Stop Worrying About Chinese Hegemony in Asia
U.S. fears are not only irrational—they’re a potential self-fulfilling prophecy.
List of Political Science articles
![A preservationist cleans around a painting of the Founding Fathers at the U.S. Capitol.]()
A preservationist cleans around a painting of the Founding Fathers at the U.S. Capitol.
Party Animals
New books assessing democracy suggest how to fix things—but it’s complicated.
![A Long March 2F rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for China's first crewed mission to its new space station, sits on a launch pad encased in a shield, behind the Chinese characters for China, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in northwestern China on June 16.]()
A Long March 2F rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for China's first crewed mission to its new space station, sits on a launch pad encased in a shield, behind the Chinese characters for China, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in northwestern China on June 16.
Why Do Analysts Keep Talking Nonsense About Chinese Words?
Mistaken notions of how characters work produce bad takes.
![Journalists and guests look on as a screen displays a part of the commissioned video installation "I Saw The World End" by Artists Es Devlin and Machiko Weston at the Imperial War Museum in London on Aug. 6, 2020.]()
Journalists and guests look on as a screen displays a part of the commissioned video installation "I Saw The World End" by Artists Es Devlin and Machiko Weston at the Imperial War Museum in London on Aug. 6, 2020.
Political Science Has Its Own Lab Leaks
When ideas get out from academia into the wild, they can be surprisingly dangerous.
![A national flag show is seen at Chaoyang park in Beijing on Sept. 30, 2006.]()
A national flag show is seen at Chaoyang park in Beijing on Sept. 30, 2006.
The Power of Narrative
A new book explains why some nations rise and others don’t.
![U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington on Feb. 4.]()
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington on Feb. 4.
China Wants a ‘Rules-Based International Order,’ Too
The question is who gets to write the codes—and whether the United States will live up to its own.
![People take a picture with a gold statue of former President Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 27.]()
People take a picture with a gold statue of former President Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 27.
All Politics Is Personalized
Around the world, political leaders have amassed power by weakening their parties, and democracy may never recover.
![Francis Fukuyama, philosopher, economist and researcher in American Political Science, photographed in Paris (Photo by Stephane GRANGIER/Corbis via Getty Images)]()
Francis Fukuyama, philosopher, economist and researcher in American Political Science, photographed in Paris (Photo by Stephane GRANGIER/Corbis via Getty Images)
Fukuyama: Expect More Violence Before America Returns to Sanity
The famed political philosopher still believes in democracy’s ultimate triumph but says the “end of history” has been sidetracked by unforeseen forces.
![Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti speaks with an aide after signing an agreement on opening economic relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the White House on Sept. 4.]()
Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti speaks with an aide after signing an agreement on opening economic relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the White House on Sept. 4.
Our Top Weekend Reads
An interview with Kosovo’s prime minister, how Myanmar can avoid a public health disaster in the conflict-torn state of Rakhine, and the case for reassessing Voltaire’s legacy.
![Demonstrators gather on 16th Street across from Lafayette Park while protesting peacefully against police brutality and racism on June 6 in Washington, DC.]()
Demonstrators gather on 16th Street across from Lafayette Park while protesting peacefully against police brutality and racism on June 6 in Washington, DC.
Why Protests Threaten Dictatorships but Make Democracies Stronger
Democracies have greater legitimacy because citizens largely support the system and its institutions. Dictatorships rely on performance—and they fail when they don’t produce results.
![Coal heavers wear sandwich boards to protest against low wages in 1921.]()
Coal heavers wear sandwich boards to protest against low wages in 1921.
When Everything Is a Crisis, Nothing Is
Invoking crisis is a favorite tactic of dictators—and widespread misuse of the word robs it of its power.
![The campus of Georgetown University is seen nearly empty as classes were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Washington May 7.]()
The campus of Georgetown University is seen nearly empty as classes were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Washington May 7.
How to Rethink the Teaching of International Relations
As universities struggle to respond to the ongoing pandemic, here’s what they should focus on.
![Foreign Policy illustration/Zach Gibson/Dominique Berretty/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images]()
Foreign Policy illustration/Zach Gibson/Dominique Berretty/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Make America Existentialist Again
French philosophy came to define the postwar era. As U.S. politics get ever more absurd, it’s time for a comeback.
![The political theorist and historian Isaiah Berlin on Oct. 23, 1992. (Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images)]()
The political theorist and historian Isaiah Berlin on Oct. 23, 1992. (Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images)
We Are All Isaiah Berliners Now
Nationalism is back, but nobody seems to know what it means. A forgotten essay marking its 40th anniversary can help.
![Simone Weil's pass, when she worked for the French resistance. (Photo12/UIG via Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration)]()
Simone Weil's pass, when she worked for the French resistance. (Photo12/UIG via Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration)
France’s Far-Right Claims a Left-Anarchist Martyr as Its Own
Why French conservatives' new favorite philosopher is Simone Weil.
