What can be done about the unfolding sovereign debt crisis? 🎧 Erik Voeten and Layna Mosley - February 8, 2024 An expert on the politics of sovereign debt, Layna Mosley, takes a closer look at the current global debt crisis – check out our latest podcast episode.
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.
Negotiations over Ukraine are likely to fail. Here’s why. Stacie Goddard - November 17, 2023 Several factors can foil conflict negotiations. The Russian war in Ukraine has them all.
Ethiopia’s peace may depend on post-conflict plans for Tigray soldiers Sally Sharif - November 18, 2022 Successfully demobilizing and reintegrating rebels could help Ethiopia avoid further conflict, research shows
The World Bank and IMF say they’ll do more to address climate change Richard Clark and Noah Zucker - October 20, 2022 Staff in the field are reporting firsthand how climate disasters are hurting vulnerable countries. That may help shift institutional policies.
China and India weren’t critical of Putin’s war. Did that change? Rohan Mukherjee - September 26, 2022 Neither country was inclined to defend a global order that denies their status aspirations, but the war’s impact may be forcing a rethink
Sri Lanka can’t count on China to solve its debt problems Layna Mosley and Peter Rosendorff - September 12, 2022 The country owes a lot of money to a lot of creditors
Why did Kenyans elect Ruto as president? Susanne D. Mueller - August 23, 2022 What looks superficially like a normal election was filled with contradictions, intrigue, double-crossing and surprise shifts in ethnic loyalties
Will Ghana’s new e-levy help the economy recover from the pandemic? Richard Aidoo - August 9, 2022 Ghana isn’t the only country to try to tax mobile money transactions
How LGBT refugees from Ukraine are highly vulnerable Yvonne Su and Samuel Ritholtz - April 12, 2022 They can fall through the cracks in standard humanitarian responses — but through social media, individuals and groups are finding ways to help
Will Russia really care if U.S. actions make it default on its debt? Layna Mosley - April 7, 2022 The U.S. Treasury’s recent actions will force Russia to choose between using its scarce dollars for debt repayment or facing a sovereign default.
Russia’s allies have been pretty quiet on Ukraine Martin Binder and Autumn Lockwood Payton - March 25, 2022 Here’s what might happen next within the ‘BRICS’ bloc
Why has U.S. inflation hit 7 percent? Kathleen R. McNamara - January 13, 2022 Here are the clashing explanations — and the reasons experts want you to believe them
New variants mean we’re only as strong as the weakest national health systems. Identifying them is hard. Leonard Seabrooke and Alexander Kentikelenis - November 27, 2021 To tackle threats like omicron, we need to know how well different countries are prepared for pandemics
Why can’t Lebanon’s leaders fix its economic crisis? Jamal Ibrahim Haidar and Adeel Malik - October 20, 2021 Lebanese politicians and elites profit from their corrupt system — and foreign donors keep propping them up to hang onto their own influence
The World Bank had to scrap its popular business report. That says a lot about the politics of numbers. Lukas Linsi - October 15, 2021 Economic statistics are far more ambiguous — and malleable — than most people realize.
There’s a deeper story behind the World Bank’s ratings scandal Judith Kelley - September 19, 2021 The more prominent a global scorecard is, the more governments want to game it
A Chinese airport project in Zanzibar floundered. Here’s what the new G-7 infrastructure plan can learn. Veda Vaidyanathan - August 18, 2021 Our analysis of megaprojects reveals where Chinese companies enjoy advantages — and where they fall short
Zambia has an election this week. Here’s what you need to know. Danielle Resnick - August 10, 2021 Voters aren’t happy about the country’s economic outlook or its external debt problem
Will Haitians get the chance to determine their future — without foreign interference? Robert Fatton - July 22, 2021 The current crisis could push Haitians to seek a more democratic society.
