List of Theory articles
-
Donald Trump in a suit lifts a fist as he stands in the shadows. Why Are We Surprised by the Trump-Putin Alliance?
MAGA’s ideology aligns more closely with authoritarianism than liberal democracy.
-
Trump stands at a podium with both arms outstretched and his hands open as he speaks. He wears a dark suit and a bright red tie. Trump Is Trying to Remake the United Nations
Washington has signaled that it wants the international body to focus on preserving peace, but it could be looking to rubber-stamp its bilateral priorities.
-
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena on November 5, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Trump’s Concert of Kingpins Won’t Work
A globe carved up by strongmen isn’t any world order at all.
-
A woman raises one fist as she speaks from behind a lectern. At left are two German flags and the logos of the AfD on a backdrop behind her. The AfD Is Now Germany’s Mainstream
How the radical far-right party became the leader of the country’s opposition.
-
A seated man wearing glasses and a suit. Samuel Huntington Is Getting His Revenge
The idea of a global “clash of civilizations” wasn’t wrong—it was just premature.
-
Marine Le Pen, Tomio Okamura, and Geert Wilders on April 25, 2019 in Prague. Trump Is Rattling Europe’s Far Right
The new U.S. president’s agenda has been complicated for his ideological allies abroad.
-
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smiles during her annual press conference in Rome on January 9, 2025. Italy Is Trump’s New Bridge to Europe
Giorgia Meloni wants to be Europe’s top transatlantic leader for the Trump era.
-
Donald Trump holds a media conference announcing the establishment of Trump University May 23, 2005 in New York City. Trump University will consist of on-line courses, CD-Roms and other learning programs for business professionals. What IR Theory Predicts About Trump 2.0
An academic assessment of the U.S. president’s foreign-policy revolution.
-
Rectangular strips of white paper with numbers on them hang vertically. Don’t Let Autocrats Erase the Internet
Preserving digital archives is a crucial weapon in discrediting and defeating authoritarian regimes.
-
A Chinese-made J-15T carrier-borne fighter jet is seen during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in southern China's Guangdong province, on Nov. 15, 2024. What China’s New Fighter Jet Really Signals
States often reveal a new weapon of war during peacetime to substitute for more direct military confrontations.
-
Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attend a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Hanoi on Dec. 12, 2023. Vietnam Wants U.S. Help at Sea and Chinese Help at Home
Washington shouldn’t overestimate its influence in Hanoi.
-
A refugee from the war in Sudan carries her belongings after arriving at a transit center for refugees in South Sudan on Feb. 13, 2024. Can the World Do Anything About Conflict in 2025?
A conversation with the International Crisis Group’s Comfort Ero.
-
Justin Trudeau is seen silhouetted in profile as he strides through a dim room. Behind him are long curtains, one red surrounded by two white ones. Trudeau is positioned in front of the red one as he walks. Trudeau’s Long Premiership Was Hollow at the Core
The Canadian PM promised much and delivered little.
-
An illustrations shows the silhouette of Donald Trump with a face filled with pricetags. Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World
Countries and companies with clout might thrive. The rest, not so much.
-
An illustration shows a wall made up of stacked shipping containers with a line of immigrants peering up at it from below. Isolationism Won’t Make Anyone Great Again
The world will come together once it realizes fragmentation makes everyone poorer.
