International Affairs

American paratrooper cleans his gun at Army base camp in Beirut, Lebanon. Credit: Library of Congress

Highlights: Experts discuss the first-ever US military intervention in the Middle East

Thursday, November 21, 2019

India and the Indo-Pacific at the East Asia Summit

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM IST

A general view of the House of Commons in London, Britain October 21, 2019. ©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1DF523E3D0

Brexit endgame: Parliament seeks to ensure extension before considering new deal

Monday, October 21, 2019

On October 1, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings will host Nathan Gardels and Nicolas Berggruen, authors of the new book “Renovating Democracy: Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism,” to discuss these themes and present findings from their research on how democratic systems work — and how they fail. Following opening remarks by Brookings Vice President and Director Bruce Jones, Washington Columnist for The Boston Globe Indira Lakshmanan will moderate a conversation with the authors. Questions from the audience will follow the discussion.The rise of populism in the West and the rise of China in the East have stirred a debate about the role of democracy in the international system. The impact of globalization and digital capitalism is forcing worldwide attention to the starker divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” challenging how we think about the social contract. At a time when democracy is being tested internally and its role in the global order questioned, we must assess its current trajectory across regions and discuss the core challenges facing democracies in the West. Can civic participation and direct democracy be integrated into the system without empowering populism? How can governing systems in the West compete against China’s innovations and global ambitions? Can different systems of government co-exist in this age of globalization and integration, or are we facing a clash of systems?

Highlights: Experts discuss how to renovate democracy in a new technological and geopolitical era

Samantha Diaz and Emilie Kimball

Monday, October 21, 2019

Brookings hosts ‘Global China: Assessing China’s growing role in the world and implications for U.S.-China strategic competition Monday, Oct 1, 2019 in Washington. (Sharon Farmer/sfphotoworks)

Highlights: Experts discuss the domestic drivers and strategic implications of an increasingly global China

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

British Union Jack and EU flags are pictured before the meeting with Britain's Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, September 20, 2019. Kenzo Tribouillard/Pool via REUTERS - RC11CD6EA940

Watch: Explaining Brexit and the ‘backstop’

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Lithuanian Military Academy students hold NATO membership states flags during the celebration of the the 15th anniversary of Lithuania's membership in NATO in Vilnius, Lithuania March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins - RC1B87408B50

Highlights: Experts debate the future of America’s alliances

Suzanne Schaefer

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Health workers carry a national flag as they march during a protest calling on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit, in Algiers, Algeria March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC16969E1C30

Surveying protesters and the military amid Algeria’s uprising

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Shi'ite fighters ride on the back of a truck with their weapons in al-Fatha, northeast of Baiji, October 18, 2015. Iraqi forces backed by Shi'ite militia fighters say they have retaken a mountain palace complex of former President Saddam Hussein from Islamic State fighters, as government forces push ahead on a major offensive against the insurgents. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - GF10000249718

Militias in the Middle East and North Africa: “It’s the governance, stupid!”

Jesse I. Kornbluth

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Gen. Paul Selva at Brookings.

The future of US defense strategy: A conversation with General Paul J. Selva

Adam Twardowski

Tuesday, July 2, 2019