The prevailing economic development narrative--that centrally planned economies are doomed to fail against market-oriented alternatives--may require re-examination in light of the experience of the two Koreas during the Cold War.

Ever since its founding in 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has maintained an aggressive and bellicose international security posture. Today, fully two decades after the end of the Cold War, North Korea's external defense and security policies look arguably more extreme and anomalous than ever.

An unprecedented insight into the complex operations of the Korean economies in the last half of the twentieth century, Policy and Economic Performance in Divided Korea during the Cold War Era is a scholarly, comprehensive work and an invaluable resource for any student of economic history in Asia.

AEI's Nicholas Eberstadt demonstrates that the explanation for the divergent paths between North and South Korea is not so simple, while examining the factors that led to the outcome we now take for granted.

The Romney 4 percent Pentagon budget is no “spike”; it’s more like a return to normal, even very constrained military spending given the global mission of America’s armed forces.

Though no longer a Cold War rival, Russia continues to pose immense challenges for the United States. The Kremlin’s perception of Russia as an “independent pole in a multi-polar world” often results in Russian policies that place the country at odds with the West. Russia’s current political elites are determined to prevent—and in some cases roll back—color revolutions in the former Soviet Union. They fear that successful democratization on Russia’s periphery will rouse similar demands at home. Regardless, the Kremlin’s ineffective authoritarian governance has stimulated a wave of large-scale protests in recent months that likely mark the beginning of Russia’s transition away from the Vladimir Putin era.

When he was director of central intelligence, Leon Panetta earned a reputation as an energetic advocate for his agency. When he replaced Robert Gates at the Pentagon, it was reasonable to hope that Panetta would continue to play the role of a senior statesman.

The Cold War's most successful arms control agreement is imperiling U.S. forces and increasing the probability of a conflict in Asia.