List of Theory articles
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Visitors walk past the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 2022. Is America Now Merely the First Among Equals?
Emma Ashford on how Washington should navigate a “post-unipolar” world.
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Guterres is shown at a podium. It’s Not Too Late to Fix the U.N.
The organization’s current cash crunch is a historic opportunity for reform.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries on the sidelines of the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China, on Sept. 5, 2017. Why the Global South Won’t Give Up on China
The United States is pressuring developing countries to make a binary choice without making itself a better choice.
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us-restraint-realism-europe-military-withdrawal-mark-harris-illustration Passing the Baton in Europe
There has rarely been a safer window for the transition of security on the continent away from America.
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Shipping containers are stacked at PortMiami in Miami on July 30. How to Navigate Trump’s Tariffs
Economist Dani Rodrik on what a new global trade order could look like.
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Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (left) and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot chair a conference on Palestine and a two-state solution at the United Nations in New York City on July 29. The Two-State Solution Gets a Lifeline
A U.N. conference tries to revive hope for a way out of the Israel-Palestine conundrum.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with a group of foreign executives in Beijing on March 28. China Has Picked Its New Model Entrepreneurs
A recent meeting shows the message that Xi wants to send to private industry.
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An Iranian woman films skateboarding lessons at a park in western Tehran. The Generation Iranian Hard-Liners Have Been Waiting for
How Israel’s strikes reshaped Iran’s political future.
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Two world leaders speak underneath a replica of a clay treaty. Pharaohs, Maharajas, and the Making of a Multipolar World
Examples from non-Western history offer more promising precedents for the end of U.S. hegemony.
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Shadows of columns and people are seen in front of a large historic painting of George Washington standing before Congress. The columns obscure much of the foreground, revealing only small fragments of the painting. The Great Dismantling
It’s time to reckon with the end of the old international order—and shape a vision for a new one.
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U.S. President Donald Trump kisses Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after addressing a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025 in Washington. Why Trump Keeps Betraying His Base
The Blob is back—and other explanations for the Trump administration’s foreign-policy flip-flops.
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A mural of Trump beside a painting of a MADE IN CHINA stamp. The U.S. Can No Longer Stave Off Competition From China
Beijing dominates global trade. But it couldn’t turn that into a geopolitical advantage—until Trump 2.0.
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A Croatian flag flies during a UEFA Euro 2024 group stage match in Hamburg, Germany, on June 19, 2024. Croatia’s Quiet War in Bosnia
Zagreb’s push for segregation puts the future of democratic Bosnia at risk.
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Nehru leands back to consult with another seated delegate in a crowd of people sitting in rows. Bring Back the Spirit of Bandung
The 1955 conference’s value-based approach to international affairs offers a model for middle powers today.
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A fan of U.S. President Donald Trump adjusts a cutout of Elon Musk at a “Trump-A-Palooza” event in Brevard, North Carolina. Third Parties in America Usually Fail. Can Elon Musk Change That?
The world’s richest man takes his political evolution another step further.
