Frances Z. Brown

Guest Author

Dr. Frances Z. Brown (LinkedIn) is a vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Brown served on the White House National Security Council (NSC) staff over the past three presidential administrations. Her research focuses on U.S. foreign policy, Africa, the Middle East, and governance.

Articles by this author:

A protester blocks a road with a burning barricade to prevent traffic from passing during a nationwide transport strike over rising fuel prices in Nairobi on May 18, 2026.

The Middle East War Will Reshape Africa’s Democratic Trajectory

May 21, 2026 Frances Z. Brown

Supporters of Burkina Faso's ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré gather in Ouagadougou, on May 28, 2022, during an indoor rally demanding his release. Kabore's party, the People's Movement for Progress (MPP), on May 24 denounced his detention, four months since the January 24 coup. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images)

The US Needs a Global Anti-Coup Strategy

Jun. 1, 2022 Frances Z. Brown and Thomas Carothers

A person on a motorbikes drives next to the construction site of a new road built by the Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Antananarivo, on October 20, 2018.

Overlooking the Policy Connections: Fragility, Democracy, and Geopolitical Competition

Apr. 6, 2021 Frances Z. Brown