The G-7 wants to mobilize new global financing as an alternative to China’s multilateral push Jonathan Kay, Christopher Kilby, and Ayse Kaya - June 15, 2021 Our research examines loans from the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
People have long predicted the collapse of the Washington Consensus. It keeps reappearing under new guises. Sarah Babb and Alexander Kentikelenis - April 15, 2021 30 years later, global financial institutions still condition loans on policies like 'structural reforms’
Chinese firms — and African labor — are building Africa’s infrastructure Frangton Chiyemura - April 1, 2021 The research shows Chinese companies hire large numbers of local employees
The Biden administration is planning for climate migration. Do Americans support helping climate migrants? Sabrina B. Arias and Christopher W. Blair - March 4, 2021 Here’s what our research finds
The pandemic has worsened Africa’s debt crisis. China and other countries are stepping in. Yufan Huang, Kevin Acker, and Deborah Bräutigam - February 25, 2021 Chinese banks have been restructuring African debt for the past two decades
After a violent election, Uganda’s government faces three big challenges Kristof Titeca and Anna Reuss - February 15, 2021 President Yoweri Museveni’s recent criticism of ‘Western elements’ could complicate his reliance on foreign donors
Trump changed how the U.S. assigns the label ‘terrorist.’ Can the Biden administration change it back? Samuel M. Hickey and Manuel Reinert - February 11, 2021 Trump changed ‘designation’ from a foreign policy tool to one aimed at influencing American public opinion
Ghana’s election was largely a referendum on President Akufo-Addo’s economic vision Richard Aidoo - December 15, 2020 His goal of developing without foreign aid could prove challenging after the pandemic
Biden promises to embrace multilateralism again. World leaders agree. Erik Voeten and Alexander Kentikelenis - December 15, 2020 Our research suggests the liberal order has staying power
The World Food Program won the Nobel Peace Prize. Does food aid boost peace? Ida Rudolfsen and Halvard Buhaug - October 12, 2020 Food doesn’t replace peacebuilding.
African countries can fight coronavirus better when citizens encourage one another Melina R. Platas, Leah R. Rosenzweig, and Clara Bicalho - September 8, 2020 A recent survey offers public health insights from Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya
India is hitting a record number of new covid-19 cases. That’s not its only problem. Suparna Chaudhry and Shubha Kamala Prasad - September 8, 2020 Despite million of lost jobs, support for the Modi government appears strong.
Two women from Africa are among the leading candidates to head the WTO J.P. Singh - July 20, 2020 Candidates have to navigate a highly political process to become director-general of the World Trade Organization
How will China respond when low-income countries can’t pay their debts? Scott Wingo - June 30, 2020 Expect to see some leeway — but probably not forgiveness
Trump’s decision to pull U.S. out of WHO will boost China’s influence Yanzhong Huang - June 22, 2020 The organization will probably look to Beijing for funding and leadership support
The WTO is getting a new boss. Here’s who’s in the running. Judith Goldstein - June 16, 2020 Some experts wonder who would want the job. Lots of people, apparently.
No, this isn’t Europe’s ‘Hamiltonian moment’ Mark Copelovitch - May 27, 2020 It’s a reminder that a covid-19 recovery fund won’t solve the euro zone’s deeper problems
Some European governments acted quickly to fight the pandemic. But not the ones you’d expect. Kutsal Yesilkagit, Dimiter Toshkov, and Brendan Carroll - May 20, 2020 Here’s why more open governments weren’t as nimble
How international organizations are stepping up to respond to the pandemic Stephanie C. Hofmann and Christian Kreuder-Sonnen - May 4, 2020 When governments put their nations first, coronavirus cooperation falls short
Will Trump’s name on stimulus checks help win him votes in November? Virginia Oliveros, Rebecca Weitz-Shapiro, and Matthew Winters - April 28, 2020 What we know about the consequences of name-stamping public policy
Europe’s leaders meet this week to confront the coronavirus Matthias Matthijs and Kathleen R. McNamara - April 21, 2020 The fate of the European Union could be at stake.
The Belarus government is largely ignoring the pandemic. Here’s why. Tatsiana Kulakevich - April 21, 2020 With elections coming, this could be a risky move
This is the problem with calling it a ‘war’ against coronavirus Jessica Blankshain and Danielle Lupton - April 20, 2020 War changes the rules — for better or worse
Not everyone in China thought the government could handle the coronavirus Timothy Hildebrandt, Reza Hasmath, Jennifer Y.J. Hsu, Jessica C. Teets, and Carolyn L. Hsu - April 17, 2020 In times of crisis, Chinese citizens think independent groups can provide needed assistance
In Latin America, coronavirus threatens not just public health, but also democracy Nicolás SaldÃas - April 16, 2020 Shaky economies are likely to get worse
Trump wants to review the WHO’s actions. These are its key roles and limitations. Jeremy Youde - April 16, 2020 The logo and building of the World Health Organization headquarters
International politics is making it harder to make a coronavirus vaccine Henry Farrell - April 15, 2020 But a network of scientists is helping
The U.N. has appealed for a global coronavirus cease-fire Govinda Clayton - April 12, 2020 But is it possible to quarantine conflict?
It’s not easy for ordinary citizens to identify fake news Zeve Sanderson, Will Godel, Richard Bonneau, Nathaniel Persily, Kevin Aslett, Joshua Tucker, and Jonathan Nagler - April 7, 2020 And fake coronavirus news is no exception.
