Good to Know: Collective security
An explainer on collective security agreements like NATO.
Our 10 most popular posts of 2023
The Gaza conflict, Republicans in the U.S. House, and India's alleged assassination program filled the list.
Five things that didn’t happen in the world in 2023
We missed some breakthroughs, but we dodged some disasters.
The UN set out to protect human rights 75 years ago
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?
Often states deliberate and debate while people die.
A few good links
A Liberian presidential candidate's similarities to Joe Biden, the power of women's votes in Poland, and more.
How should we think about a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza?
Governments and non-state actors use mass migration as a tool of war.
How historic voter turnout upended illiberal rule in Poland
Understanding the triumph of Poland’s opposition and what it means for Polish democracy and foreign policy.
Does Putin have a vote in U.S. elections?
International relations scholars have a ‘good chat’ about U.S. elections and foreign policy.
The World Cup of Democracy might look like this
What if we cheered for the more-democratic country in each World Cup match? Here’s who would win.
Can Putin survive Russia’s losses in Ukraine?
Russia’s defeat is starting to look inevitable. Here’s what that means for Putin and his inner circle.
Liberal Democrats are more hawkish than you might think
They’re the ones who endorse military support for Ukraine, Taiwan and other places when there’s a threat to human rights or democracy.
After the explosion in Poland, will NATO go to war with Russia? Probably not.
Here’s what the NATO treaty actually does — and doesn’t — require
Explosion in Poland may put NATO in a tricky situation
Depending on whether Warsaw invokes NATO provisions, alliance will have to decide how to respond, expert says
Gorbachev didn’t set out to open the door to democracy
The former Soviet leader learned the hard way that reining in political changes is harder than making them
How united is the West on Russia?
Public risk perceptions in NATO countries shifted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our surveys found
What to watch for at the 2022 NATO summit
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine complicates discussions of the alliance’s new Strategic Concept
The Philippines elected a dictator’s son. Why are dynasties popular?
Ties to a former dictatorship are quite common in new democracies, this research explains
The Ukraine crisis may reinvigorate Eastern European democracies
Countries are now focused on Russia vs. Europe, rather than internal corruption
Ukraine’s Eurovision victory was political. So is Eurovision itself.
Eurovision songs and voting are sometimes war by other means
Slovenia voted against an illiberal leader and for an untested party
Why did a brand-new party win the parliamentary election?
Will Brussels stop funding autocracy?
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s power rests in part on how he distributes E.U. funds to oligarchs and local authorities in exchange for support
How LGBT refugees from Ukraine are highly vulnerable
They can fall through the cracks in standard humanitarian responses — but through social media, individuals and groups are finding ways to help
In Hungary, Orban wins again — because he has rigged the system
Here’s how Orban’s Fidesz party won 53 percent of the vote — but 83 percent of the districts.
Poland’s official nationalism will make it hard to absorb Ukrainians
Although Poles have been welcoming, the newly official Polish version of history is based on excluding and blaming outsiders. How will that affect Ukrainians?
Putin called fleeing Russians ‘traitors.’ Who’s actually leaving?
Many will be activists in exile, our research suggests
The prospects for a negotiated peace in Ukraine are bleak
Here are three big hurdles to a lasting peace settlement
European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees. It was a different story in 2015.
It’s not merely a shared ‘Europeanness,’ this research finds
Calling Ukrainian refugees more ‘civilized’ than Syrians requires willful amnesia
The history of the West suggests something else entirely
An international court is investigating possible war crimes in Ukraine. What does that mean, exactly?
The ICC can investigate Russia even though it’s not a member.
Zelensky isn’t the first leader to feel frustrated by the E.U.
Other countries committed to joining, yet have no clear path to full membership
The E.U. granted Ukrainian refugees temporary protection. Why the different response from past migrant crises?
People who fled the war in Ukraine wait for relocation
More than 2 million people have already fled the Ukraine conflict. How will they fare in new countries?
If European nations want to welcome these refugees, here’s what they can learn from our research
Ukraine wants a fast pass to E.U. membership. It’s not that easy.
Here’s what the European Union might offer instead
Even Russian-speaking Ukrainians don’t want to be evacuated to Russia or Belarus
The research shows that Russian speakers across much of Ukraine identify as Ukrainian
NATO can’t send troops to Ukraine. Here is what it will probably do instead.
