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List of Theory articles
![A man rides a unicycle past a house decorated with a mural that depicts members of the Russian Patriotic Youth movement Yunarmiya in Moscow in 2022. The painted children wear red berets and tan uniforms. One has her hand to her forehead in a military salute.]()
A man rides a unicycle past a house decorated with a mural that depicts members of the Russian Patriotic Youth movement Yunarmiya in Moscow in 2022. The painted children wear red berets and tan uniforms. One has her hand to her forehead in a military salute.
What’s Going on Inside Putin’s Russia?
Deciphering Moscow’s domestic politics.
![Maduro and Lula embrace.]()
Maduro and Lula embrace.
South American Presidents Come to Lula’s Party, but Check His Leadership
In Brasília, leaders weighed how to make continental cooperation more durable after a past attempt sputtered.
![People celebrate in front of a billboard showing Erdogan's face next to a campaign slogan in Turkish.]()
People celebrate in front of a billboard showing Erdogan's face next to a campaign slogan in Turkish.
Erdogan Won by Exploiting Fear
In the midst of uncertainty, people stick with the devil they know.
![A visitor looks at a lighted map of Chinese pipelines at the China International Energy Saving, Emissions Reduction, and New Energy Science & Technology Expo in Beijing.]()
A visitor looks at a lighted map of Chinese pipelines at the China International Energy Saving, Emissions Reduction, and New Energy Science & Technology Expo in Beijing.
Stop Worrying About Chinese Hegemony in Asia
U.S. fears are not only irrational—they’re a potential self-fulfilling prophecy.
![Riot police disperse protesters with tear gas after the outlawed opposition group, The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), called for protests against the ruling Junta in Conakry on October 20, 2022.]()
Riot police disperse protesters with tear gas after the outlawed opposition group, The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), called for protests against the ruling Junta in Conakry on October 20, 2022.
Guinea Cracks Down on Protesters
After promising democratic reforms, the junta is attacking the press and opposition.
![An illustration depicts nobleman Cesare Borgia seated with Niccolò Machiavelli, dated 1898.]()
An illustration depicts nobleman Cesare Borgia seated with Niccolò Machiavelli, dated 1898.
Machiavelli Preferred Democracy to Tyranny
The theorist’s magnum opus wasn’t a blueprint for dictators—it was an ode to institutional constraints on leaders.
![Erdogan Bey, a 70-year-old man wearing a black pinstriped suit and sunglasses, sits on a stool under an umbrella for shade. The Turkish flag hangs from a garage door behind his back.]()
Erdogan Bey, a 70-year-old man wearing a black pinstriped suit and sunglasses, sits on a stool under an umbrella for shade. The Turkish flag hangs from a garage door behind his back.
How Erdogan’s Supporters Are Thinking About the Runoffs
As Turkey's centennial nears, its founding secularism may no longer be in fashion—but nationalism is.
![A closeup photo shows Xi and Biden standing next to each other and smiling at each other with a Chinese flag in the background.]()
A closeup photo shows Xi and Biden standing next to each other and smiling at each other with a Chinese flag in the background.
Is the Biden Administration Going Soft on China?
A policy shift toward economic engagement with Beijing seems to be underway in the White House.
![Children attend an official initiation ceremony for the youth organization Young Pioneers in Moscow's Red Square.]()
Children attend an official initiation ceremony for the youth organization Young Pioneers in Moscow's Red Square.
Russia’s Frighteningly Fascist Youth
A new generation of Russians glorifies war, death, and Vladimir Putin.
![Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stands behind a podium in front of a sign that says "CPAC Hungary" during a conference session in Budapest.]()
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stands behind a podium in front of a sign that says "CPAC Hungary" during a conference session in Budapest.
Hungary’s Plan to Build an Army of U.S. Intellectuals
Viktor Orban has put billions of dollars behind a soft-power strategy focused on attracting conservative American thinkers.
![A man walks outside between two walls formed by tall, white stacks of cotton bales that tower over him.]()
A man walks outside between two walls formed by tall, white stacks of cotton bales that tower over him.
