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Authoritarian rule is on the rise around the world, and it must be confronted. It manifests itself in a range of ways, from denial of election results to attacks on core freedoms to escalating political violence. Yet, despite the many forms it takes, it tends to follow clear and consistent patterns. By understanding these seven […]

Whether used to punish a regime, deter aggression or encourage democracy, economic sanctions are one of the most powerful international tools at a nation’s disposal. Nevertheless, these coercive measures are not without their costs and must be weighed carefully before being imposed. The use of sanctions can be traced back to ancient times—the Athenians imposed […]

Global security encompasses many issues, from terrorism and armed conflict to human trafficking and global natural disasters. These issues are complex and require collaboration at the international level to address. Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, gray-zone warfare actions and the emerging AI arms race, new risks are on the horizon. These new threats require leaders to […]

Territorial dispute, or border conflict, occurs when a nation disputes the legal ownership of land, water or airspace. It often arises from a disagreement over natural resources such as rivers, fertile farmland, or mineral or petroleum reserves. In addition, it can be caused by vague and unclear language in a treaty that set up the […]

Economic inequality is the gap between average incomes in a country. It’s measured with the Gini coefficient, which divides a nation’s incomes by their population and then compares them to each other. A lower Gini coefficient indicates less inequality. Economic inequality can have many causes. The rise in inequality since 1980 is due to businesses […]

The study of international relations (IR) offers a unique, multifaceted lens through which to understand how governments and societies engage with one another, negotiate agreements, resolve conflicts, and address global challenges. It draws from academic fields such as political science, history, economics, law, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy. IR scholars examine both formal diplomatic ties among […]

In a time where the term Coup d’etat is thrown around wildly in the news, scholars need to take a moment to define what this means. Coups are illegitimate changes in power that disrupt existing political orders and reshape the direction of governance toward new forms of authority. Whether the coups of Chad and Guinea […]

Stock market volatility measures the amount of uncertainty or risk in the markets. A higher level of volatility means prices swing more widely and a lower level of volatility implies less uncertainty or risk. Investors can use volatility to gauge how much risk they’re taking on when making investments, or as a tool to help […]

Territorial dispute is a disagreement between States over the placement of territory boundaries that delimit the areas in which they exercise sovereignty. Such disputes can be over the entire territory of a State or they can be focused on particular areas such as islands or the placement of borders along coastlines. They can have severe […]

Central banks have a vital role to play in the economy. They must provide a stable currency, keep inflation low, and serve as lender of last resort. They must also be independent of government interference. This independence is crucial to the success of monetary policy. Central bank policy is the set of actions a central […]