‘This time, he has the cadres’
Feature: Is Donald Trump really deconstructing democracy in the United States? Steve Hanson on the American consolidation of patrimonial rule.
Inside the prison state
Feature: What’s it like to live in North Korea? Yumi Kim on heavy repression, secret phone calls, and virtual private networks.
The way of Kim Jong Un
How is political upheaval in South Korea affecting North Korea? Soo Kim on what’s driving Pyongyang’s increasing hostility toward Seoul.
Censors without borders
Why are American universities letting foreign governments bully their students? Sarah McLaughlin on the business model behind the pressure.
The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy
How’s Iran’s standoff with Israel and the West affecting everyday Iranians’ feelings about the regime? Trita Parsi on why nationalism is surging while Islamic Republic’s popularity continues to tank.
A ‘known unknown’
Where’s all the money coming into American think tanks from? Ben Freeman on the enormous foreign-government “donations” flowing through Washington, D.C.
Requiem for a slogan
What happened to the Chinese dream? Yi-Ling Liu on declining opportunities, increasing malaise, and a waning of ambition in the People’s Republic.
Continental
How has Europe become the destination for so much dirty money—and what are European states doing about it? Tena Prelec on why it is so hard to root out grand corruption.
Cold cash
What do you do if you’re the European Union, and you’re sitting on more than $200 billion belonging to the Kremlin? Sir William Browder on a potential turning point in the Ukraine war.
Connections
What does financial repression in autocracies have to do with financial freedom in democracies? Justin Callais on human flourishing in the modern world.
