Posted by the Foreign Policy in Focus gateway, this special report examines the deterioration of the environment since the promises for global environmental improvement made at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED or the "Earth Summit"). Authored by the Executive Director of the Center for International Environmental Law, David Hunter, the report considers why the global...

In its 84-year history, the Council on Foreign Relations has published a number of important papers and publications dealing with a host of public policy issues, and this latest effort that addresses democracy in the Arab world should be of significant interest to many different groups. This particular report came from a Council-supported Task Force, co-chaired by former Secretary of State...

The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School (see the April 4, 1997 Scout Report) has put together this page to help those looking for primary texts related to the September 11 events. The Avalon Project Website features documents in the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy, and government, and the offerings here reflect that span. The September 11 site is extensive and includes...

Released in December 2002, Policy Brief #113 from the Brookings Institution addresses the policy implications of the preemption strategy first articulated by President George W. Bush in a speech from June 2002. As defined within President Bush's National Security Strategy, preemption is the anticipatory use of force in the face of an imminent attack. Perhaps more ominous is the expanded...

Released in March 2013, this report from the Brookings Institution's African Growth Initiative provides compelling information on why the African continent should be a public policy priority for the United States. The report is divided into five short sections, including "China in Africa: Implications for U.S. Competition and Diplomacy," "Transforming the U.S.-African Commercial Relationship," and...

The Office of the Historian at the U.S. Department of State recently released over 100 documents from the published "Foreign Relations of the United States" (FRUS) series. The documents are specially designed to be read on a number of new devices, such as the iPad, and there are some real gems here. Visitors can use the Volumes and Browse by Administration drop down menus to get started....

Released as part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Committee on International Security Studies Occasional Papers series, this 93-page report from December 2002 examines the political, military, and economic consequences of war with Iraq. The report is divided into three self-contained chapters, with each one exploring a different facet that illustrates the potential costs of war for the...