Issue briefs and reports

The art of the transatlantic deal

By Frances Burwell

The transatlantic relationship is shifting with US president Donald Trump's return to the White House. Nevertheless, discreet deals across the US-EU trade, energy, and defense sectors are possible.

Fragmentation and the role of the IMF

By Patrick Ryan

Here's how the IMF can adapt to ensure that the international system has an effective insurance mechanism.

Building balanced institutions for prosperity

By Ignacio Campomanes, Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, Joseph Lemoine

This overview chapter explores the institutional evolution of each country and contextualizes these insights within the broader economic and political science literature on institutions and development. As global instability rose in 2024, longstanding governance challenges that had been intensifying over the past decade became increasingly evident.

From Tunis to Baghdad: Can platform-based politics take root?

By Carrie Schenkel and James Storen

This paper is the fifth in the Freedom and Prosperity Center's "State of the Parties" series analyzing the strength of multi-party systems in different regions of the world.

Demography and geopolitics put Japan’s strength to the test

By Kotaro Shiojiri

By almost all freedom and prosperity metrics, Japan is a model for stability and success. However, looming challenges threaten this narrative, including an aging population, outdated social laws, a rigid labor market, and growing security and geopolitical concerns.

Atoms for Appalachia: The role of nuclear energy in economic development

By Lauren Hughes

Advanced nuclear technologies can drive economic security and energy security within Appalachian states.

Issue brief: A NATO strategy for countering Russia

By Ian Brzezinski, Ryan Arick

Russia poses the most direct and growing threat to NATO member states' security. This threat now includes the war in Ukraine, militarization in the Arctic, hybrid warfare, and arms control violations. Despite NATO's military and economic superiority, a unified and effective strategy is essential to counter Russia's aggression.

The 2025 Global Energy Agenda

By Landon Derentz, Christine Suh, Paul Kielstra, Bailee Mathews (Editors)

The Atlantic Council is pleased to present its fifth Global Energy Agenda. As in prior years, this collection of essays is complemented by our in-depth analysis of the results of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s annual global energy survey. 

Global Energy Agenda full survey results

In the fall of 2024, the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center surveyed global energy and climate experts to take the community's pulse on the outlook for geopolitical energy risks, a global energy market in transition, and prospects for the net-zero imperative.

Ushering the US auto industry into a new energy era

By Jim Farley

The auto industry is front and center at the intersection of energy, manufacturing, and innovation. For US automakers to continue leading the sector globally, they must work with policymakers to put the choices and needs of the customer first.