Game within the game
What’s driven Qatar’s extravagant spending for this year’s World Cup? Sarath K. Ganji on a powerful strategy for global influence and the subtle tactics of “sportswashing.”
The seers
Why do American journalists keep telling the future after continually getting it wrong? James Fallows on the ideas and culture behind the predictive style in U.S. political media.
Lost in translation
What happened to the historic turning point Germany announced back in February? Liana Fix on how a major transformation with global implications got sidetracked.
Widening gyre
What does the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections have to do with the future of democracy in America? John Jamesen Gould on political realities, conspiracy stories, and the new media ecosystem.
Languages of fear
Why the growing talk of a “regime” in America? Laura K. Field on an emergent idea swaying the politics of the Republican Party.
‘A new day in China’
What does Xi Jinping’s growing power mean for China and the world? Scott Kennedy on the historic expansion and potential limits of the Chinese president’s authority.
There go the judges
Why is American public trust in their Supreme Court so low? James Wallner on how the legislative branch of the U.S. government has transformed the judiciary.
‘A whole new era’
What do mass street protests mean for the regime in Iran? Vali Nasr on how the demonstrations represent a new kind of danger to the Islamic Republic.
‘Shoring up the guardrails’
How safe are America’s elections? Andy Craig on the push to reform the U.S. Electoral Count Act and prevent another January 6.
End of an age
What’s wrong with China’s economy? Jeremy Mark on the property crisis, income inequality, and the need for a new economic model.
