China
Fostering U.S.-China Relations
 China’s growth in power has posed both challenges and opportunities in U.S.-China relations, and for the effect on the global economy. Economically, militarily and politically, China and the U.S. are playing on tumultuous turf. Brookings experts Jeffrey Bader and Richard Bush stress that if we treat China as an enemy, we will acquire an enemy. Brookings experts Lael Brainard and Wing Thye Woo argue that the United States must carefully navigate a sustained, high-level trade strategy with China. Michael Green of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the key to success is balancing interests throughout Asia.
Contending with the Rise of China »
Authors: Jeffrey A. Bader; Richard C. Bush III
Navigating China’s Rise »
Authors: Lael Brainard; Wing Thye Woo
Constructing a Successful China Strategy »
Author: Michael Green
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Climate Change
Addressing Global Issues by Building Support at Home
 The world community agrees that we must maintain an open world trading system. It also agrees that we need to address global warming. Yet our leaders have failed to reach agreement on how to best meet these challenges. Strobe Talbott and William Antholis of Brookings argue for a new model for American leadership on key international issues that would have future presidents involve Congress earlier and more heavily.
Tackling Trade and Climate Change »
Authors: William Antholis; Strobe Talbott
Diving in the Deep End »
Author: Patricia Mulroy
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Darfur
The Genocide in Darfur
 The genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan has lasted for more than four years. As many as 450,000 people have died from the raging conflict in that African nation. More than two and one-half million others have been displaced or have become refugees and the situation is worsening. Yet U.S. policy has coupled generous humanitarian assistance with unfulfilled threats and feckless diplomacy. The situation in Darfur is evolving rapidly. Clearly, the next President will be faced with a different, yet still difficult, situation in Darfur.
The Genocide in Darfur »
Author: Susan E. Rice
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Energy
Ending Oil Dependence
 Oil use continues to climb in the United States and around the world, creating national security, environmental and economic problems. Yet new technologies and an emerging political consensus bring solutions within reach. David Sandalow present options for ending the United States’ oil dependence.
Building a Secure Energy Future »
Author: Jonathan Elkind
Ending Oil Dependence »
Author: David B. Sandalow
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Foreign Assistance
Foreign Assistance: Assuring that Foreign Aid Is Effective
The United States is the world’s largest foreign aid donor. But foreign aid encompasses a bewildering array of programs, both bilateral and international, that address issues like economic development, fighting disease, supporting a friendly government and providing disaster relief. The ability to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs is elusive. Kenneth Dam says that the next President should follow a strategy which will serve to produce a much-needed discussion on this important issue.
Foreign Assistance: Assuring that Foreign Aid Is Effective »
Author: Kenneth W. Dam
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Homeland Security
Homeland Security
 "Homeland security"—both the term and the policy—were effectively born amid the crisis of September 11, 2001. The policy started with a simple purpose: to prevent further terrorist attacks on American soil. It once made sense to take measures that responded to the circumstances of that attack and reassured a nervous public. But more than six years into the apparently endless war on terrorism, homeland security should evolve from a set of emergency policies into a permanent field of important government policy that, like any other, must justify its allocation of taxpayer funds through solid analysis.
Managing Homeland Security »
Author: Jeremy Shapiro
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Iran
Preparing for a New Phase
 In recent years, Iran has flexed its revolutionary muscle with a conventional military buildup, pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the UN Security Council, and interventions in Lebanon and Iraq. Brookings scholar Peter Rodman cautions that how we conduct ourselves in Iraq is crucial, meaning there is no way for the United States to be strong against Iran if we are weak in Iraq.
Countering Iran’s Revolutionary Challenge »
Author: Peter W. Rodman
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Iraq
Heeding Lessons Learned
 Over the past several decades, the United States has seen first-hand the difficulties in rebuilding political and economic institutions in failed states ranging from Bosnia to Haiti to Nicaragua. Iraq is now a failed state ensnared in a civil war. Brookings scholars Carlos Pascual and Kenneth Pollack argue that the United States must learn from lessons of the past and follow a strategy that attempts to end Iraqi civil war through a negotiated settlement among warring parties and recognizes that rebuilding requires time, commitment and a secure environment.
