Commentary and Analysis

Pope Francis wasn't afraid to wield the Catholic Church's moral authority, which remains a potent force in world politics, Paul Poast writes.

"The hard reality is that the application of rules, be they domestic or international, comes down to exercises of power," Paul Poast writes.

Several states that had long been under the US nuclear umbrella are considering developing their own nuclear weapons. Paul Poast digs into the implications.

The norm against territorial conquest has underpinned the post-World War II rules-based order—but it seems to be weakening, Paul Poast writes.

Are Trump's demands different in kind from how allies have historically interacted? Paul Poast weighs in.

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.