Iran’s national security policy is arguably the product of many overlapping and sometimes competing factors such as the ideology of Iran’s Islamic revolution, perception of threats to the regime and to the country, long-standing national interests, and the interaction of the Iranian regime’s factions and constituencies. Iran’s leadership: Seeks to deter or thwart U.S. or … [Read more...] about Iran’s Foreign and Defense Policies
European Policy Benefits National Digital Development: A Survey by Vodafone Institute
More than two-thirds of Europeans (68%) believe that European policy and legislation is having a positive impact on their country's digital development, a new survey of the Vodafone Institute, the European think-tank of the Vodafone Group, has revealed. Citizens in Hungary and Poland (75%) were most convinced that membership of the EU is beneficial to national digital … [Read more...] about European Policy Benefits National Digital Development: A Survey by Vodafone Institute
Escalating U.S. Tariffs: Affected Trade
The multiple tariff increases to date, ranging from 10% to 45%, affect approximately 16% of U.S. annual imports. This amounts to $396.4 billion of imports (2018 data), with Section 301 tariffs on U.S. imports from China accounting for more than 90% of the trade affected (Figure 1). While the Administration has taken some steps to reduce the scale of imports affected (i.e., by … [Read more...] about Escalating U.S. Tariffs: Affected Trade
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been the principle forum for cooperation among nations on greenhouse gas (GHG)-induced climate change since its adoption in 1992. Its objective is “to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame … [Read more...] about The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement
Recent Slower Economic Growth in the United States: Policy Implications
The current economic expansion is the longest in recorded U.S. history, but it has not been characterized by rapid economic growth. From the beginning of the current economic expansion in the third quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2017, this expansion had the lowest economic growth rate of any expansion since World War II, averaging 2.2%. For the next five quarters, … [Read more...] about Recent Slower Economic Growth in the United States: Policy Implications