Abundant reserves of minerals and petroleum often precipitate a resource curse in countries with weak governance institutions: fostering political corruption, eroding democratic accountability, incit…

See CFR Senior Fellow and Renewing America Director Edward Alden's accompanying blog post here. In looking abroad to promote economic growth, the United States need go no further than its two clos…

Nation-building abroad has become a neuralgic term in American politics. Opposition to nation-building abroad is one of the few things that President Barack Obama and Donald Trump can agree on. And y…

CFR Senior Fellow Ray Takeyh argues that it is necessary for the United States to emphasize human rights issues during discussions of a nuclear agreement with Iran.

With the increase in subnational international activity, the United States should create an appropriately staffed office within the State Department to serve as a facilitator. This achievable bureaucratic reform would enable the U.S. government to appropriately facilitate activity already underway, enlist city and state leaders as allies in U.S. diplomacy, and prevent policy confusion.