List of Theory articles
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Two men pose in front of a brown sculpture of a headless Mao Zedong kneeling with one hand over his heart. The man on the left holds the sculpted severed head of Mao. The man on the right leans against the statue’s base and smokes a cigarette. China Is Stamping Out Dissident Art
Curators, painters, and performers are facing jail or exile.
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Two Chinese generals in formal uniforms decorated with awards and honors sit behind a large wooden desk during a meeting. Both men wear serious expressions; the one on the left has his hand lifted to his face. Why Are China’s Generals So Quiet as Xi Purges Them?
The PLA is a politically neutered army.
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks during the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 26. China’s Global Initiatives Are Worth Taking Seriously
Beijing’s latest policy is vague but still important.
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Dewy sits at a desk, before a sign that reads: "CRUSADE FOR FREEDOM: SEND A MESSAGE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN." Behind him is also a map of the Eastern Bloc with an image of the Statue of Liberty. We’ve Forgotten What ‘Soft Power’ Is
Internationalists are mourning the loss of soft power. Do they even know what that means anymore?
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Two women pose for selfies outside a fast-food restaurant in the athletes village of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic games in Gangneung on February 8, 2018. Democratic Peace Theory, R.I.P.
The rise, and potential fall, of a mainstay academic theory.
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An. illustration shows the back of a pickup laden with durian. One is cracked open with an odor waft coming out of it toward a Chinese flag at left. Palm trees frame the scene. The truck plate says Bangkok in Thai lettering. The Rise of Durian Diplomacy
In Asia, soft power rests on a divisive, spiky fruit.
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The Life and Thought of Alexandre Kojève, Marco Filoni, trans. David Broder, Northwestern University Press, 280 pp., $38, July 2025 The Forgotten Beginning of the End of History
Alexandre Kojève was one of the most influential 20th-century thinkers. How can we make sense of him today?
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Donald Trump points with his right hand. The U.S. Is in a ‘Particularly Authoritarian’ Moment
Trump is treating the military like a “private army,” political scientist Nicholas Grossman warns.
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Luca Marinelli as Benito Mussolini in a film still. Mussolini, the Rock Star Antihero
A new historical drama chronicles the birth of fascism as seen through the eyes of Il Duce himself.
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Russian flags fly above the graves of Russian soldiers Russia’s Next Opposition Will Not Be Liberal
Army corruption and mass death are breeding new dissent—deep inside Vladimir Putin’s loyal core.
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An aerial view of the Krome Detention Center in Miami, which shows several buildings and people in orange clothing. Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression
Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.
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A Chinese soldier stands at attention in the foreground, facing away from the camera. In the background are armored vehicles in front of a government building in Tiananmen Square. Civilian Tech Is Powering China’s Military
Beijing’s gains could eventually erode Washington’s battlefield advantage.
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A woman in a red face mask and a coat over a red hoodie stands on a sidewalk, holding a laptop and speaking on her phone. Cars drive past behind her, with a suitcase and an international airport visible in the background. Putin vs. the Press
You’d have to be fearless or a fanatic to persist in journalism in Russia. These women are both.
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Bill Clinton looks up as he speaks in front of a WTO globe backdrop. Is Globalization a Lost Cause?
How an idea that promised a brave new world seemingly delivered dystopia instead.
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Five Japanese officials stand side by side on a stage. The four men wear black suits with white shirts and ties; the sole woman wears a blue pantsuit. Three of the officials lean close to speak to one another, pointing at something in the crowd off camera. As Another Leadership Election Looms, Japan’s Real Bosses Take Stock
Nominal leaders are secondary to party power—but the system’s looking shaky.