Coronavirus restrictions on movement may jeopardize the lives of the most vulnerable Lorenzo Piccoli - April 5, 2020 Government decisions involve trade-offs and new challenges
Syria’s civil war will make fighting coronavirus particularly difficult Jesse Marks - April 2, 2020 Many Syrians won’t be able to take preventive measures — or access health care
The World Bank’s 2017 pandemic response fund isn’t working Mara Pillinger - March 31, 2020 Private sector solutions don’t always fit public sector problems
Why Thailand’s top court just dissolved a political party Joel Selway - March 8, 2020 A new survey explains why the military government fears that party’s popularity.
The coronavirus is about to hit Africa. Here are the big challenges. Amy Patterson - February 18, 2020 Many Africans don’t trust the health system. That complicates the response.
Trump has given quid pro quos a bad rap. Here’s where they actually help. Desha Girod - January 21, 2020 In development funding, donor countries say they expect aid recipients to shape up
Is Angola’s anti-corruption campaign a real effort — or just for show? Austin Doctor - January 16, 2020 The president wants to look good to investors and voters alike.
Bolivian protesters unseated a president. So why are they still in the streets? Natasha Bennett - November 14, 2019 Evo Morales is out – and it’s not clear what will happen to the institutions he created.
The International Monetary Fund will select a new director. Here’s what you need to know. Alexander Kentikelenis - September 2, 2019 Christine Lagarde’s resignation has sparked an unconventional race.
As the U.S. and Tunisian delegations meet, anti-Americanism is on the rise Sarah Yerkes - July 12, 2019 Can the U.S. keep its close relationship with Tunisia amidst changing public opinion?
Wait — why are the U.S., Russia and the E.U. suddenly cooperating in Moldova? Mitchell A. Orenstein and Ecaterina Locoman - June 25, 2019 And can the government they installed survive?
Why did India’s devastating Cyclone Fani kill only 40 people — not 10,000? Thank democracy and technology. Nives Dolšak and Aseem Prakash - May 16, 2019 Democracies may do better at adapting to climate change.
Why are Kenyans protesting their government? Ken Opalo - May 13, 2019 Popular support for the Kenyatta government has eroded. Here’s why.
The new World Bank head wants some changes. That could backfire. Melvin H. L. Wong, Lennart Kaplan, and Kai Gehring - April 24, 2019 We investigate how aid affects violence in African nations.
China is pushing back against Taiwan for these three reasons Ketian Vivian Zhang - April 7, 2019 Here are the latest tensions in China-Taiwan relations — and why the U.S. is in the middle.
Here’s why Kim Jong Un put sanctions first — and why North Korea is not Vietnam Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland - February 28, 2019 Trump wants North Korea to follow Vietnam’s development path.
America will lose influence, not gain it, if Trump wins the fight over the World Bank presidency Catherine Weaver - February 15, 2019 [caption id="attachment_83807" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump has nominated David Malpass,
The blockade of Qatar has made Qataris more supportive of free speech D. Martin - February 12, 2019 [caption id="attachment_83572" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A couple walk by the sea
What the Super Bowl can teach us about foreign policy Steven Weber, Naazneen Barma, and Brent Durbin - February 3, 2019 In football and in international relations, the rules matter.
