Commentary and Analysis

Restrictions on international economic flows—like Trump's tariffs—seem to be obviously bad. But politically speaking, that isn't always the case, Paul Poast argues.

"Rather than changing the global order, COVID-19 was more a reflection and product of that order," Paul Poast writes.

Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast, Alexandra Chinchilla, and Dan Reiter explore how a divided US public thinks about conflict.

The idea of “smart power” seems especially relevant today. But foreign policy choices usually don't boil down to obvious outcomes, Paul Poast argues.

"Rather than innocent mistakes, the stupid policies on display today seem more like the result of willful ignorance," Paul Poast writes of a range of current world leaders.

Trump desperately wants to be seen as the one who ends the war in Ukraine and thinks the mineral agreement will help him do that, Paul Poast argues.

"You can't just look at what Trump is saying to really get a sense of what the administration as a whole is trying to achieve," Paul Poast says.

A whirlwind week left observers writing the trans-Atlantic alliance’s eulogy. Paul Poast weighs in on what's next.

Despite his best efforts, Trump will ultimately not steer US policy in a direction that isn't already dictated by the international system, Paul Poast argues.

"There are good arguments for US foreign aid," Paul Poast writes. "They've just never held much sway with Americans."