About Shadow Government
Shadow Government is a blog about U.S. foreign policy in the age of Trump, written by experienced policymakers, scholars, and practitioners from the loyal Democrat opposition. It is co-edited by Derek Chollet, Colin Kahl, and Julie Smith.
Putin Is Following the Game Plan of Other Autocrats Before Him
And moves like his Jan. 15 announcement generally work—both to secure a leader’s power and ensure a favorable transition down the road.
Trump Has Made Sanctions a Path to Strikes
Economic measures can de-escalate tensions, but not if used crudely.
Praise for the Suleimani Strike Isn’t Based in Reality
The ideological architects of one of the United States’ most disastrous foreign-policy decisions—the 2003 invasion of Iraq—are spinning a tale to support Trump’s most dangerous move to date.
Trump Is Playing With Fire in the Middle East
The U.S. president may claim that the strike on Iran’s Suleimani was meant to “stop a war,” yet it will do anything but.
The U.S.-Chinese Trade War Just Entered Phase 2
Its next chapter will be fought through export and import controls, investment restrictions, and sanctions—and the United States should prepare itself now.
The United States Can Offer the People of Lebanon and Iraq Something Tehran Can’t
Protesters in Iraq and Lebanon are rising up against Iranian influence, sectarianism, and corruption. The U.S. Congress should offer conditional aid that forces governments to respond to their citizens’ grievances.
A U.S. Withdrawal Will Cause a Power Struggle in the Middle East
Washington could find itself fighting its way back into the region for the first time since World War II.
NATO Is Struggling Under Trans-Atlantic Tensions
After this week’s summit, members must keep turmoil in the political side of the alliance from undermining its military purpose.
Praising U.S. Diplomats for Their Testimony Is Not Enough
State Department officials who find themselves wrapped up in the Trump impeachment inquiry will need public support for years to come.
Galleries
A Week in World Photos
Protests in Lebanon and Chile, cleanup in the Philippines and Puerto Rico, and impeachment in the United States.
Otherworldly Photos of the Australian Bushfires
Deadly blazes have swept the country amid record heat, killing more than 20 people and millions of animals and leaving behind a charred, apocalyptic landscape.
In the Magazine
In the Magazine
Can Social Democrats Save the World (Again)?
Communism and democratic socialism won’t heal today’s political divisions. But social democracy—which helped ward off extremism following World War II—could.
Why Socialism Won’t Work
Capitalism is still the best way to handle risk and boost innovation and productivity.
How Climate Change Has Supercharged the Left
Global warming could launch socialists to unprecedented power—and expose their movement’s deepest contradictions.
Why the Berlin Wall Still Matters
Fragments of the wall have become museum pieces. But with the rise of extremist parties in Germany, the debate over the barrier’s legacy is anything but history.