Lebanon finally has a new government. Here are three reasons for cautious optimism. Jeffrey Karam - January 31, 2019 [caption id="attachment_83351" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, smiles
Will Donald Trump get to pick the next president of the World Bank? Maybe not. Geoffrey Gertz - January 10, 2019 [caption id="attachment_82376" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Jim Yong Kim, president of the
40 years ago, Deng Xiaoping changed China — and the world Abraham Denmark - December 19, 2018 [caption id="attachment_81752" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People pose in front of a
Why the World Bank’s new famine warning system won’t help prevent famine Allison Grossman - December 12, 2018 [caption id="attachment_81442" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In this Sept. 21, 2018, photo,
After the Greek financial crisis, Greeks are more mistrustful of others — especially non-Greeks Elena Nikolova and Anna Schultz - October 24, 2018 [caption id="attachment_79248" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Greek protesters in Thessaloniki hold a
There’s grim news on climate change. Will it lead to mass migration and conflict? Tobias Böhmelt, Vally Koubi, Lena Schaffer, and Gabriele Spilker - October 15, 2018 [caption id="attachment_78792" align="aligncenter" width="960"] An Afghan boy pumps water in
What the Trump administration’s confrontational approach misses about China Scott Kastner, Margaret Pearson, and Chad Rector - October 12, 2018 [caption id="attachment_78824" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past
Why Russia starts so many conflicts on its own borders Anna Ohanyan - September 12, 2018 The conventional wisdom is that Russia is too nuclear and
How violent protests in Iraq could escalate Benedict Robin-D’Cruz - September 11, 2018 [caption id="attachment_77539" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A protester in front of the
Kosovo and Serbia might redraw their border. Could this keep them from going to war? Carter Johnson - September 10, 2018 [caption id="attachment_77510" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman sits by a grave
By ending ‘temporary protected status’ for half a million people, Trump has probably increased illegal migration David Leblang, Ankita Satpathy, Alexa Iadarola, Ben Helms, Kelsey Hunt, Eric Xu, Rebecca Brough, and Mahesh Rao - August 7, 2018 Since taking office, President Trump has shown a firm commitment
When is nationalism a good thing? When it unites an ethnically diverse citizenry Sam Winter-Levy and Nikita Lalwani - June 26, 2018 In his new book, “Nation Building: Why Some Countries Come Together
How cheap oil hurts sub-Saharan Africa Emily Meierding - June 21, 2018 [caption id="attachment_74773" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Cranes line the skyline of downtown
Why Jordanians are protesting Curtis Ryan - June 4, 2018 [caption id="attachment_74101" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Jordanian protesters raise a national flag
Will 2018’s ‘pink wave’ of female candidates make it in Congress? Almost certainly. Here’s how. Pär Zetterberg and Amanda Clayton - May 30, 2018 [caption id="attachment_73900" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Democratic 2nd District House candidate Kara
Are we witnessing the collapse of the global order? Probably not — yet. Julia Gray - May 18, 2018 [caption id="attachment_73581" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump meets with British Prime
A new ‘resource curse’ is fueling riots around the world Renard Sexton - April 25, 2018 [caption id="attachment_72635" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Kapolowe River outside Lubumbashi, Congo,
Cape Town still has water — for now. This may take political solutions as well as technical fixes. Lauren MacLean, Jennifer Brass, Elizabeth Baldwin, and Christopher Gore - April 23, 2018 [caption id="attachment_72563" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People refill water bottles at the
How will China react to Trump’s tariffs? Here are 5 things you should know. Yu Zheng - March 29, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68898" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Shipping containers at the Yangshan Deep
John Bolton talks tough on the U.N. What’s his record really like? David Bosco - March 27, 2018 President Trump’s selection of John Bolton to serve as his
This is why Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was just awarded the $5 million Ibrahim prize Pamela Scully - February 13, 2018 [caption id="attachment_69195" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Former Liberia president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
What is GSP and why does it matter for U.S. trade? Chad Bown - January 25, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68446" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A cargo ship moves through New
China is investing seriously in Latin America. Should you worry? - January 24, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68418" align="aligncenter" width="960"] From left: El Salvador Foreign Minister
Ukrainians are protesting corruption — and using a new approach. Here’s how it works. Grigore Pop-Eleches and Robertson Graeme - January 5, 2018 [caption id="attachment_67842" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Protesters hold the Ukraine flag and
Development aid isn’t reaching the poorest. Here’s what that means. Ryan Briggs - December 13, 2017 [caption id="attachment_57776" align="aligncenter" width="960"] AÂ woman carries a bag of rice
Yes, the Kremlin is worried — about Russia’s own presidential elections Christopher Jarmas - December 6, 2017 [caption id="attachment_66986" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to
It’s World AIDS Day. Who actually needs more AIDS awareness? Kim Yi Dionne - December 1, 2017 [caption id="attachment_66813" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Angolan community members at an HIV/AIDS
Survey research in the Middle East needs to be transparent. Here’s why. David Pollock - November 16, 2017 [caption id="attachment_66326" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Qatari woman walks in front
This chart shows the best and worst countries for women in the world today. Jeni Klugman - November 7, 2017 [caption id="attachment_65845" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Women shout slogans as they take
Governments aren’t seizing businesses these days. They’re just siphoning off funds through transfer restrictions. Noel Johnston, Benjamin Graham, and Allison Kingsley - October 18, 2017 [caption id="attachment_65012" align="alignnone" width="960"] (Xaume Olleros/Bloomberg News)[/caption] Businesses’ political risks
Why international aid so often falls short — and sometimes makes things worse Mark Buntaine, Bradley Parks, and Benjamin Buch - September 19, 2017 [caption id="attachment_63699" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Mark Green, the new head of
How Egypt wound up in the center of a Gulf Cooperation Council dispute on Qatar Karen Young - August 23, 2017 [caption id="attachment_62679" align="aligncenter" width="960"] FROM LEFT: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel