List of Theory articles
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Yasir al-Rumayyan, head of the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, look on from the second tee prior to the LIV Golf Invitational-Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 28. The Battle for the Soul of Golf
A Saudi-sponsored tournament shows why China and other rising powers will struggle to replace established global institutions with their own.
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Supporters cheer in front of an image of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan What’s New About the New Authoritarianism?
Three recent books tackle how threats to democracy have shifted in the 21st century.
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A billboard depicting Tunisian President Kais Saied hangs on the side of a building in the east-central city of Kairouan, on July 26. Democracy Fades in the Arab Spring’s Success Story
Few restraints remain for Tunisian strongman Kais Saied after his constitutional referendum passed overwhelmingly and opposition parties boycotted the vote.
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U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 16. The Old Human Rights Playbook Won’t Work Anymore
As Biden’s Saudi visit showed, state-to-state shaming isn’t the only way to shift the calculus of authoritarian rulers who abuse their citizens.
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Protesters attend a rally backing the Senegalese opposition in Dakar, on June 8. Senegal’s Democratic Backsliding Is a Threat to African Democracy
A constitutional coup in a country that has long been a beacon for freedom would encourage authoritarians across the continent.
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A photo taken on October 21, 2020 shows a tourist walking past a mural painted on a wall on Taiwan's Kinmen islands, which lie just two miles from mainland China's coast. What Does the Pelosi Taiwan Uproar Mean for U.S. China Policy?
The controversy over Nancy Pelosi’s proposed trip highlights the contradictions of U.S. policy toward the island.
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A group of older Chinese adults sits on a bench outside chatting. A Shrinking China Can’t Overtake America
But if U.S. democracy continues to decay, what’s the point of being on top?
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Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, speaks to the press after a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome on April 4, 2018. Populists at the Gates
With Mario Draghi on his way out, Europe braces for the most radical right-wing government in Italy’s republican history.
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A woman walks past a television screen showing a news broadcast with footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on Jan. 20, after North Korea hinted it could resume nuclear and long-range weapons tests. Does Anyone Still Understand the ‘Security Dilemma’?
A bit of classic IR theory goes a long way toward explaining vexing global problems.
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Putin, Raisi, and Erdogan clasp each others' hands in a line facing toward the camera. Russia Still Has Willing Partners in the Middle East
Despite Moscow’s military shortcomings and Western efforts to make it an international pariah, Vladimir Putin remains a capable player in the region.
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Xi and Salman walk side by side, both waving. China Won’t Replace the U.S. in the Middle East
Beijing remains uninterested in choosing sides in the region’s ongoing power games.
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Protesters shout slogans during an ongoing anti-government demonstration near the president’s office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 19. Sri Lanka’s Road to Ruin Was Political, Not Economic
The proximate cause for the protests is inflation, but the roots are in Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.
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Modi stands alone in front of carpeted steps looking thoughtfully toward flags of India and Japan. Cold War 2.0 Is Ushering In Nonalignment 2.0
Countries in the developing world don’t want to choose sides—and don’t feel they have to.
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From left to right, front to back row: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, and Liberian President George Weah attend a group photo session during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2018. What the U.S. Still Doesn’t Get About Countering China
Self-interest, not altruism, is driving Beijing to invest in the global south.
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A US-made CH-47 helicopter flies an 18-meter by 12-meter national flag at a military base in Taoyuan on September 28, 2021. The Real Stakes of Taiwan
It’s not about democracy. It’s about power.
