U.S. Government

List of U.S. Government articles

U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.
U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.

How to Talk About China Without Talking About China

Team Biden’s split-screen messaging on China at home versus abroad may pay off.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Marathon County Lincoln Day Dinner annual fundraiser in Rothschild, Wisconsin, on May 06, 2023.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Marathon County Lincoln Day Dinner annual fundraiser in Rothschild, Wisconsin, on May 06, 2023.

Republican Foreign Policy vs. Everybody

The 2024 hopefuls are taking on all comers: China, the “woke mob,” and the alleged “deep state.”

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.

A U.S. Navy officer patrols the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship docked in Gdynia, Poland, on Sept. 17, 2022.
A U.S. Navy officer patrols the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship docked in Gdynia, Poland, on Sept. 17, 2022.

4 Ways U.S. Support for Ukraine Helps Defend Taiwan

From deterrence to military readiness, Ukraine aid is a major boost to Pacific security.

Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.
Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.

U.S. Apathy Paved the Way for China in Africa

Despite a strong foothold during the Cold War, Washington has since fumbled on the continent.

President Joe Biden walks with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (L) to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 27, 2021.
President Joe Biden walks with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (L) to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 27, 2021.
Police officers link arms with their back to the camera as they hold back a crowd of people protesting the U.S. military presence in Japan in front of the U.S. base in Camp Schwab in Okinawa. Protesters wearing hats hold signs that read "Marines Out," "No Base," and "Don't rape Okinawa."
Police officers link arms with their back to the camera as they hold back a crowd of people protesting the U.S. military presence in Japan in front of the U.S. base in Camp Schwab in Okinawa. Protesters wearing hats hold signs that read "Marines Out," "No Base," and "Don't rape Okinawa."

Why the U.S. Should Close Its Overseas Military Bases

A growing movement is pushing back against long-held orthodoxy, arguing that it’s time to abandon these outposts and bring the troops home.

An activist holds a sign depicting rival generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington on April 29, 2023.
An activist holds a sign depicting rival generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington on April 29, 2023.

Where the U.S. Went Wrong in Sudan

Khartoum now faces civil war. What does the U.S. have to do with it?

A U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle is seen behind a U.S. flag during during a training session by U.S. soldiers in Nowa Deba, Poland.
A U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle is seen behind a U.S. flag during during a training session by U.S. soldiers in Nowa Deba, Poland.

NATO’s Got a New Backbone

It’s time for the United States to prioritize members of the alliance that understand the Russian threat and are taking it seriously.

Soldiers run amid smoke and mud, with a tank in the background, while taking part in a large-scale NATO military exercise in Estonia.
Soldiers run amid smoke and mud, with a tank in the background, while taking part in a large-scale NATO military exercise in Estonia.

Estonia Plans a ‘Spring Storm’ to Match Russia’s Might

“Russia only understands one thing, and that’s power,” one senior officer said.

A bronze statue of Alexander Hamilton stands in front of the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C. The statue is positioned between the two central columns in front of the building.
A bronze statue of Alexander Hamilton stands in front of the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C. The statue is positioned between the two central columns in front of the building.

America’s ‘Full Faith and Credit’ Is Closer Than Ever to Defaulting

A debt default would tank U.S. credit and credibility around the world.

A photo collage illustration shows the two warring generals at the center of Sudan's unrest alongside images of U.S. President Joe Biden and the seal of the state department for a story about U.S. diplomacy in Sudan.
A photo collage illustration shows the two warring generals at the center of Sudan's unrest alongside images of U.S. President Joe Biden and the seal of the state department for a story about U.S. diplomacy in Sudan.

How the U.S. Fumbled Sudan’s Hopes for Democracy

The East African country, once a beacon for change, now faces civil war.

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.

Chris Smith of Mill Hall, Pennsylvania yawns while sitting in the grand stands before his uncle, U.S. Army Spc. Joe Mosser, returned home from Iraq along the 24th Corps Support Group, July 6, 2003 in Ft. Stewart, Georgia.
Chris Smith of Mill Hall, Pennsylvania yawns while sitting in the grand stands before his uncle, U.S. Army Spc. Joe Mosser, returned home from Iraq along the 24th Corps Support Group, July 6, 2003 in Ft. Stewart, Georgia.

U.S. Foreign Policy Is About to Get Boring

The presidential election is around the corner—and that means “Scranton Joe” is about to take the international stage.

A blurry image of Biden speaking into a microphone, with the American flag behind him.
A blurry image of Biden speaking into a microphone, with the American flag behind him.

Debt Ceiling Knife Fight Threatens to Slash U.S. Credibility

And it’s coming just as Biden is set for a reassurance trip to Japan and Australia.

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.

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.

At Long Last, the Foreign Service Gets the Netflix Treatment

Keri Russell gets Drexel furniture but no Senate confirmation hearing.

The book covers for Jenna Smialek's Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis and Nick Timiraos' Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic—and Prevented Economic Disaster.
The book covers for Jenna Smialek's Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis and Nick Timiraos' Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic—and Prevented Economic Disaster.

How the Fed Became Everything (and Everything Became the Fed)

Two books peel back the curtain on the central bank—but miss why it misread the economy in the wake of the pandemic.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin greets U.S. President George W. Bush prior to a meeting of APEC leaders in 2001.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin greets U.S. President George W. Bush prior to a meeting of APEC leaders in 2001.

What the Bush-Obama China Memos Reveal

Newly declassified documents contain important lessons for U.S. China policy.

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