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Demography

Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran.
Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran.

Meet Iran’s Gen Z: the Driving Force Behind the Protests

They’re shaking up the aging clerical establishment to a degree not seen since the 1979 revolution.

Feature |
Holly Dagres
An American flag billows in the wind as immigrants stand and take the oath of allegiance to the United States during a naturalization ceremony at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Sept. 15, 2017.
An American flag billows in the wind as immigrants stand and take the oath of allegiance to the United States during a naturalization ceremony at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Sept. 15, 2017.

America Needs a Great Opening

Why Washington should focus on recruiting the best talent from around the world.

Argument |
Gregory J. Fleming
A group of older Chinese adults sits on a bench outside chatting.
A group of older Chinese adults sits on a bench outside chatting.

A Shrinking China Can’t Overtake America

But if U.S. democracy continues to decay, what’s the point of being on top?

Argument |
Howard W. French
Former residents evicted from a crowded Lagos shantytown stand on a flotilla of boats.
Former residents evicted from a crowded Lagos shantytown stand on a flotilla of boats.

It’s Africa’s Century—for Better or Worse

Asia gets the attention, but the real economic revolution is the inevitable growth of an overlooked continent.

Review |
Adam Tooze
Four young Black men sit on the side of a rode with their suitcases.
Four young Black men sit on the side of a rode with their suitcases.

Treating Migration as a Crisis Is a Missed Opportunity

Racism is keeping rich societies from benefitting from increased migration.

Argument |
Howard W. French
Hands are shown holding a small U.S. Flag and a folder that says "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services."
Hands are shown holding a small U.S. Flag and a folder that says "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services."

What Happens When White People Become a Minority in America?

Other majority-minority societies offer positive examples—and cautionary tales.

Excerpt |
Justin Gest
Russian military cadets walk in Moscow.
Russian military cadets walk in Moscow.

Russia Doesn’t Have the Demographics for War

The 1990s collapse in birth rates still impacts Moscow’s ambitions.

Argument |
Brent Peabody
King Abdullah of Jordan arrives for his meeting with Austrian chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Oct. 25 in Vienna, Austria.
King Abdullah of Jordan arrives for his meeting with Austrian chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Oct. 25 in Vienna, Austria.

Why Jordan Will Not Reannex the West Bank

An FP essay provoked a strong response because it brought international attention to a controversial issue that has historically only been debated internally.

Response |
Michael Sharnoff
People attend a naturalization ceremony.
People attend a naturalization ceremony.

The U.S. Is Still Beating China in Human Capital—For Now

Washington could lose its unique talent advantages unless it pushes reform.

Argument |
Ryan Hass, Jude Blanchette
BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 19: A Chinese couple wear protective masks as they push their child on a scooter outside the Forbidden City, which remains closed to visitors, on April 19, 2020 in Beijing, China. After decades of growth, officials said China's economy had shrunk in the latest quarter due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic. The slump in the world's second largest economy is regarded as a sign of difficult times ahead for the global economy. While industrial sectors in China are showing signs of reviving production, a majority of private companies are operating at only 50% capacity, according to analysts. With the pandemic hitting hard across the world, officially the number of coronavirus cases in China is dwindling, ever since the government imposed sweeping measures to keep the disease from spreading. Officials believe the worst appears to be over in China, though there are concerns of another wave of infections as the government attempts to reboot the world's second largest economy. Since January, China has recorded more than 83,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 4,500 deaths, mostly in and around the city of Wuhan, in central Hubei province, where the outbreak first started. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 19: A Chinese couple wear protective masks as they push their child on a scooter outside the Forbidden City, which remains closed to visitors, on April 19, 2020 in Beijing, China. After decades of growth, officials said China's economy had shrunk in the latest quarter due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic. The slump in the world's second largest economy is regarded as a sign of difficult times ahead for the global economy. While industrial sectors in China are showing signs of reviving production, a majority of private companies are operating at only 50% capacity, according to analysts. With the pandemic hitting hard across the world, officially the number of coronavirus cases in China is dwindling, ever since the government imposed sweeping measures to keep the disease from spreading. Officials believe the worst appears to be over in China, though there are concerns of another wave of infections as the government attempts to reboot the world's second largest economy. Since January, China has recorded more than 83,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 4,500 deaths, mostly in and around the city of Wuhan, in central Hubei province, where the outbreak first started. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

China’s Generation of Only Children Wants the Same for Their Kids

The one-child policy left a permanent impression on family life and depresses fertility rates even today.

