Virtually every action of any consequence, private as well as public, has some consequences that were not part of the purpose of the action.

That government policies have "unintended consequences" is a staple of both political rhetoric and policy analysis. In its strongest form, the argument is that policy consequences are not only unintended but perverse--they make the problems they address worse rather than better. These arguments are pervasive, but are they simply rhetorical...

Syria has always been among the Middle East's most repressive dictatorships, in addition to serving as the home to terrorists that have killed American soldiers and non-combatants in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and more. Now, Syria is under fire from within; since March 2011, thousands of innocent Syrians have been killed in ruthless assaults by the Assad regime. While government forces continue to bombard major cities with appalling brutality, US strategic interests argue for intervention in this pivotal Arab country.

Twenty years ago, AEI launched the Bradley Lecture series to explore the important ideas that have shaped Western civilization and modern American politics.

Believers and unbelievers live in a darkness that is remarkably the same.

Gandhi advocated nonviolence against Hitler. Should we be following that example?

The "yes-we-can" man is now commander-in-chief.