Democracy and Institutions

The average person can turn on the nightly news any day and see stories of terrifying acts—and clear crimes—ranging from the bombing of children in Syria to the massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka. But if one were to refer only to the cases brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), they would be left […]

The withdrawal of Burundi, Gambia and South Africa from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has reignited an old discussion: whether the Court unfairly targets African states and citizens for prosecutions. The ‘African bias’ critique adopts different forms, ranging from neo-colonialist (“the Court seeks to control African politics through ICC investigations and prosecutions”) to realist (“the […]

BY CHRISTIAN ASANTE The first time I spoke to Sandra, we were both studying in the library. President Trump had assumed office five days earlier, and his string of executive orders consumed student conversations. Sandra asked me to watch her things for a few minutes, and when she returned, I struck up a conversation. “What […]

BY MAGGIE SALINGER Republicans are trying to seduce us by promising lower premiums and removal of the individual mandate. No longer will Obamacare encroach on personal freedom and financial stability, they boast. But let’s not be fooled by the ACA alternatives we’ve been seeing from the Hill. These plans are no better for us. In fact, […]

Fareed Yasseen, Iraq’s ambassador to the US, is optimistic about defeating ISIL – but sees several structural threats to Iraq’s stability.

From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the policies that welcomed hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to this country from the 1960s onward, federal immigration policy has had a tremendous influence on the migration history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The most recent plan for immigration reform, the Reforming American Immigration […]

Trump prides himself on his deal-making abilities, but securing “the ultimate deal” between Israelis and Palestinians presents major challenges.

BY CHARLIE SHANDIL Throughout his tenure as the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama has changed the sheer fabric of government business, and has been deemed the ‘Startup President’ for using the tech sector as an asset, and the ‘Climate President’ for driving global outcomes to combat climate change – all […]

BY ALI WYNE If one takes stock of the present disorder in world affairs, the verdict on President Barack Obama’s foreign policy would seem self-evident: it was a failure. Critics would adduce a long litany of examples—the weakening of transatlantic ties, the disintegration of the Middle East (with particular focus on the horrors that have […]

A propaganda war between the Iraqi government and ISIL is raging alongside the military campaign to retake Mosul.

BY JAMES PAGANO President Trump continues to struggle to accept his popular vote loss. He again made headlines last week, repeating unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud. Although absolutely no evidence supporting his claim exists, President Trump has vowed to open an investigation into the matter. His claims distract from the real election issues facing […]

BY SHANOOR SEERVAI In this moment, America is not mine. It cannot be—it is not like anything I have seen. I came here in 2007, one year before Barack Obama was elected our president. Our president, because America was mine then. Not mine in passport—I’m an Indian citizen—but in what I believe is worth fighting […]