Essay
List of Essay articles
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Joseph Ny gestures with one hand as he speaks. Joseph Nye Was the Champion of a World That No Longer Exists
The distinguished scholar, who coined “soft power,” shaped five decades of U.S. foreign policy.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower looks over a piece of paper while sitting on a couch as Robert Cutler looks over his shoulder. How Generations of Experts Built U.S. Power
And now Trump is throwing it all away.
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An illustration shows a police officer trying to sudue a panicked mob of men. The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions
What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.
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An illustration shows a golden Cybertruck blasting through a U.S. seal of an eagle holding arrows and laurel. Is America a Kleptocracy?
Here’s how life could change for the rich, poor, and everyone in between.
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An illustration shows a golden Newtons cradle with Elon Musk depicted on the one at left and sending a globe-motif ball swinging at right. Elon Musk’s First Principles
The world’s richest man wants to apply the rules of physics to politics. What could go wrong?
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An illustration shows five fists intermingled with a historical painting of a battle. Behind both, with one eye obscured, is a painting of a man with white hair. The Deep Roots of Oligarchy
Private contracting is in the DNA of the modern state.
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An illustration shows Indian currency with Narendra Modi at center and billionaires Mukesh Ambani (left) and Gautam Adani (right). How Modi and Trump Treat Billionaires Differently
Both have harnessed industrialists for political ends.
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A collage illustration shows Chinese currency stripes over the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and (smaller) billionaires Hui Ka Yan, Jack Ma, and Pony Ma. Did China Get Billionaires Right?
The party does not grant impunity to the ultra-rich.
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A red MAGA hat among a sea of other red hats. The Shape-Shifting MAGA Hat
From an expression of intransigence to a symbol of triumph.
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Trump-autocracy-v-democracy-foreign-policy-mark-harris The Key to Understanding Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy
Around the world, the White House seems to be aiding autocracies at the expense of democracy.
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A seated man wearing glasses and a suit. Samuel Huntington Is Getting His Revenge
The idea of a global “clash of civilizations” wasn’t wrong—it was just premature.
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A blurred scene shows people at desks. Above them are several television screens. The Dirty Business That’s Stopping Climate Change
Commodity traders are among the financial world’s most ruthless actors—and now they’re at the center of climate policy.
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A bulldozer is seen atop a pile of rubble. How the Bulldozer Became a Symbol of Modi’s India
Is it a protector of Hindu identity or a tool for extrajudicial violence?
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An illustration shows Donald Trump smiling zanily with yellow hair flying one direction and a red tie snaking through his ears and around his head wildly. Does the Madman Theory Actually Work?
Trump likes to think his unpredictability is an asset.
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An illustrations shows the silhouette of Donald Trump with a face filled with pricetags. Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World
Countries and companies with clout might thrive. The rest, not so much.