How Beijing Forces Uyghurs to Pick Cotton
Coercive labor is getting less visible, but more intense.
![A target depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin is riddled with bullet holes in a shooting range in Lviv, Ukraine, on Feb. 18, 2022.]()
A target depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin is riddled with bullet holes in a shooting range in Lviv, Ukraine, on Feb. 18, 2022.
Russian Guerrillas Are Trying to Violently Overthrow Putin
The Russian president faces a growing threat from his own citizens.
![Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar participates in a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Benaulim, India, on May 5.]()
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar participates in a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Benaulim, India, on May 5.
China’s Meeting of the Minds Is Little Talk and No Action
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation likes to think of itself as an alternative to the United Nations, but it’s even less effective.
![Escobar and Vucic sit in chairs side by side facing each other flanked by the flags of their respective countries.]()
Escobar and Vucic sit in chairs side by side facing each other flanked by the flags of their respective countries.
How Biden Lost the Balkans
The United States has deepened its commitments to Serbia’s near-autocratic president and reoriented its regional posture to center Belgrade’s foreign-policy priorities.
![A man passes billboards of Nigerian films at a movie theater in Lagos on Feb. 19, 2019.]()
A man passes billboards of Nigerian films at a movie theater in Lagos on Feb. 19, 2019.
The Problem With Comparing Africa to Asia
Greater ethnic diversity, debt burdens, and democratized politics have complicated Africa’s path to development.
![A Congolese boy looks up toward a sign advertising a commercial center selling Chinese products in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Nov. 3, 2006.]()
A Congolese boy looks up toward a sign advertising a commercial center selling Chinese products in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Nov. 3, 2006.
Are China and Russia Bad for Africa? That’s the Wrong Question.
Westerners should ask instead what kind of partnerships their own countries offer to the continent.
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What’s Going on Inside Putin’s Russia?
Deciphering Moscow’s domestic politics.
South American Presidents Come to Lula’s Party, but Check His Leadership
In Brasília, leaders weighed how to make continental cooperation more durable after a past attempt sputtered.
Erdogan Won by Exploiting Fear
In the midst of uncertainty, people stick with the devil they know.
Stop Worrying About Chinese Hegemony in Asia
U.S. fears are not only irrational—they’re a potential self-fulfilling prophecy.
Guinea Cracks Down on Protesters
After promising democratic reforms, the junta is attacking the press and opposition.
Machiavelli Preferred Democracy to Tyranny
The theorist’s magnum opus wasn’t a blueprint for dictators—it was an ode to institutional constraints on leaders.
How Erdogan’s Supporters Are Thinking About the Runoffs
As Turkey's centennial nears, its founding secularism may no longer be in fashion—but nationalism is.
Is the Biden Administration Going Soft on China?
A policy shift toward economic engagement with Beijing seems to be underway in the White House.
Russia’s Frighteningly Fascist Youth
A new generation of Russians glorifies war, death, and Vladimir Putin.
Hungary’s Plan to Build an Army of U.S. Intellectuals
Viktor Orban has put billions of dollars behind a soft-power strategy focused on attracting conservative American thinkers.
How Beijing Forces Uyghurs to Pick Cotton
Coercive labor is getting less visible, but more intense.
Russian Guerrillas Are Trying to Violently Overthrow Putin
The Russian president faces a growing threat from his own citizens.
China’s Meeting of the Minds Is Little Talk and No Action
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation likes to think of itself as an alternative to the United Nations, but it’s even less effective.
How Biden Lost the Balkans
The United States has deepened its commitments to Serbia’s near-autocratic president and reoriented its regional posture to center Belgrade’s foreign-policy priorities.
The Problem With Comparing Africa to Asia
Greater ethnic diversity, debt burdens, and democratized politics have complicated Africa’s path to development.
Are China and Russia Bad for Africa? That’s the Wrong Question.
Westerners should ask instead what kind of partnerships their own countries offer to the continent.
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