Julian Sherrod Julian Sherrod

China is Still Not an Enemy

"China is not an enemy". That was the title of an open letter published in the Washington Post in 2019. This article seeks to reinforce this idea in the new Trump administration, especially with its fearmongering and hawkishness towards China. It also provides more insight into the environment surrounding the discourse on China and how other actors, specifically think tanks, are amplifying this hawkishness and fearmongering that is unnecessary, unwarranted, and even dangerous.

Read More
Sankar Harikrishnan Sankar Harikrishnan

A Crisis of Legitimacy: Why Efforts to Reduce Chinese Industrial Subsidies are Doomed to Fail

Chinese government subsidies to the country’s industry have been among the most aggravating and contentious points in the US-China relationship over the past 15 years. To deal with the issue of China's unfair trade practices, the US has tried several approaches, including tariffing Chinese goods and creating legal hurdles to investment. By examining recent developments in the US-China trade relationship and China's internal political and economic pressures, this article attempts to explain why such US efforts are unlikely to see much success.

Read More
Logan Olszewski Logan Olszewski

Expanding Their Reach: Iranian Efforts to Interfere in the 2024 American Presidential Election

The contentious political environment surrounding the 2024 American Presidential Election between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump provides the golden opportunity for America’s adversaries to interfere in the election. Chief among these adversaries is the government of Iran. Continuing their history of American presidential election interference, the Iranian government and its agents are seeking to sow distrust and create chaos in the electoral process and democratic systems of the United States. They are attempting to achieve this aim through the coordinated compromising of critical computer accounts, distributing stolen restricted information, and the dissemination of disinformation through social media and news websites. Additionally, the Iranian government stokes fears of political violence through the ongoing threat to the life of Former President Trump. This multi-pronged interference campaign against the 2024 presidential election is the most serious threat ever posed by the Iranian government in an election. By sowing distrust in the American democratic electoral system, the Iranian government is seeking to make the United States less stable and secure.

Read More