Section: Institute for Policy Studies (USA)
Pentagon Fails Its Sixth Audit
The Pentagon has failed its audit, again. For the sixth time in a row. The agency that accounts for half of the federal discretionary budget does not know what it did with the money. For a brief recap, the Pentagon has never passed an audit. Until 2018, it had never even completed an audit. Since then, the Pentagon has completed an audit every...
How Long Can America Maintain a War Economy
The U.S. economy is in reasonably good shape, according to conventional measurements. The official unemployment rate is below 4 percent, and the productivity of U.S. workers is surging. In the last quarter, economic growth was nearly 5 percent, and Inflation has been levelling off. Americans are buying things, throwing parties, and going on...
Congress Divided on Funding Wars
Inside the halls of power and outside on the campaign trail, U.S. politics is a mess. The leading Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump, faces four criminal indictments. The leading Democratic candidate, President Joe Biden, has dismal favorability ratings. The presidential race has so far generated as much positive...
The Enduring Limits of American Power
The United States is the most powerful country on the earth. If you add together its nuclear arsenal, its unmatched array of conventional weaponry, and its global economic reach, America might be the mightiest country in the history of the planet. The United States has been responsible for destroying countries (Germany, Japan) and raising them...
Israel, Ukraine, the Border: What’s in Biden’s $105 Billion Military Bill
Last week, the White House released President Biden’s request for $105 billion in military and related aid related to wars ongoing in Ukraine, Gaza, and wars not yet begun, as well as a request for additional border funding. An extra $105 billion in mostly military spending is no small matter, especially on top of the $886 billion military...
A Series of Ups and Downs for Immigrants in the U.S.
I rejoice in being an immigrant. I find beauty in not tying myself to a single place or identity having been born in the Philippines and growing up all over the United States. I am multilingual, I am keen on adventure and adaptation, and I’ve developed a sense of purpose with those who grew up like me. And for much of the last few weeks, I...
Russia’s Eroding Geopolitical Strength
According to the Kremlin, Russia is on a roll. In Slovakia, the Russia-leaning Robert Fico has bounced back in the most recent elections to get another chance to form a coalition government. In contrast to the previous Slovak government, which was a generous supporter of Kyiv, Fico has pledged not to send a single bullet to Ukraine. On the other...
Trump World 2025
It’s possible that he’ll be in prison. Or perhaps, because of poll numbers that fall as trial dates approach, the Republican Party won’t end up nominating the current frontrunner as their presidential candidate in 2024. And, of course, in the general election, despite its lukewarm attitude toward Joe Biden, the American...
Trump World 2025
It’s possible that he’ll be in prison. Or perhaps, because of poll numbers that fall as trial dates approach, the Republican Party won’t end up nominating the current frontrunner as their presidential candidate in 2024. And, of course, in the general election, despite its lukewarm attitude toward Joe Biden, the American...
Beware the Anti-China Sentiment Pushing Us Towards Another Cold War
Whenever the threat of war against a new enemy abroad rises, attacks at home erupt first against those who are perceived to have ties to that so-called enemy—and then against those who stand against war and call instead for diplomacy and engagement. The new Cold War comes home with a rise in anti-Asian racism, including everything from violent...
