Issue briefs and reports

Issue briefs and reports

Our programs and centers deliver in-depth, highly relevant issue briefs and reports that break new ground, shift opinions, and set agendas on public policy, with a focus on advancing debates by integrating foundational research and analysis with concrete policy solutions.

Materials matter: Managing critical commodities for the next-generation energy economy

Report Nov 3, 2026

Religion as statecraft: What a decade of research reveals about the geopolitics of religious soft power

By Peter Mandaville

The post-Cold War assumption that international politics was converging toward a secular liberal framework in which religion would play at most a marginal role has not survived contact with the evidence. From China to Turkey to Saudi Arabia and Russia, states are integrating religion into their foreign policy in strategically significant ways.
China India
Materials matter: Managing critical commodities for the next-generation energy economy

Issue Brief Oct 27, 2026

Any means necessary: Are courts safe in the digital age?  

By Lisandra Novo

Reports are on the rise of hacks at federal courts in the United States, putting sensitive data, such as informants’ identities, at risk. In litigation involving spyware, even more sensitive data is at risk. What protective measures should be in place to safeguard evidence?
Cybersecurity Human Rights
Materials matter: Managing critical commodities for the next-generation energy economy

Issue Brief Oct 6, 2026

The new geoeconomics of Bretton Woods

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, Martin Mühleisen, Nicole Goldin, Hung Tran, and Nisha Narayanan

Trade, investment, technology, finance, energy, and critical minerals are increasingly intertwined with national security. But globalization is not ending—it is becoming more contested and fragmented.
Economy & Business

Content

Issue Brief

Nov 10, 2026

Materials matter: Managing critical commodities for the next-generation energy economy

By Reed Blakemore, Alexis Harmon

As economies electrify, demand will grow for materials such as copper, steel, and durable plastics that underpin the energy system. Managing these materials' supply risks will be crucial to the new energy economy.

Energy & Environment Geopolitics & Energy Security

Report

Nov 10, 2026

Water infrastructure at the Mediterranean’s inflection point: Financing resilience for an industrializing, digitalizing region

By Hassan Tolba Aboelnga

Increasing demand, driven by industrialization and digital infrastructure, requires a region-wide rethinking of water planning and financing mechanisms.

Climate Change & Climate Action Egypt

Issue Brief

Nov 6, 2026

To settle Russia’s Ukraine war, Europe needs to let Kyiv in. Trump can help (really).

By James Batchik, Andrew D’Anieri

Any deal to end the war in Ukraine must fix a date for Kyiv to join the EU, but countless hurdles stand in the way. Washington has the leverage to help Brussels clear them—if it can use that leverage in a new way.

European Union Political Reform

Report

Nov 3, 2026

Religion as statecraft: What a decade of research reveals about the geopolitics of religious soft power

By Peter Mandaville

The post-Cold War assumption that international politics was converging toward a secular liberal framework in which religion would play at most a marginal role has not survived contact with the evidence. From China to Turkey to Saudi Arabia and Russia, states are integrating religion into their foreign policy in strategically significant ways.

China India

Issue Brief

Nov 2, 2026

How to prevent an energy quarantine of Taiwan

By Joseph Webster

An all-of-the-above energy strategy in Taiwan can help the United States and allies deter a Chinese energy quarantine of the island.

China Energy & Environment

Issue Brief

Oct 29, 2026

The relationship between female leadership, political freedom, and the rule of law

By Helena Fee Rasch

How is female leadership in public service associated with two institutional outcomes: political freedom and rule of law? Understanding the broader implications of women’s representation in leadership roles can inform strategies to preserve and promote freedom, democracy, and prosperity.

Freedom and Prosperity Political Reform

Issue Brief

Oct 27, 2026

Any means necessary: Are courts safe in the digital age?  

By Lisandra Novo

Reports are on the rise of hacks at federal courts in the United States, putting sensitive data, such as informants' identities, at risk. In litigation involving spyware, even more sensitive data is at risk. What protective measures should be in place to safeguard evidence?

Cybersecurity Human Rights

Report

Oct 26, 2026

Pakistan’s changing development assistance landscape: Manifestations, implications, and opportunities

By Leon S. Waskin, Imran Shauket

Pakistan’s development assistance landscape is undergoing a major structural shift. Western bilateral aid is declining, multilateral development bank (MDB) financing is increasing to compensate, and non-Western bilateral and philanthropic flows are growing steadily.

Pakistan South Asia

Report

Oct 26, 2026

Bangladesh’s changing development assistance landscape: Manifestations, implications, and opportunities

By Leon S. Waskin, Jon F. Danilowicz, Imran Shauket

Bangladesh is absorbing one of the most severe aid shocks in its history while simultaneously benefiting from an unprecedented surge in remittances and multilateral development bank lending.

Bangladesh South Asia

Report

Oct 20, 2026

The European Union as a compound power in Cold War 2.0

By Piotr Arak and Velina Tchakarova

Contrary to the prevailing narrative, the European Union has the economic power and strategic vision to act as a credible major power. Willingness to act is the missing piece.

Defense Industry Energy Transitions
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