Waning Chances for Stability »
Authors: Carlos Pascual; Kenneth M. Pollack
Iraq in 2009 »
Authors: Carlos Pascual
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Middle East
Constructive Diplomacy in a Troubled Region
 Peace in the Middle East remains an elusive goal. Yet a failure to engage has profound consequences for America’s security interests and home and abroad. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk and Brookings scholar Tamara Cofman Wittes argue that our next President will have no choice but to return to balance-of-power diplomacy in the Middle East that includes bilateral negotiations with Iran; regional security agreements; and getting the Arab-Israel peace process back on track.
Back to Balancing in the Middle East »
Authors: Martin Indyk; Tamara Cofman Wittes
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Military Readiness
Excellence Under Siege
 Our military has been stretched to nearly the breaking point. Recruitment and retention are down. And our troops often lack adequate supplies and equipment. Brookings scholar Peter Singer argues that if we are to maintain a military unmatched in its power and capability, our next Commander-in-Chief must ensure that the ranks of our military continue to grow and that our troops have the resources they need to remain ready and capable.
Bent but Not Broken »
Author: Peter W. Singer
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Military Recruitment
Increasing Capacity, Strengthening Readiness
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have depleted our military leaving our nation badly positioned to respond to any potential crises looming on the horizon. While our military superiority is unmatched, our capacity is at the breaking point, jeopardizing both domestic and international security. Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and Michael O’Hanlon of Brookings argue that concrete steps must be taken to increase the ranks of our military personnel.
Increasing the Size and Power of the U.S. Military »
Authors: Frederick W. Kagan; Michael E. O’Hanlon
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Nuclear Proliferation
Rising Nuclear Powers
 In the 2004 presidential race, John Kerry and George W. Bush agreed that nuclear proliferation was the top security threat facing the United States. They were right then, and the same thing will be true in 2008 and beyond. Preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction must be a policy priority. The twin challenge is to prevent more countries from acquiring nuclear weapons while also coping with countries that already have them. Brookings scholars Stephen Cohen and Michael O'Hanlon argue that the next President should enhance adherence to international non-proliferation agreements; expand threat reduction efforts; and place less emphasis on the role of nuclear arms in protecting America.
Stemming Nuclear Proliferation »
Authors: Stephen P. Cohen; Michael E. O’Hanlon
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Pakistan
Expand the U.S. Agenda toward Pakistan
 Pakistan, as the most dangerous country in today’s world, poses a major challenge for the next President. Bruce Riedel argues in this new Opportunity 08 paper that the current administration’s policy toward Pakistan has not paid off. Pakistani people must be persuaded that America can be a reliable ally, he writes.
Expand the U.S. Agenda toward Pakistan »
Authors: Bruce Riedel
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U.S.-India Relations
Breaking New Ground with India
 To assure that Indo-U.S. relations attain more of their capacity to benefit both countries, Bruce Riedel and Karl F. Inderfurth explains that the next President should embark on a course that can be labeled “policy continuity-plus.”
Breaking New Ground with India»
Authors: Karl F. Inderfurth; Bruce Riedel
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U.S.-Muslim World Relations
Engaging the Muslim World
The citizens of many predominately Muslim nations hold a dim view of the United States. Few American political and military institutions employ people well-versed in the language or culture of the Muslim world. Brookings scholars Hady Amr and P.W. Singer warn that this cultural stalemate must end if the two worlds are to successfully confront vital issues including terrorism, economic development, and political freedom.
Engaging the Muslim World »
Authors: Peter W. Singer; Hady Amr
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War on Terrorism
A Legal Framework for Detaining Terrorists
 A core challenge facing the next president in the war on terror is developing a legal framework for detaining terrorists. Brookings’s experts Benjamin Wittes and Mark Gitenstein offer recommendations that balance basic protections for detainees with regularized judicial review.
A Legal Framework for Detaining Terrorists »
Authors: Benjamin Wittes; Mark Gitenstein
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