The security and defense of alliance members that border Russia and Ukraine will be a top priority.
Putin is breaking 70 years of norms by invading Ukraine. What comes next?
Up until now, Russia tried to look like it was playing by the rules.
The U.S. and Europe didn’t get what they wanted from Putin. But Putin didn’t get what he wanted from them.
Russia’s president made threats without offering assurances
The German economy depends on Russian gas. There’s a long history behind that.
What happens now to the Nord Stream 2 project?
Two Polish women died after being refused timely abortions. Many Poles are outraged — and protesting.
Antiabortion organizations are powerful in Poland, but abortion rights support is growing
Will Russia recognize the independence of two eastern Ukraine republics? Here’s what people there think.
Those who live in the Donbas region care more about bread-and-butter issues, our latest surveys reveal
Putin likes to talk about Russians and Ukrainians as ‘one people.’ Here’s the deeper history.
For centuries, Moscow has worried that foreign powers are scheming to separate Ukraine from Russia.
A majority of Ukrainians support joining NATO. Does this matter?
Support has been growing across all parts of Ukraine — not just regions close to Europe
The conflict over Ukraine is a conflict over international order. That makes it nearly impossible to resolve.
Why are two world powers so intent on controlling Ukraine?
Experts from NATO countries disagree on how to approach Ukraine
Different countries have very different narratives about the crisis
The E.U. continues to sanction Belarus. Some Belarusians approve.
But our surveys reveal why that support may be waning
The E.U. renewed its Russia sanctions last week. Not all Europeans are in favor.
How Europe’s leaders keep the consensus on sanctions — but soften the economic blow at home
Biden is threatening Putin with European energy sanctions. That may be difficult to pull off.
Europe is counting on a new Russian gas pipeline to alleviate energy shortages
The Belarus border crisis shows it’s getting easier to ‘weaponize’ refugees
Countries like Belarus are counting on E.U. governments to see refugees as a security threat
Most Russians like China more than they like Europe or the U.S. But not Gen Z.
Attitudes vary by age, gender and politics — and especially by how people feel about Putin
If the E.U. doesn’t wake up to what’s happening with Poland, it may sleepwalk into self-destruction
The fight over whose courts are in control threatens the foundations of the European Union’s constitutional order
How do you persuade skeptics to get vaccinated? Trust matters more than information.
That’s what we found by surveying more than 15 countries in five world regions
Belarus’s hijacking isn’t a show of strength. It’s a sign of weakness.
Poorly informed leaders with few allies are more likely to take risks, the research shows
How can the world hold Belarus accountable?
Technology has become the ‘long arm’ of authoritarians
The E.U. can’t stick to its Belarus sanctions. Will this time be different?
Further sanctions might harm ordinary Belarusians — and push leaders and businesses closer to Russia
When Belarus forced down a plane, it may have committed state-sponsored hijacking
International treaties outlaw false communications that might endanger a flight
No, the pandemic didn’t sink populism. It might have helped it.
Our research found that ill health may actually boost voter support for Europe’s populist parties
Biden is considering overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s happened during every crisis in U.S. democracy.
During six major crises in U.S. history, debates over reshaping the court were linked to debates over whether democracy could survive
Europe’s largest party finally stood up to Hungary’s autocracy. What took so long?
The European People’s Party moves forward without Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.
Viktor Orban turned Hungary away from democracy. Now his European allies are turning on him.
Orban’s Fidesz party had to leave the European People’s Party Group to avoid a humiliating expulsion
Biden is freezing Trump’s withdrawal of troops from Germany. There’s a long history behind America’s military bases abroad.
Military bases used to be synonymous with military occupation.
Poland is a Catholic country. So why are mass protests targeting churches?
The conservative government’s move to ban abortion could backfire
After this summer’s protests, Americans think differently about race. That could last for generations.
A rich body of research finds major events can create sustained changes in attitudes
‘Fake news’ methods change faster than Western governments can react. Here’s how to keep up.
Understanding how Russia, Turkey and the Gulf nations use disinformation could guide better safeguards against foreign interference
The longer-term coronavirus fallout could erode democracy. Here’s how that could play out.
Rising economic inequality can damp support for democracy
Poland’s digital divide may have helped secure President Duda’s reelection
Research suggests online communities are more supportive of liberal democracy
China’s covid-19 stimulus plan isn’t as green as it looks
Jobs and social stability will probably become Beijing’s higher policy priorities
Attacking LGBT life helped the right-wing Polish president win reelection — barely
The Polish LGBT movement and its allies are responding with innovative tactics
Why Poland’s president could lose Sunday’s runoff vote
New research explains why a first-round leader doesn’t always win the second round.
