers - August 18, 2021 Will Iran’s ‘shadow war’ slip into the open?
Olympic officials resisted pressure to ban Iran from the Tokyo Games, but they’ve banned teams before Thandiwe Keet, Andrew Bertoli, and Aleksandra Smajevic - July 27, 2021 In these 9 cases, sporting authorities tried to ban a country from international competition — sometimes for years
Israeli extremists are attacking Palestinians. But are these mobs or pro-government militias? Hannah Bagdanov - June 28, 2021 Who’s behind the violence?
Iran elected a hard-liner president. What does that mean for the nuclear deal? Henry Rome - June 21, 2021 Ebrahim Raisi’s anti-Western views may limit the benefits that many Iranians hope to see under a revival of the deal
Germany acknowledged colonial atrocities in Namibia as genocide. Victims’ groups want more. Franziska Boehme - June 8, 2021 Descendants of the victims want a presidential apology and further reparations.
Imposing vaccine mandates may be counterproductive, our research suggests Samuel Bowles and Katrin Schmelz - June 7, 2021 Mandates may increase distrust and public resistance
An Islamist party is part of Israel’s new coalition government. How did that happen? Guy Grossman and Devorah Manekin - June 6, 2021 Israel has marginalized Arab parties and Arab voters for decades
Can Jews and Palestinians live peacefully in Israel? Here’s a closer look. Stephanie Dornschneider, Sarina Schäfer, Samer Halabi, Oliver Christ, Miles Hewstone, and Danit Sobol-Sarag - June 4, 2021 Three things to know about Israel's "mixed cities."
Israel’s left hates Netanyahu. But his real problem is that some right-wingers hate him, too. Noam Gidron and Lior Sheffer - June 2, 2021 A small Never-Netanyahu party deprived him of his majority
Bunny Wailer, ‘Ceasefire’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - May 20, 2021 A cease-fire is reached in the Gaza conflict.
Hamas wasn’t behind the Jerusalem protests. So why is it fighting? Somdeep Sen - May 17, 2021 This confrontation with Israel overshadows the fundamental question of Palestinian liberation.
Israel’s Iron Dome defense protects lives – but there’s an unexpected effect Yagil Levy - May 14, 2021 The defense system may leave Israel fewer incentives for a political solution to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Young people led the 2021 Palestinian protests in Jerusalem Dana El Kurd - May 12, 2021 Four things to know about the Sheikh Jarrah clashes.
Critics say it’s apartheid. Do Israelis and Palestinians think it is? Dahlia Scheindlin - May 6, 2021 A 2021 survey reveals surprising points of agreement.
The Biden administration supports waiving patents on coronavirus vaccines. Big Pharma won’t be happy. Carie Steele - May 5, 2021 Developed countries are joining developing countries to put pharmaceutical companies in a tough position
Was China behind last October’s power outage in India? Here’s what we know. Fiona Cunningham - April 28, 2021 Despite the conflict along the Indian border, China had reasons to avoid a cyberattack
Here’s what Kamala Harris owes to Walter Mondale Aaron Mannes - April 23, 2021 Mondale forged today’s model of a vice president actively involved in policy
Iran’s nuclear program won’t be stopped by the recent explosion. But the attack puts pressure on negotiators. Nicholas Miller - April 19, 2021 History suggests that diplomacy is more effective than sabotage.
Will the attack on Iran’s nuclear research facility derail U.S. nuclear talks? Dalia Dassa Kaye - April 13, 2021 The Biden administration will find it difficult to contain Israel and Iran’s escalating tensions.
Jordan detained a prince. The government’s determined to squash political dissent. Jillian Schwedler - April 5, 2021 Criticizing the king is considered an act of terrorism
Biden reversed Trump’s sanctions on International Criminal Court officials. What happens now? Kyle Rapp and Kelebogile Zvobgo - April 4, 2021 Past U.S. administrations supported the court’s work — when it aligned with U.S. interests
Big ships were created to avoid relying on the Suez Canal Laleh Khalili - March 26, 2021 Ironically, in 2021 a big ship blocked the canal, disrupting global shipping.
Negotiating peace the same old way doesn’t work. Here’s what does. Séverine Autesserre - March 21, 2021 Over 20 years of research, these three things emerged as key to building a lasting peace
Israel will hold national elections on Tuesday. Here’s a guide for the totally unfamiliar. Noa Balf - March 20, 2021 Don’t expect a stable governing coalition
Reviving the Iran nuclear deal requires tackling these three issues Henry Rome and Eric Brewer - March 18, 2021 But winding back Iran’s nuclear program and Trump-era sanctions won’t be easy
The International Criminal Court just elected a new chief prosecutor. Here’s what you need to know. Nastaran Far, Hailey Robertson, and Kelebogile Zvobgo - February 16, 2021 The ICC’s future will rest on the new prosecutor’s success in opening, trying and closing cases — and being fair
Here’s how experts on the Middle East see the region’s key issues, our new survey finds Shibley Telhami and Marc Lynch - February 16, 2021 We asked about their views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Iran’s nuclear program and more
It’s Susan B. Anthony Day. Here’s how women’s suffrage changed the world. Sam Winter-Levy and Bryan Schonfeld - February 15, 2021 Democracies where women got to vote went to war less and spent more on health and education
The ICC says it can investigate Israel’s alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories. Netanyahu and Biden object. M.P. Broache and Kelebogile Zvobgo - February 10, 2021 Israel and the U.S. don’t think the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over nonmember states. Here’s when it does.
Janet Yellen will be the first female treasury secretary in U.S. Why are so few women in top economic posts? Ha Eun Choi, Cristina Bodea, and Andrew Kerner - February 9, 2021 Here’s why the coronavirus pandemic might change that
Christian nationalists and QAnon followers tend to be anti-Semitic. That was seen in the Capitol attack. Paul Djupe and Jacob Dennen - January 25, 2021 Our research finds that identification with QAnon, Christian nationalism, Donald Trump and anti-Semitism are tightly linked
The U.S. recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara. Here’s what that means. Jacob Mundy - December 11, 2020 The Trump administration’s move could complicate efforts to resolve a long-standing territorial conflict.
How the assassination of an Iranian scientist could affect nuclear negotiations with Iran Farzan Sabet - December 11, 2020 Fakhrizadeh’s death potentially complicates a path back to a nuclear deal and follow-up agreements.