Thomas C. Schelling, Master Theorist of Nuclear Strategy, Dies at 95
Thomas C. Schelling, an economist and Nobel laureate whose interest in game theory led him to write important works on nuclear strategy and to use the concept of the tipping point to explain social problems, including white flight from urban neighborhoods, died on Tuesday at his home in Bethesda, Md…
Impact evaluations in fragile states
In 2015 over $131 billion was spent in official development assistance, an increase of nearly 7% compared to 2014. Similarly, humanitarian aid grew by 11% in real terms to $13.6 billion. However, there is little evidence to suggest that this money is spent on peacebuilding interventions th…
The Insidious Method to the Jihadist Madness
A Dec. 11 bombing at a major Christian church in Cairo killed some 25 people and wounded at least 50 others. The blast occurred at a chapel adjacent to St. Mark’s Cathedral, the seat of Egypt’s Orthodox Christian Church and home to the office of its spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II. Early reports …
A New Model for Investing in Energy Innovation
By the middle of this century, the world will use twice as much energy as we use today. There’s good news in this: more energy means better lives and stronger economies. But it also means the world needs a new energy supply—one that doesn’t contribute to climate change. Climate change is a serious t…
Impeaching South Korean President Park Geun-hye: Where Does The Country Go From Here?
Following weeks of tense political scandal, the South Korean National Assembly voted overwhelmingly by a margin of 234-56 on a motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye today. In late October, the South Korean president was accused of letting Choi Soon-sil, an old…
After the Islamic State
Last May, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, the second most powerful leader in the Islamic State, hinted that the caliphate was crumbling. “Whoever thinks that we fight to protect some land or some authority, or that victory is measured thereby, has strayed far from the truth,” he said, in a long audio messag…
Back in 2014, One of the World’s Most Famous Political Science Professors Predicted Taiwan Was ‘Doomed’
What will President-elect Donald J. Trump do next when it comes to the Taiwan? And more specifically, what will his China policy look like? Will Trump seek to contain China’s rise and support Taiwan even more aggressively? Or will he seek to partner with Beijing, leaving Taipei in a difficult positi…
The Global War on Cash: Another Front in the Fight Against Corruption and Crime
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month sprung a surprise on his nation by ordering the withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes from circulation. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it is cracking down on high-denomination notes, by gradually phasing out&n…
Turkish Dam Project Threatens to Submerge Thousands of Years of History
For five generations, Firat Argun’s family has lived in Hasankeyf, an ancient town on the Tigris River in southeast Turkey where he runs a small bed-and-breakfast with a well-appointed garden. “I have everything in my garden,” he said recently. “I have already found my heaven.” But his lit…
Cash for peace? How sharing natural resource revenues can prevent conflicts
Some countries are blessed with natural resources, others are cursed. It’s been said that all the blessed ones are alike, they put the resources to good use, improving the people’s welfare in a sustainable manner. And for the cursed? More often than not, they struggle with political violence, especi…