Argument |
Helen Gao
Commuters head to the subway in Beijing
Commuters head to the subway in Beijing

China’s Sham Meritocracy Has Created a Burned-Out Generation

As the government pushes productivity, young Chinese are embracing cynicism.

Argument |
Helen Gao
Students gather in an amphitheater at the Université Thomas Sankara near Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso on Oct. 15.
Students gather in an amphitheater at the Université Thomas Sankara near Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso on Oct. 15.

Africa’s Youth Unemployment Crisis Is a Global Problem

Governments and donors must stop focusing solely on skills development and entrepreneurship—or risk more youth migration, unrest, and terrorism.

Analysis |
Audrey Donkor
Staff at the KL Fertility Centre demonstrate the egg freezing procedure for members of the media in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 11. A growing number of women in Singapore are traveling overseas to clinics such as this one to freeze their eggs.
Staff at the KL Fertility Centre demonstrate the egg freezing procedure for members of the media in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 11. A growing number of women in Singapore are traveling overseas to clinics such as this one to freeze their eggs.

Why Does the Singaporean Government Care About Egg Freezing?

The city-state’s ban on the procedure is making its demographic problems worse.

Argument |
Samantha HuiQi Yow
Jordanian King Abdullah I in Jerusalem in 1948.
Jordanian King Abdullah I in Jerusalem in 1948.

Unite Jordan and Palestine—Again

Amman should reannex the West Bank to end Israel’s illegal occupation, bring peace and prosperity, and give Palestinians democratic rights.

Argument |
Hasan Ismaik
עבדאללה הראשון, מלך ירדן (במרכז) מול כיפת הסלע בירושלים, 17 ביוני 1948.
עבדאללה הראשון, מלך ירדן (במרכז) מול כיפת הסלע בירושלים, 17 ביוני 1948.

לאחד מחדש את ירדן ופלסטין

עמאן צריכה לספח את הגדה המערבית ועזה לירדן - כדי לשים סוף לכיבוש הישראלי הבלתי חוקי, להביא שלום ושגשוג ולהעניק זכויות דמוקרטיות לפלסטינים.

Argument |
Hasan Ismaik
hebrew-king-abdullah1
hebrew-king-abdullah1

وحدوا الأردن وفلسطين – مرة أخرى

على عمان أن تضم الضفة الغربية مرة أخرى من أجل إنهاء الاحتلال الإسرائيلي غير الشرعي ، وتحقيق السلام والازدهار ، ومنح الفلسطينيين حقوقهم الديمقراطية

Argument |
Hasan Ismaik
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard as voters wait to cast their ballots during the second phase of the District Development Council (DDC) and Panchayat by-elections at a polling station in Indian-administered Kashmir's Bandipora district on Dec. 1, 2020.
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard as voters wait to cast their ballots during the second phase of the District Development Council (DDC) and Panchayat by-elections at a polling station in Indian-administered Kashmir's Bandipora district on Dec. 1, 2020.

Modi Is Trying to Engineer a Hindu Majority in Kashmir

Under the smokescreen of electoral redistricting, New Delhi is using gerrymandering to politically neuter the region’s Muslim majority.

Argument |
Kaisar Andrabi, Zubair Amin
A woman holding a baby and leaflets visits a real estate fair in Chengdu, China, on April 21, 2005.
A woman holding a baby and leaflets visits a real estate fair in Chengdu, China, on April 21, 2005.

With Three-Child Policy, China Is Missing the Point

To really boost birthrates, Beijing needs to focus on gender parity and cost of living.

Argument |
Brian Y.S. Wong
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