How do civil society organizations operate in the authoritarian environment of Vladimir Putin’s “sovereign democracy?”  To what extent are they able to further their causes despite pervasive corruption and the rule of courts that take their cues from the Kremlin?

Obama wasted an opportunity to highlight the swearing in of the first African-American president.

A new report by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argues that one of the greatest mistakes the United States can make is to imagine that Iranian activities in a given arena--the nuclear program, for example--are isolated from Iranian undertakings in another. The report examines those other areas

Congress will need to work extra hard to complete its statutory business and confront the Bush administration on spending.

"Given the disappointing March numbers, it is unlikely that this month's report will show a huge improvement. It is likely that the economy will add 120,000-140,000 jobs--small numbers that suggest protracted periods of sluggish growth still lie ahead of us." Aparna Mathur, AEI

Too rapid a restoration of short-term interest rates to more normal levels runs the real risk of an abrupt unwinding of leverage with potentially untoward consequences for the U.S. economy.

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.

War this year in Iraq may not yet be inevitable but it looks increasingly likely. If it is to be avoided, the coming week is crucial. If war is at hand, the next few days could decide whether the US-led invasion goes ahead with the formal blessing of the United Nations, or whether Washington and a small group of allies go in alone.