Essays
Getty Images
Connecting the Dots
In Ukraine It’s Not Merely About Ukraine—Which Is Why the West Must Respond

Russia’s actions in Ukraine fit into a larger pattern of aggression. The West needs to push back.

higher education
What Harvard Needs to Make Leaders

Harvard’s admissions policies are animated by three competing visions of leadership. On their own, none of these visions can produce good leaders.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The Khashoggi Murder
Human Rights Suffers a Major Blow

President Trump’s dismissal of human rights in cases like that of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi will ultimately harm American interests.

Composite by Danielle Desjardins
The Russian Zelig
Searching for Vitaly

Amid the turbulence of Putin’s reign, can the remarkable career of diplomatic virtuoso Vitaly Churkin offer any guideposts for the future of Russia’s relations with the West?

(Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
Eat the Press
When Oligarchs Buy Media: A Central European Tale

How the financial crisis precipitated a mass exodus of Western investment from Central Europe—and paved the way for oligarchic takeovers of media.

(Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Belt & Road Initiative
China’s Trojan Ports

Beijing’s systematic acquisition of European ports is not a precursor to Chinese militarism in Europe. But it is an important component of an ambitious and insidious strategy.

Dilemmas Old and New
Change in Post-Putin Russia?

Putinist authoritarian rule has returned Russia to the dilemma confronting the Soviet Union at the end of the Brezhnev era: whether it can rethink or reformulate its fundamental purposes without un-leashing forces that its rulers cannot control.

A Lesson From Georgia
Facing Up To Frozen Conflicts

Engagement rather than neglect is key. It’s time to take the U.S.–Georgia relationship to the next level.

(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Knowledge Problems
The Emerging R&D Landscape: A Tale of Scale and Saturation

Global competition has effectively rendered America’s R&D model obsolete. We must adapt to new realities if we are to retain our competitive edge.

(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Polling Error
The Missing Link Between Evangelicals and Trump

Plenty of evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016—but their margins are nowhere near what the pollsters would have you believe.

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.