SPOTLIGHT: Cuba

Reuters/Enrique de la Osa - Women walk past a graffiti celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution in Havana December 30, 2008.

Cuba at Fifty

Vicki Huddleston, December 31, 2008

January 1, 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's revolution and ascension to power in Cuba. Vicki Huddleston reviews the family feud across the Florida Straits and argues that a changed world offers opportunities to those Cuban Americans and Cubans bold enough to bury the past and build a future friendship among all Cubans and Americans. Read More

Cuba, Latin America

SPOTLIGHT: National Security

Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah - National Security Adviser nominee retired Marine General Jones pauses while speaking during news conference in Chicago.

The Next National Security Adviser

Ivo H. Daalder and I. M. Destler, January/February 2009

One of the most important figures in Obama's administration will be his national security adviser. Ivo Daalder and I.M. Destler examine previous national security advisers to use lessons from the past on how to do the job right or wrong. Read More

National Security, National Security Council, Presidential Appointments, Foreign Policy, The White House

Africa's Natural Resources

Reuters/David Lewis - Artisanal miners dig in an open-pit mine outside the southern Democratic Republic of Congo copper town of Lubumbashi.

The Diversification Challenge in Africa's Resource-Rich Economies

John Page, December 2008

Africa’s resource boom offers the hope of economic growth to many countries on the continent but how can governments ensure that natural resources fuel long-term growth rather than become a curse? In a new working paper, John Page discusses how natural resource wealth can be an effective driver of growth for Africa. Read More

Africa, Economic Development, Global Economics, Development, Developing Countries

MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT

Reuters/Saeed Ali Achakzai - A burning oil tanker carrying fuel for NATO forces after suspected Taliban fighters attacked it at a Pakistan-Afghan border post.

Expand the Agenda in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Vanda Felbab-Brown, December 18, 2008

The Afghanistan-Pakistan border region has become the central front in the war on terror. Seven years after the 9/11 attacks, these two countries may present the greatest foreign policy challenge facing the next president. Vanda Felbab-Brown offers a public memo to President-elect Obama with recommendations to expand an agenda of peace and stability to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read More

Pakistan, Islamic World, Afghanistan, Terrorism, Transnational Security Threats

GLOBAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT

Why Are Saving Rates of Urban Households in China Rising?

Eswar Prasad and Marcos Chamon, December 2008, The Brookings Institution

In China, the household savings rate rose by 7 percent from 1995 to 2005, reflecting savings of about one quarter of disposable income. Why are Chinese households saving so much across all demographic groups? In a new paper, Eswar Prasad and Marcos Chamon analyze the savings patterns of households in China and discuss the economic drivers. Read More

China's Economy, China, Financial Markets, Economic Development, Global Economics, Saving, BRICs, Emerging Markets

FOREIGN POLICY

Cuba at Fifty

Vicki Huddleston, December 31, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Cuba, Latin America

FOREIGN POLICY

The State of Iraq: An Update

Jason H. Campbell and Michael E. O'Hanlon, December 29, 2008, New York Times

Michael O'Hanlon and Jason Campbell write that Iraq has settled into a kind of violent semi-peace but, for all the progress in Iraqi politics—including approving the status of forces agreement with the United States that takes effect on Jan. 1—there are still big challenges: agreements on oil sharing among all sectarian groups and provinces; determining Kirkuk's future status and other places contested by Kurds and Arabs; and the resettlement of four million people. Read More

Iraq, Middle East, Islamic World, U.S. Military, U.S. Department of Defense

CENTER ON THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE

How to Win Islam Over

Olivier Roy and Justin Vaisse, December 21, 2008, The New York Times

Justin Vaisse and Olivier Roy assess Barack Obama's promise to convene a conference of Muslim leaders to make clear the U.S. is not at war with Islam. Vaisse and Roy argue that Obama would be better served by simply following through on the promises of closing Guantánamo Bay, withdrawing from Iraq, banning torture, and pushing for peace in the Middle East. Read More

Islamic World, Religion, Diplomacy, Middle East, Foreign Policy, International Relations

Recent Research and Commentary

FOREIGN POLICY What Obama Means for American Decline

Michael Fullilove, January 07, 2009

CENTRAL AMERICA Central America in 2009: Off the U.S. Radar

Abraham F. Lowenthal, January 06, 2009

NORTH KOREA Currency Conversion during Korean Unification

Yeongseop Rhee, January 06, 2009

RUSSIA Putin's Third Way

Barry W. Ickes and Clifford G. Gaddy, January/February 2009

More Recent Research and Commentary »

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TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any democracy requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work has extended beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions and issues in higher education. Experts are tackling fundamental issues on the role of education in the national and global economy.

ExpertHugh B. Price

Former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Hugh Price is an expert on education, civil rights, equal opportunity and criminal justice. His 40-year career spans journalism, philanthropy, the law, and social advocacy.

ExpertSarah A. Binder

Sarah Binder is an expert on Congress and legislative politics. She is completing a project on the politics of advice and consent, and is at work on the politics of how Congress responds to financial crises.

ExpertEswar Prasad

Eswar Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University, is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. He was previously head of the Financial Studies Division and the China Division at the IMF.

ExpertRebecca Blank

Rebecca Blank is an expert on the interaction between the macroeconomy, government anti-poverty programs, and the behavior and well being of low-income families. She has just been named the Robert S. Kerr senior fellow at Brookings.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertMauricio Cárdenas

Mauricio Cárdenas is a senior fellow and director of the Latin American Initiative. Formerly minister of Economic Development and Transportation, and director of National Planning of Colombia, his research focuses on international and development economics. He is also the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).

TOPICThe Presidential Transition

During the 77 days from the election to the Inauguration, Brookings experts will offer 12 "Memos to the President" on top policy priorities across the spectrum of domestic and global challenges, plus additional advice on transitioning from campaigning to governing.

ExpertMartin S. Indyk

Ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for near east affairs during the Clinton Administration, Martin Indyk directs the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. He currently focuses on the Clinton administration’s diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

ExpertJulia B. Isaacs

Julia Isaacs focuses on public investments in children and how children are affected by national budgetary policies. A former federal budget analyst, she also researches the economic mobility of children and families across the income spectrum.

ExpertAlice M. Rivlin

Alice Rivlin, the first director of the Congressional Budget Office, is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy. She directs the Greater Washington Research project.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ExpertMark B. McClellan

A medical doctor and economist, Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

ExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is the vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings. His studies include campaigns and elections, political advertising, mass media, public opinion, technology policy and electronic government.

Research ProjectThe Hamilton Project

The Hamilton Project produces research and policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans. Their agenda also focuses on enhancing individual economic security and effective public investments.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

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