World Bank

When Americans say we are defending democracy by supporting Ukraine, what do we mean?

While it is still too early to ascertain the COVID-19 pandemic’s damage to our country and the world, it is already evident that the crisis will result in structural changes within and among countries.

The world still requires order, and that still requires sacrifice. Many now believe we can have world order, peace, stability, and prosperity on the cheap. We can coast merely on soft power (Democrats) or by promoting national interests (Republicans) without the hard work and heavy lifting required to actually maintain that order, whether through diplomacy or hard power.

Last April, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf spoke at Georgetown University. Asked to assess the state of African democracy, she also spoke about the United States. Her conclusion was optimistic.

Gideon Strauss explains how Joe Studwell’s How Asia Works has changed his mind on how developing countries should shape trade policies.