Topic: John F. Kennedy School of Government
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3 reasons why China isn't overtaking the US
Most Americans fear that China will soon surpass the United States in global power and economic clout. But this widespread view is wrong, based on sloppy analysis and outdated conceptions of national power, says Michael Beckley of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. People who believe that China is overtaking the US make at least one of the following three mistakes.
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Newt Gingrich: 8 of the GOP idea man's more unusual ideas
Newt Gingrich is a big ideas guy. Ask anybody. Some of the ideas end up working, while others are a little out there.
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Japan's nuclear crisis: 6 reasons why we should – and shouldn't – worry
Japan’s nuclear disaster is not as bad as Chernobyl, but it’s the worst since. The recent 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that followed have severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It has suffered two explosions, with warnings of a third possible, and fuel rods are exposed. Over 20,000 people have been evacuated from the area. This crisis raises important questions about the future of nuclear power and our failures not just to prepare for natural disasters but also possible failures in nuclear security. Harvard Kennedy School's Matthew Bunn gives us six key points to consider, originally published on the Power & Policy blog.
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François Hollande – no more 'Mr. Pudding'?
Style – more than policy differences on austerity – separated Socialist winner François Hollande from Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential elections. France may have simply preferred Hollande, dubbed 'Mr. Pudding,' over bombastic Sarkozy. But Hollande may not be so soft.
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Iran talks: Why time is ripe for compromise
Positive signals from Iran and the United States are encouraging as talks on Tehran's nuclear program get underway, writes a political expert from Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Latin America Monitor
Brazil's President Rousseff praises new study abroad program
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff spoke at Harvard University on the connection between country's rapid economic growth and education.
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Greece should follow Argentina into default and devaluation
European policymakers want to avoid Greek default and keep Greece in the eurozone. However, Argentina’s decision to devalue its currency and default was the right one. It was the only step that offered a way out of the crisis facing the country. Greece should do the same.
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Can Seoul summit tackle biggest threat to US security – nuclear terrorism?
What can President Obama and other world leaders meeting in Seoul, South Korea, for the second Nuclear Security Summit today and tomorrow plausibly accomplish? The answer is less than many observers hope – but more than skeptics appreciate. Look at Ukraine.
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Self-immolations in Tibet must resonate in America
Tibetans around the world are in mourning for the more than 25 Tibetans who have immolated themselves over the past year in protest against China's oppression. These self-immolations are also desperate cries for support from the international community. Americans can help.
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Putin election victory doesn't pave an easy path through his third presidential term
Beyond mass protests in Moscow against what observers have confirmed as a fraudulent presidential election, several key demographic and economic factors mean that Russians will continue to contest the legitimacy of Putin's presidency during his third term.
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India's support for Iran threatens its US relationship and global leadership role
India's statement that it will continue to purchase oil from Iran is a major setback for the US attempt to isolate the Iranian government over the nuclear issue. It's also bitterly disappointing news for those of us who have championed a close relationship with India.
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Mitt Romney draws more Wall Street donations than Obama
Mitt Romney's six largest campaign donors in 2011 were from Wall Street. Romney got $1.8 million from Wall Street execs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
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3 reasons why China isn't overtaking the US
Most Americans fear that China will soon surpass the United States in global power and economic clout. But this widespread view is wrong, based on sloppy analysis and outdated conceptions of national power, says Michael Beckley of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. People who believe that China is overtaking the US make at least one of the following three mistakes.
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Obama's 'new' defense goals aren't new – and neither are the flaws in his strategy
The goals of Obama's new defense strategy aren't new: countering terrorism and instability in the Middle East and maintaining access in the Asia Pacific. The news is the change in how the US will accomplish those goals. Can the strategy work? I have my doubts.
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Christmas gift to America 20 years ago – a Russia to be thankful for
When the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years ago on Christmas, doomsayers had a field day. But seen strictly from the perspective of what matters most to Americans, the good news is that the nightmares that experts realistically expected about Russia have not happened.
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Newt Gingrich: 8 of the GOP idea man's more unusual ideas
Newt Gingrich is a big ideas guy. Ask anybody. Some of the ideas end up working, while others are a little out there.
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The Daily Reckoning
Goldman Sachs to Europe's rescue
Italy's new leader, Mario Monti, is an ex-Goldman Sachs executive. Who knows more about debt problems than anyone else? The people who cause them, of course.
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Beyond Yemen, Awlaki: Look for core Al Qaeda members outside the hot spots
The killing of the American-born Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen is another success in fighting Al Qaeda. But core leaders of the group who are likely planning the next big attack are probably operating outside the hot spots of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Horn of Africa.
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Why a rebel victory in Libya is better than a negotiated settlement
Civil war research shows that conflicts that end with a decisive rebel victory are more likely to result in lasting peace and stability than those wars ended by a negotiated settlement. That bodes well for Libya, if the rebels can show they can govern.
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After 9/11 anniversary: the return of US diplomacy
The US has relied on the military to hit back when attacked or even threatened; to place first priority on building up defenses; to sometimes shoot first, ask questions later. But the most difficult challenges ahead will require greater reliance on diplomacy and traditional statecraft.
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US response to 9/11 contributed to causes of current debt crisis
The costs of military engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq account for well over one-quarter of the increase in US national debt since 2001. Financing wars and defense build-ups in this way is an historical aberration. Americans have typically paid for wars through higher taxes.
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Medical malpractice suits: Only 1 in 5 pay
Medical malpractice suits target 1 in 14 doctors every year. Average medical malpractice payout is $275,000.
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The dangers of secularism in the Middle East
Amid Arab Spring unrest, Western analysts tout secularism, fearing the rise of Islamists in the Middle East. But stability will come from including, rather than excluding, religious groups in politics.
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Write stuff: The workshop that shapes American literature
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, on its 75th anniversary, offers a window into the state of American letters.
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Will a US court case set right South Africa's apartheid past?
A group of South Africans has brought suit against 20 multinational corporations, alleging that they were complicit in violent abuses during apartheid. It appears these companies would rather rewrite than confront their apartheid history.
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Blair Mountain II: The new battle over coal mining in West Virginia
Hundreds are marching to Blair Mountain in West Virginia to commemorate the coal miners who fought for their rights there 90 years ago – and to secure our future. Coal mining companies are raping our land with mountaintop removal, destroying what has nourished us for generations.
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Fukushima meltdown could be template for nuclear terrorism, study says
The Fukushima meltdown showed how some nuclear plants are vulnerable to cooling-system failures. That might be of interest to Al Qaeda, which considered attacking US nuclear facilities after 9/11, a new study says.
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Backchannels
Pulling down the bin Laden myth – and brand
It's not always about whose army wins. It's also about whose story wins.
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