Financial Times

Back to 'the economy, stupid' How a slowdown will influence America's presidential contest (Financial Times) ..."The widespread notion that a downturn or a recession gives a clear advantage to the Democratic presidential challenger is not always supported by the facts," says Michael Lind, a political historian at the New America Foundation in Washington. "The past offers just as much evidence that we could get a Republican president with a Democratic Congress in November as a Democratic control… more

Presidential rivals vie over economy (Financial Times)

The Obama team claims its simpler package could be delivered and take effect more quickly – a claim most economists support. “When you need stimulus you cut checks,” Austan Goolsbee, an adviser to Mr Obama, told the New America Foundation. “You’ve got to get the money out the door.” more

In their dealings over Kosovo's independence, the European Union and Russia need to take their points of departure from reality and common responsibility for the stability of the European continent, not from legalism or self-righteousness. The Russians must recognise that, whether they and the Serbs like it or not, Kosovo will soon become independent and will be recognised as such by the US, the EU and many Muslim states. If this is not granted soon, the Kosovo Albanians will… more

The Financial Times did a story following the Iowa caucuses. (quoted Mark Schmitt)

Mr Obama, who described his win as a "defining moment in history" and a victory of "the politics of hope over the politics of fear", can also appeal in New Hampshire to a much larger population of independent voters than in Iowa, where they came out for him in record numbers as did younger voters.

"It is hard to see what Hillary can do in five… more

To understand the implications of Benazir Bhutto's assassination for Pakistan, first imagine what that country would look like without her Pakistan People's party. It has been overwhelmingly a dynastic party and she was the last politically viable representative of the Bhutto dynasty. Without her to hold it together, it is highly probable the PPP will disintegrate.

In the short term, this is likely to benefit President Pervez Musharraf and the army but, in the longer term, Islamist extremists may have the… more

Whether a Democrat or a Republican is inaugurated in January 2009, the centre of political gravity in the US is well to the left of where it was a decade ago. President George W. Bush's own contribution to the shift has been negligible. It is the result of long-term, tectonic shifts in political and economic ideology that are affecting all developed countries.

In hindsight, despite the re-election of a conservative president, 2004 was the hinge between eras. The definitions of right,… more

The absurd and tragic thing about the inability of the Israelis and Palestinians to work out a final peace settlement is that, compared with many conflicts, the terms of a settlement are not difficult to delineate and most impartial experts are agreed on them.

They are as set out in a public letter jointly issued by the New America Foundation and other bodies. Key points are a territorial settlement on the basis of the 1967 borders and that Palestinian refugees… more

The Financial Times reported on a letter to President Bush that was jointly issued by the New America Foundation/American Strategy Program and other bodies. A copy of that letter, and a list of its signatories, can be found here. An excerpt from the article is below:

Middle East-watchers fear that the fragile Israel-Palestine peace process which converges next week on Annapolis, Maryland, could be about to take a turn for the worse. ...

George W.?Bush, U.S. president, has come in… more

Republican candidates are trailing Hillary Clinton in the presidential polls but the revival of a campaign to change the way California allocates its 55 electoral college votes has raised the party's hopes for next year's election.

The California Counts campaign, which has several prominent Republican backers, wants to replace the "winner-takes-all" system for electoral vote allocation with one based on the number of congressional districts won by each candidate.

"It would essentially give away 22 electoral college votes that a Democrat candidate… more

The key political question in Russia over the past two decades has not been about the relationship between democracy and dictatorship, but between different kinds of oligarchy. The oligarchy that has taken shape under President Vladimir Putin is far more coherent, close-knit and disciplined than Boris Yeltsin’s collection of feuding magnates. It has a common culture and ethic drawn from the common origins of many of its members in the Soviet security services. Its comparative success is due to these… more