All Contributions
Confronting Government Corruption in Guatemala and Honduras
Recently, citizens in the Central American nations of Guatemala and Honduras have mounted unprecedented efforts to fight government corruption. In Guatemala, the drama started in April 2015 with the exposure of a criminal conspiracy in the customs agency, followed a month later by revelations about a fraudulent contract for dialysis...
The Misleading Case for Unmanaged Global Free Trade
To the delight of many commentators, bipartisan Congressional alliances seem poised to override objections from labor and environmental groups and grant the Obama administration “fast track authority” to complete the TransPacifc Partnership and the TransAtlantic Investment Partnership – the next steps on a steady march toward unfettered free-market globalization. Advocates...
The North American Free Trade Agreement Expanded Trade but Did Not Deliver Job Growth or Shared Prosperity
As the U.S. Congress debates whether to expedite another round of major international trade agreements, what do we know about how similar pacts worked out in the past? Twenty one years after its start in 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement offers the best evidence we have. This pact...
The Story behind Brazil's Campaign against Rich Country Agricultural Subsidies at the World Trade Organization
The institutions responsible for governing the global economy have historically been dominated by the United States and other advanced countries. Over the last decade, however, several emerging economies have become increasingly important actors in the global economy and sought a greater role in its governance. This shift matters – and...
Obama's Request for a War Authorization and the Ongoing Abdication of Constitutional Responsibility by Congress
On Wednesday, February 11, 2015, President Barack Obama sent to Congress a draft request for an Authorization to Use Military Force against the Islamic State in the Levant. So far, Congress has not acted to approve, modify, or reject the President’s request. The conflict with the Islamic State goes on...
An Assessment of United Nations Efforts to Include Women and Counter Sexual Abuse in Peacekeeping
In 2000, the United Nations Security Council passed the historic Resolution 1325, since backed up by additional resolutions calling for the full participation of women in all peacekeeping missions and for enhanced efforts to protect women from physical violence during and after wars, civil wars, and other violent conflicts. After...
The Advantages - and Drawbacks - of Presidential Term Limits as a Tool for Building Democracy in Africa
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, many have advocated presidential term limits as a way to ensure that sitting executives do not remain entrenched and political opportunities are created for competitive elections and alternations in power. Attempts by sitting African presidents to extend or remove term limits have led to conflicts – sometimes...
How Private Programs Have Developed to Certify Social and Environmental Standards in Local and Global Commodity Markets
At the grocery store, a consumer who cares about the environment or the wellbeing of workers can choose to buy “fair trade” certified coffee. And this is but one of many examples, because recent decades have witnessed a tremendous growth of private, nongovernmental programs in which nonprofit organizations or businesses...