Essays
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Desperate Refugees or Desperate Debtors?
Why the Latest Border Surge Is Bad News for Democrats

Trump’s hyperbole on the border has boomeranged against him, but Democrats should not accept opening the southern border to anyone who asks for asylum. That’s not even good for immigrants.

Wikimedia Commons
Class Coalition
The Return of William McKinley’s Republican Party

Republicans are struggling with the question: What kind of party do we want to be? They might look to William McKinley for guidance.

Balance of Power
The Taiwan Relations Act at 40: It’s Time to Deepen Ties

The geostrategic rationale for keeping Taiwan at arms’ length no longer applies. We need to revisit the TRA not just in terms of security, but across economics, politics, and society as well.

Norman Rockwell, “Freedom of Worship” (Wikimedia Commons)
Secular Religion
Finding Faith and Losing Religion in Flyover Country

Meghan O’Gieblyn’s new essay collection cuts to the heart of America’s cultural divide—and reveals the ties that bind secular progressives and fundamentalist Christians alike.

Thomas Allom (1843) via Wikimedia Commons
Crony Capitalism
Misdiagnosing the Chinese Infrastructure Push

China’s Belt and Road Initiative does not pose a military or strategic threat to the West so much as an economic one.

Wikimedia Commons
What Once Was
Nathan Glazer—Merit Before Meritocracy

The perambulating path of this son of humble Jewish immigrants into America’s intellectual and political elites points to how much we have overcome—and lost—over the past century.

(Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com)
Brexit Watch
The French Connection in Europe’s Elections

Macron’s recent address to the “citizens of Europe” captures the high stakes of this European election season—when first-order questions about Brexit and the EU project loom over all.

(Augustin Pajou, Art Institute of Chicago)
Brexit Watch
The Strange Death of a Special Relationship

The U.S.-UK special relationship is on life support—and Brexit may well pull the plug.

Ukraine’s Elections
Frustrated Voters Could Elect Comic In Time of War

Fed up with the same old politicians and disgusted by broken promises of reform, Ukraine’s voters are seriously contemplating a risky choice.

Shutterstock
Elections à la Modi
The Pakistan Bump for India’s Ruling Party

With elections looming, the Modi government has transformed a serious security breach into a public relations coup.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
© The American Interest LLC 2005-2025
About Us Privacy
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.