Class got canceled this week, so rather than share my thoughts on the deep, deep thoughts of Hegel, I thought I’d share a list of free foreign policy resources from think tanks and universities around the world.
Considering America is the most powerful country in the world, it is troubling to me that those of us who enjoy the blessing of living here can often be so ineptly unaware of the wider world we influence.
Yes, we influence the world. Not just our government, but our demands, our fears, our business, our dollars. This isn’t all bad either. Amdist the frequent criticisms and hand wringing of American foreign policy, what often gets overlooked is the positive impact private citizens and organizations have on helping countries improve education, infrastructure, and governance. America doesn’t just break the world, it’s done some amazing things to help build it as well (that would make a good post in the future).
As an avid reader of the excellent journal Foreign Affairs, I often read the book reviews of each edition with a degree of sadness knowing that I’ll never have enough loose change to purchase the fascinating books routinely reviewed in that august publication. However, much to my delight, a subtle change has occurred. The writers are now reviewing free online sources too!
I went back through my last two years of back issues (2013-2014) and found 10 free foreign policy resources that would make easily create an excellent reading list for a graduate-level world politics class (having taken a couple myself).
When it comes to foreign policy and America’s place in the world, expense is no longer an excuse for ignorance. You can give yourself a first rate education for free!
Full disclosure, I have not read all of these resources in their entirety so I don’t share them as giving them a stamp of philosophical, or methodological approval. I share them as a kind of public service. Enjoy!
1. Syria 2018, NYU’s Center For Global Affairs.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, NYU’s Center For Global Affairs has been tracking the conflict an updating this report on potential outcomes of the conflict. No one wants to get bogged down in another Mid East conflict, but some the potential scenarios that could develop from this awful situation may be enough to make American policy makers reconsider the general “boots off” approach that the US has taken to the conflict.
2. The China Story, Australian Centre for China in the World.
This is an awesome concept project between the Australian government and the Australian National University that seeks to pull together a contemporary picture of modern China through online articles, print journals, books, and other media. It is ambitious in its scope, but makes learning about a country and its politics much more accessible to the lay reader. Instead of having to wade through archives of briefs and journal articles, one need only look at this sites homepage to get a snapshot of what scholars are studying and writing on regarding China in the 21st century.
I also like the fact that this source is Australian and not American. Much of American scholarship on Sino-American relations has been promoting a narrative of competition and simmering conflict, which doesn’t help see China as China. The “neutral” observer aspect of this site makes it the more attractive.
3. Austerity: European Democracies Against the Wall, The Centre For European Policy Studies.
This is a free e-book that looks at the effect that austerity has had on democracy in Europe over the course of the last six years. A growing scholarly consensus has emerged indicating that the outcome of austerity as a solution to economic downturns is not good to say the least.
While much ink has been spilled on the economic effects of austerity, this book looks at the political effects. Particularly in eastern Europe, democratic governments that replaced communist ones at the end of the Cold War are beginning to feel increasing pressure to put their political houses in order, even as statist and hard right nationalist parties begin to rise. Will democracy in Europe survive austerity? This book seeks to answer that question.
4. The Drug War in Mexico: Confronting a Shared Threat, Council on Foreign Relations.
David Shirk’s 50-page report for the CFR on ongoing efforts to counter drug trafficking across the US-Mexico border is succinct and well researched. It provides a background on anti-drug efforts, details the American role in those efforts and makes policy proposals going forward.
Considering Mexico’s rising economy coupled with its ongoing internal turmoil as the Mexican government continues to struggle with drug cartels, this is very relevant reading. As Mexico grows in its economic capacity, it will, by virtue of NAFTA, become increasingly integrated with the US. This will increase the probability of Mexican security issues becoming more of a concern for America.
5. Global Trends 2030, National Intelligence Council.
I was first introduced to this report series when I was in college. The NIC periodically publishes a detailed report of global trends and seeks to make predictions in 15-20 year windows regarding where the world is headed. This makes for fascinating reading.
It’s a great primer to help the reader step back from the immediate effects of an action and consider it in context of other aspects of world politics. It’s biggest strength is in alerting the reader to take not of areas of concern that may not be making the front page of the news today, but will be in a few years.
6. Marked For Life: Songbun, The Committee For Human Rights in North Korea.
The Committee For Human Right in North Korea supplies this and the next two resources so you’re getting a deep insight into one of the most closed countries in the world. People know North Korea is extremely tyrannical, that the dictator, Kim Jong Un, is practically worshiped, and that North Korea routinely threatens its enemies with nuclear attack. However, this organization sheds light on some of the lesser known aspects of the brutal North Korean regime.
After going through this document, one begins to recognize why the North Korean regime has been so successful at maintaining itself. From birth to death, no one is allowed an independent moment. “Songbun” is North Korea’s version of the caste system. From birth every person is categorized into a particular class of citizen and destined to stay there. Within that class, they receive their education and social role.
7. Coercion, Control, Surveillance, and Punishment, The Committee For Human Rights in North Korea.
Layered onto the method of social control evidenced in the previous report is an array of elaborate security measures that keep North Koreans in constant fear of being arrested for questioning the state. The effect is quite stunning. The manpower and tech needed to create the appearance of an omnipresent state create the illusion on omnipresence in the eyes of a people bereft of such access to technology.
Fact and fiction are blended together to weave an image of an all powerful leader, weak foes, and happy people. It’s one of the greatest con jobs in history.
8. The Hidden Gulag, U.S. Committee For Human Rights in North Korea.
The terror of the North Korean story: prison camps. Using eyewitness testimony, maps, and pictures this report is chilling in its detail of how the North Korean regime maintains control. Why do the people fear questioning the state and offending eavesdropping ears? Because they know where they’ll end up.
Whole families are thrown into slave camps, reeducation centers, and other prisons because one member is accused of an infraction. The outcomes are terrifying.
9. Export Pioneers in Latin America, Inter-American Development Bank.
From the black hole of North Korea, the final resource in my list moves the reader back to Latin America and an exhaustive study on export markets in Central and South America. This is the longest resource in this list (300+ pages), but provides an insightful overview of the Western Hemisphere through the eyes of America’s immediate neighbors.
I found the most interesting part to be the topics covered. A lot of economic analysis we read in America focuses on technology, energy, and heavy manufacturing, but its a different set of concerns in South America. Agriculture and light manufacturing seem to be primary areas of concern.
Happy reading!
Nine free resources that cover almost all regions of the world. Notably absent in this list is Africa, which I find disconcerting. That’s not to say similar free resources don’t exist on Africa there just weren’t any reviewed in Foreign Affairs the last couple of years. However, Africa is rapidly moving forward in terms of its development and should not be ignored.
This is a good list to get started on though. Even a cursory reading of these sources will get you up to speed on the complex nature of our world, and America’s increasingly complex place in it.