![delphi]()
delphi
Edgar on Strategy (III): A good strategy rests atop solid philosophical foundations
Political philosophy provides a foundation from which we can imagine and discuss strategy productively.
![hajek_jeffries2]()
hajek_jeffries2
German Philosophy Has Finally Gone Viral. Will That Be Its Undoing?
A new generation of rockstar philosophers are taking the discipline to the masses. But their TED Talks, TV shows, and best-sellers might be ruining it forever.
![A woman and baby wearing face masks walk in the Forbidden City during heavy pollution in Beijing on February 28, 2013. Beijing residents were urged to stay indoors as pollution levels soared before a sandstorm brought further misery to China's capital. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)]()
A woman and baby wearing face masks walk in the Forbidden City during heavy pollution in Beijing on February 28, 2013. Beijing residents were urged to stay indoors as pollution levels soared before a sandstorm brought further misery to China's capital. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)
As Environmental Catastrophe Looms, Is it Ethical to Have Children?
Two philosophers discuss the morality of family planning in the age of climate change.
![XXX during the 21st party congress of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU) on December 4, 2007 in Hanover, Germany. The delegates passed a new basic policy program to last the party for the upcoming 10 to 15 years.]()
XXX during the 21st party congress of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU) on December 4, 2007 in Hanover, Germany. The delegates passed a new basic policy program to last the party for the upcoming 10 to 15 years.
Pessimism Is Europe’s Only Hope
On its 60th anniversary, a troubled EU should take inspiration from one of its greatest inheritances: gloomy German philosophy.
![novak]()
novak
Remembering Michael Novak
Last Friday we lost one of our most luminescent, brilliant minds when Michael Novak died after 83 years.
![WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 02: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks to employees upon his arrival at the State Department, on February 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. Last night Tillerson was sworn in after confirmation by the U.S. Senate. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)]()
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 02: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks to employees upon his arrival at the State Department, on February 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. Last night Tillerson was sworn in after confirmation by the U.S. Senate. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Security, and 3 Other Tips for Tillerson
A few notes on the new secretary of state’s first speech to his new employees.
Party Animals
New books assessing democracy suggest how to fix things—but it’s complicated.
Why Do Analysts Keep Talking Nonsense About Chinese Words?
Mistaken notions of how characters work produce bad takes.
Political Science Has Its Own Lab Leaks
When ideas get out from academia into the wild, they can be surprisingly dangerous.
The Power of Narrative
A new book explains why some nations rise and others don’t.
China Wants a ‘Rules-Based International Order,’ Too
The question is who gets to write the codes—and whether the United States will live up to its own.
All Politics Is Personalized
Around the world, political leaders have amassed power by weakening their parties, and democracy may never recover.
Fukuyama: Expect More Violence Before America Returns to Sanity
The famed political philosopher still believes in democracy’s ultimate triumph but says the “end of history” has been sidetracked by unforeseen forces.
Our Top Weekend Reads
An interview with Kosovo’s prime minister, how Myanmar can avoid a public health disaster in the conflict-torn state of Rakhine, and the case for reassessing Voltaire’s legacy.
Why Protests Threaten Dictatorships but Make Democracies Stronger
Democracies have greater legitimacy because citizens largely support the system and its institutions. Dictatorships rely on performance—and they fail when they don’t produce results.
When Everything Is a Crisis, Nothing Is
Invoking crisis is a favorite tactic of dictators—and widespread misuse of the word robs it of its power.
How to Rethink the Teaching of International Relations
As universities struggle to respond to the ongoing pandemic, here’s what they should focus on.
Make America Existentialist Again
French philosophy came to define the postwar era. As U.S. politics get ever more absurd, it’s time for a comeback.
We Are All Isaiah Berliners Now
Nationalism is back, but nobody seems to know what it means. A forgotten essay marking its 40th anniversary can help.
France’s Far-Right Claims a Left-Anarchist Martyr as Its Own
Why French conservatives' new favorite philosopher is Simone Weil.
Edgar on Strategy (III): A good strategy rests atop solid philosophical foundations
Political philosophy provides a foundation from which we can imagine and discuss strategy productively.
German Philosophy Has Finally Gone Viral. Will That Be Its Undoing?
A new generation of rockstar philosophers are taking the discipline to the masses. But their TED Talks, TV shows, and best-sellers might be ruining it forever.
As Environmental Catastrophe Looms, Is it Ethical to Have Children?
Two philosophers discuss the morality of family planning in the age of climate change.
Pessimism Is Europe’s Only Hope
On its 60th anniversary, a troubled EU should take inspiration from one of its greatest inheritances: gloomy German philosophy.
Remembering Michael Novak
Last Friday we lost one of our most luminescent, brilliant minds when Michael Novak died after 83 years.
There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Security, and 3 Other Tips for Tillerson
A few notes on the new secretary of state’s first speech to his new employees.
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