The October suicide bombing in the heart of Tunis demonstrated the continued need for Tunisia’s government to refine and bolster its efforts to combat violent extremism. Yet, instability within the…
In 1958 Hannah Arendt published her philosophical masterpiece, The Human Condition. In it, she posits that the “Vita Activa,” a life actively engaged in public political debate and political action, offers…
Autocrats are making a comeback. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent reelection, and the preceding repression of journalists and dissenters, is a prime example of this resurgence and sheds…
On April 4, the Brookings Center on the United States and Europe welcomed Vladimir Kara-Murza as part of a panel to discuss how Russian President Vladimir Putin will define his…
On February 14, 2018, Jacob Zuma resigned as president of South Africa, much to the joy and relief of the opposition, civil society, and even many in his own party…
Thirteen mass shootings in 18 years, 112 victims shot dead. While this may seem to describe contemporary America, it actually describes a late 20th-century period in Australia. The country’s final…
On February 12, the Georgetown International Relations Club welcomed Ambassador Vasko Naumovski of Macedonia. Following the panel event, Five Minutes with an Expert met with the ambassador to discuss topical…
Power remains one of the key concepts of international politics. Yet, while references to power are ubiquitous, defining power and its components is more complicated. The capacity of a state…
On 1 October 2017, Catalonia held a referendum on independence from Spain. Catalonia, in the northeastern corner of Spain, has a population of seven and a half million. With Barcelona…
Donald Trump confounds political observers. For many, he is defined by his missteps and flamboyance. His foreign policy statements contain sufficient imprecision—if not outright contradictions—to allow observers to conclude a…