[Leonid Bershidsky] Why less frequent elections make sense in Germany

The coming German election may be the last one run on a four-year cycle. The parties now represented in the German parliament and at least one that stands to enter it on Saturday all agree that the legislative term should be extended to five years. That means it’s highly likely Germany will make the switch before 2021. They make some arguments that Americans, too, should consider.Since the end of World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany has only had eight chancellors, and three of them serv

Sept. 19, 2017

[Leonid Bershidsky] The Zapad military exercise reveals Putin’s fear

The large-scale Russian military exercise known as Zapad, which started in Belarus on Thursday, is already a propaganda success: It has alarmed Russia’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization neighbors and garnered so much Western media coverage that one might think it was an actual combat operation. But it has also provided an important insight into the fears of the Russian and Belarusian rulers, fears that are not necessarily groundless.To Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, the exercise is m

Sept. 18, 2017

[Star Tribune] Trump makes bold, bipartisan move to protect young immigrants

President Donald Trump made a daring move on Wednesday, mapping out the beginnings of a deal with Democratic minority leaders to save “Dreamers,” the young immigrants who were given temporary protections from DACA, the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals. That is a positive, compassionate move that should bring support from those who have worked hard to protect the 800,000 people who now live in daily fear of deportation from the only homeland they remember.Trump will need all the support he c

Sept. 18, 2017

[Bloomberg] How China should go electric

With China’s decision to phase out gas- and diesel-fueled vehicles, the end is nearer for the internal combustion engine. For their nation to reap the full benefits of this revolution, Chinese leaders will need to continue to be bold.Nations that account for almost 80 percent of the world auto market are now planning or considering plans to end over the next few decades the sale of cars and trucks powered by fossil fuels. Big carmakers, many of whom have responded only tepidly to previous govern

Sept. 18, 2017

[David Volodzko] North Korea’s secret weapon? Economic growth

With the United Nations imposing yet another round of sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear provocations, it’s worth asking why such penalties have been failing for more than a decade. One reason is that the North Korean economy is improving more than is commonly understood -- and that will make altering its behavior through trade barriers significantly harder.The current approach to sanctions is partly based on the assumption that North Korea’s economy is a socialist nightmare, but that’s no

Sept. 17, 2017

[Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry] Why Macron doesn’t fear France’s unions

The first street protests against Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labor market reforms have been underwhelming. Several major unions stayed away. Estimates of the turnout varied -- from 223,000, according to fairly reliable police figures, to 500,000, according to the CGT, France’s biggest union, which called for the march. Whatever the real number, French unions are divided, and this helps Macron’s reform efforts.This is unusual. France’s unions are traditionally a united front against pro-market re

Sept. 17, 2017

[Helmut K. Anheier] American political tragedy

US President Donald Trump’s nearly eight months in office have been characterized by a series of disturbing political developments. But Trump is not entirely to blame. His presidency is just the latest act in a long-running political tragedy.From a foreign policy perspective, the problem began in the 1990s, when the United States squandered the post-Cold War peace dividend. With regard to domestic policy, the failures began even earlier: from Reaganomics in the 1980s to Obamacare in the 2010s, m

Sept. 17, 2017

[Steven Horwitz] Immigrants crucial in hurricane recovery efforts

After Hurricane Katrina, grocery and big box stores all over the Gulf Coast found themselves having to create whole aisles devoted to Latino food. Mexican food trucks were everywhere in New Orleans. What caused this transformation of the food scene? Immigrants coming north to help rebuild after the storm.With the announcement that the Trump administration will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, it is all the more important to understand why immigration matters at t

Sept. 15, 2017

[Noah Smith] We need conservatives to fight climate change

The unprecedented hurricanes that have hit Texas and Florida, and the wildfires that have rampaged across California, seem to be pushing some reluctant conservatives from climate change skepticism to acceptance of reality. If so, that’s great, because they’re uniquely positioned to do something about it. Scientists have long predicted that climate change would lead to more extreme hurricanes, and it makes sense that hotter air would exacerbate wildfires as well. Of course, the amount of randomne

Sept. 14, 2017

[Paul McHale] Dems need a younger presidential candidate

The summer of 2017 was a good one. My wife and I packed up our two grandchildren -- waved goodbye to their parents (with earnest promises of frequent Facetime) -- and took off on a monthlong camping tour of the national parks.Along the way I had the chance to teach my grandson and granddaughter how to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over an open campfire, and it reminded me that there is more to life than the maniacal threats of Kim Jong-un. In the years ahead the grandkids won’t often think of

Sept. 14, 2017

[Carolyn B. Maloney] Pulling money for UN fund leaves women at risk

As the world faces multiple humanitarian crises around the world, few political actions have been as cruel and shortsighted as the Trump administration’s decision to cut off funding to the United Nations Population Fund.This UN agency provides lifesaving maternal health care in regions of the world plagued by conflict, famine and disaster and has saved countless lives around the world. With millions of refugees forced from their homes during the reign of terror across the Middle East brought on

Sept. 14, 2017