Analysis

All Analysis

Filter by

1 - 10 of 1176 results

Japan Poised for Early General Election

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to dissolve the lower house of the Japanese parliament could give her party a mandate for strong leadership—or it could exacerbate current governance challenges.

Critical Questions by Kristi Govella and Yuko Nakano — January 14, 2026

China’s Rare Earth Campaign Against Japan

China’s imposition of new rare earth export restrictions on Japan, following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, represents an escalation in China–Japan tensions and highlights Beijing’s increasing reliance on mineral export controls as a deterrence tool.

Critical Questions by Gracelin Baskaran and Meredith Schwartz — January 13, 2026

Would Air Strikes Against Iran Work?

History shows that air strikes alone struggle to achieve complex policy goals, but used in Iran now, they could trigger a domino effect that leads to the collapse of Iran's repressive authoritarian regime.

Critical Questions by Clayton Swope — January 13, 2026

What the Bella-1 Teaches Us About Targeting Shadow Fleets

After a globe-spanning chase, the United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker tied to Iran and Venezuela. What does the Bella-1 reveal about shadow fleets, AIS manipulation, and how maritime interdiction is reshaping sanctions enforcement?

Critical Questions by Jose M. Macias III — January 8, 2026

Is a Weakened CS3D Still Too Much?

Bill Reinsch and Michael Gary unpack the critical questions around the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D).

Critical Questions by William Alan Reinsch and Michael H. Gary — January 5, 2026

Is Venezuela a Critical Minerals Target?

Venezuela sits on sizable gold resources—but geology alone doesn’t make a minerals power. With nationalization, informal mining, and deep governance risks, do minerals factor into U.S. strategy at all, or remain largely irrelevant?

Critical Questions by Gracelin Baskaran — January 5, 2026

Why Did the United States Conduct Strikes in Nigeria?

Isolated strikes like the ones carried out by the United States are unlikely to significantly reduce the terrorist threat in the region or reverse Nigeria’s growing insecurity.

Critical Questions by Alexander Palmer and Erin Oppel — December 26, 2025