Poland’s ruling party might not win Sunday’s first-round presidential election
The campaign season has been full of surprises
Withdrawing thousands of troops from Germany will be costly for U.S.
These troops weren’t just protecting Germany.
Will governments use pandemic emergency orders to expand their powers indefinitely?
Two things — watchdogs and sunset provisions — help prevent governments from restricting rights indefinitely
Some European governments acted quickly to fight the pandemic. But not the ones you’d expect.
Here’s why more open governments weren’t as nimble
We asked what Poles think about voting in a pandemic and the election that was scheduled for May 10
This year’s electoral irregularities were far greater than anything reported in the past
Poland’s presidential election just got more complicated
Confused by the wheeling and dealing? Here’s what happened.
With one court decision, Germany may be plunging Europe into a constitutional crisis
If you add fights over court power to money issues, coronavirus and democratic collapse, expect explosive consequences
The Belarus government is largely ignoring the pandemic. Here’s why.
With elections coming, this could be a risky move
Hungary just became a coronavirus autocracy
Will Europe respond to Orban’s power grab?
Why the International Criminal Court will investigate possible U.S. war crimes — even if the Trump administration says it can’t
My research suggests Americans support the investigation
Vladimir Putin follows a long Russian tradition of enlightened autocrats
Like the czars, he sometimes shares power.
If you think the U.S. is having a constitutional crisis, you should see what is happening in Poland
Poland’s government and Supreme Court are engaged in an epic battle.
Trump’s abrasive personality might help him win reelection — if voters feel it’s a dangerous world
Angry voters aren’t looking for someone they can have a beer with.
The E.U. is supposed to promote democracy. So why do anti-democratic politicians thrive within it?
Party alliances, subsidies and easy emigration all help soft authoritarians stay in power
Brexit shows how a tiny party can have big consequences
Nigel Farage’s pro-Brexit parties forced the much bigger Conservative Party to live up to its rhetoric
Mainstream conservative parties paved the way for far-right nationalism
By talking up ethnic nationalism but not delivering, they opened up space for the radical right
What Lt. Col. Vindman’s critics get wrong about Jews who fled the Soviet Union
To criticize his impeachment testimony, Republicans suggest there was a country called Ukraine in the 1970s.
North Macedonia won’t be joining the E.U. anytime soon. Did the E.U. lose its peak leverage?
Here’s a look at what happened — and what it means for Europe and the Balkans
Europe’s communist regimes began to collapse 30 years ago, but still shape political views
Visitors gather in front of illuminated stages in front of
30 years after the Berlin Wall fell, some former Soviet-controlled countries are dismantling democracy. What happened?
How did Russia, populism and ‘illiberal democracy’ creep back in?
When the Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago, it shook up U.S. politics. Here’s how.
Republicans have been divided on foreign policy ever since the Cold War ended.
In Mongolia, proposed legislation endangers civil society
How much will it restrict the work of nongovernmental organizations?
Republicans say that Trump’s quid pro quos were normal. Here’s why they’re wrong.
The body of existing testimony shows how Trump has crossed the line
Poland’s Parliament is now divided. What does this mean for the ruling Law and Justice party?
The opposition now controls the Senate. That matters.
Trump is moving to secure the Polish American vote in 2020. Here’s how.
Key counties in swing states have large concentrations of Polish American voters
Poland goes to the polls this Sunday. Will the controversial Law and Justice party stay in power?
And why has it remained so popular?
The Hong Kong protests have been going on for months. What explains this sustained action?
Here’s how leaderless protests get people out on the streets.
New E.U. leader Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of commissioners. Here are the big controversies.
The European Commission is responsible for ensuring member states comply with E.U. law.
Hong Kong waits for Beijing’s next move. Here’s what the experts say.
Why a military intervention could be costly on many fronts
The U.S. officially withdrew from the INF Treaty. Here’s what you need to know.
This was a U.S.-Soviet arms treaty, but there’s a China factor.
Would ‘safe third country’ agreements stem migration to the U.S.? The E.U.-Turkey deal offers some clues.
But don’t expect to see a decrease in the number of asylum seekers.