Department of State
269 Articles

Rethinking US Foreign Policy Strategy on Wrongful Detention
Wrongful detention is a threat to US persons everywhere, and should be a top priority in domestic and foreign policy.

Dealing with Hybrid Regimes: Pursuing US Interests Without Giving them a Pass on Democracy
Failing to address their democratic deficiencies sets up the US and G7 for long-term strategic failure and hinders economic prosperity.

On Eve of Marcos Visit, US Must Center Human Rights in US-Philippines Security Relationship
"The United States should know that it cannot successfully pursue its security interests in the Asia-Pacific region at the expense of the basic rights of its partners’ citizens."

The Power of Jimmy Carter’s Vision for Universal Human Rights
There was a time when the US didn't promote human rights or even consider it much of an objective in foreign policy at all.

The State Department Should Provide Congress the Dissent Channel Cable on the Afghanistan Withdrawal
An ambassador responds to a colleague: release, with appropriate redaction, would support, not inhibit, State Department accountability.

The Global Fragility Act Takes Another Step Toward Conflict Prevention, But Bigger Strides Remain
Conflict prevention routinely takes a back seat to immediate crises, and will require  resources and attention to legal and bureaucratic gaps.

Congress Can Investigate the Afghanistan Withdrawal Without Compromising a Vital Dissent Channel
Forcing release of such material would chill candor, intimidate potential dissenters from speaking up, and inject an element of gamesmanship.

Transnational Repression Increasingly Reaches Into the United States
In countering transnational repression, "[c]ivil litigation provides a pathway for holding ... authoritarian regimes directly accountable, not just their hired guns, if significant…

To Strengthen US National Security, Diverse Teams Should Be a Given
The field shows important signs of critical gains but also more work to do to elevate women, particularly women of color.

A Long-Forgotten Law Could Force the U.S. to Re-Evaluate its Relationship with Saudi Arabia
Section 502B(c) is a potent tool to accelerate congressional oversight of support to countries with concerning human rights records. 

Backsliding: Georgia’s Crackdown on Civil Society May Be Just a Start
If the Biden administration wants to curb authoritarian trends, it should maintain its heightened attention to civil liberties in Georgia.

The Fallacy of US and EU Policy in the Western Balkans
Unlike their approach to Ukraine, the partners have largely coddled Russian satellites whose actions  increasingly destabilize the region.