Bonnie Glaser and Elmira Bayrasli assess the conflicting pressures that will determine the island’s fate.

In the Sino-American great-power drama, Taiwan has taken center stage, as China has ramped up pressure on the island. How much danger is Taiwan in – and how far will the US go to defend it?

Trouble over Taiwan | Bonnie Glaser

Barry Eichengreen and Elmira Bayrasli consider what history can teach us about the purpose, power, and peril of public debt.

The unprecedented fiscal spending that many governments unleashed in response to the COVID-19 crisis has fueled an increasingly heated debate over the risks posed by public debt. But the debate is far from new, and history holds important lessons that should inform it.

Debt Wars | Barry Eichengreen

Annie Pforzheimer and Elmira Bayrasli assess the recent US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the country’s prospects under Taliban rule.

The Taliban has announced its interim government, and its all-male, often-hardline makeup seems to have confirmed many observers’ worst fears. Why did the US mission in Afghanistan fail, and what is in store for the country under Taliban rule?

America’s Afghan Debacle | Annie Pforzheimer

Francesca Binda and Elmira Bayrasli consider what recent elections say about the state of the world’s democracies.

While elections alone don’t necessarily make a state democratic, they do offer a glimpse into the strength and legitimacy of a democracy. What can we learn from recent electoral outcomes?

Voting in a Time of Democratic Erosion | Francesca Binda

Sheila Warren and Elmira Bayrasli consider how digital currencies are reshaping the global monetary system.

After over a decade on the fringes of the global monetary system, digital currencies are increasingly being embraced by companies, governments, and citizens around the world. Are they set to become an integral part of the global monetary system?

Is Crypto Going Mainstream? | Sheila Warren

Adam Tooze and Elmira Bayrasli consider what the pandemic should teach us about managing a new era of crises.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the swiftest and most comprehensive contraction of global economic activity ever. With crises set to proliferate – not least because of climate change – the successes and failures of the pandemic response should serve as lessons for governments everywhere.

Economic Crisis in the Anthropocene | Adam Tooze

Stephen Wertheim and Elmira Bayrasli discuss the grim legacy of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Twenty years ago, the September 11 terrorist attacks invigorated America’s sense of itself as the “indispensable nation.” But its actions since then have failed to improve global security and have endangered those who it claimed to be helping.

The End of the Indispensable Nation | Stephen Wertheim

Harold James & Paola Subacchi consider where the international monetary order is headed, and whether we can muster the cooperation needed to manage the transition.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon closed the gold window, effectively ushering in a new global monetary non-system with a single pillar: the US dollar. Fifty years later, that pillar is showing signs of strain. Can the world muster the cooperation needed to manage whatever comes next?

Toward Bretton Woods 2.0? | Harold James & Paola Subacchi

Betsey Stevenson and Elmira Bayrasli consider the pandemic’s impact on the balance of power in the labor market – and whether the shift will hold.

With many low-paying jobs going unfilled, it seems that the COVID-19 crisis has forced a much-needed adjustment in a labor market where workers had long suffered from a decline in bargaining power. But, as pandemic-support programs end and automation accelerates, workers face serious risks.

The US Economy’s Great Adjustment | Betsey Stevenson

Opinion Has It by Project Syndicate features conv…

Opinion Has It by Project Syndicate features conversations with leading economists, policymakers, authors, and researchers on the world’s most pressing issues. Tune in for biweekly analyses and insights with our host Elmira Bayrasli, Foreign Policy Interrupted co-founder and Project Syndicate contributor.

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