List of Theory articles
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A story in the front page of a newspaper in Tehran covers the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties on March 11, 2023. Democracies Aren’t the Peacemakers Anymore
How Washington can reclaim its diplomatic primacy in an authoritarian age.
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The blue-and-white Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate at night in Berlin. Spectators watch from the street, many holding umbrellas. How Germany Lost the Middle East
Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region.
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Opposition politician Victoire Ingabire speaks to the media outside the High Court in Kigali on March 13. Rwanda’s Undemocratic Election
An opposition candidate makes the case for letting her name appear on the ballot.
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People wearing black and holding up posters of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi mourn the death of the president at Valiasr Square in Tehran. Raisi’s Death Represents a Tipping Point for Iran
But it won’t change Tehran’s domestic or foreign policy.
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An Israeli soldier rests his head on the gun barrel of a self-propelled artillery howitzer as Israeli soldiers take positions near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 9, 2023. Why Realists Oppose the War in Gaza
If you’re surprised by the movement’s position, you never really understood it.
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BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 29: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks to the media following talks at the Chancellery on November 29, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. Scholz met with the five leaders as part of an annual, informal dialogue over the global economic situation. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images) What Biden’s New China Tariffs Mean for World Trade
“We are very concerned,” says WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
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Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni welcomes President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen before the Italy-Africa international conference 'A bridge for common growth’ at the Italian Senate in Rome on January 29, 2024. Giorgia Meloni Is Europe’s New Kingmaker
Italy’s far-right prime minister has quickly gone from fringe player to EU power broker.
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A young boy attends people in traditional Bavarian costumes attend a parade on July 8, 2018 in Murnau, Germany. Europe’s Youth Are Fueling the Far Right
The continent’s radicals are increasingly attractive far beyond their traditional pool of voters.
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A man wearing a suit raises his eyebrow as he looks toward another person seen blurred and out of focus just in front of the camera. How an Obscure General Became the Star of Italy’s Far Right
Bestselling author Roberto Vannacci is eclipsing Giorgia Meloni, but entering politics could blunt his popularity.
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Former German official Hans-Georg Maassen sits at a table as a witness during a Bundestag session. Maassen is a man in his late 50s, wearing a dark suit and a small pair of wire-frame glasses. His hands are flat on the table in front of him, and he wears a serious expression as he listens to a speaker. Germany Is Now Spying on Its Own Top Spy
Hans-Georg Maassen has a troubling relationship with the far-right—just like the agency he used to head.
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Orban stands before mics held up by journalists. Is ‘the Media’ Really Under Attack?
We need a new framework to understand how today’s autocrats control public opinion.
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Four exhaust pipe towers from a gas pipeline station release smoke into the twilight sky. How Globalization Rose and Fell With Nord Stream
The pipeline bringing Russian gas to Europe was once seen as a triumph for borderless business—but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine put an end to that fantasy.
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Workers at a construction site of the new administrative capital of Egypt, an unfinished skyscraper is in the background. A Tale of Two Megalopolises
What new cities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt tell us about their autocrats.
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Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort during the celebrations to mark countrys Independence Day in New Delhi on August 15, 2022. - India marked the 75th anniversary of independence on August 15 with Modi giving a speech from Delhi's historic Red Fort, hung with freedom fighters' pictures and guarded by robot elephants. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP) (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images) Why Modi Is So Popular
Soon likely to win a third term, India’s prime minister has shaped the country in profound ways.
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A woman wearing a dress with floral details and loose sleeves looks straight ahead. She is flanked by flags and statues of large cats in the background. ‘The Regime’ Misunderstands Autocracy
HBO’s new miniseries displays an undeniably American nonchalance toward power.
