MONKEY CAGE

Analysis

Americans supported Jackson. Why didn’t more Republican senators?

Highly partisan fights have become the norm in Supreme Court nominations.

By Sarah BinderApril 8, 2022
Analysis

Foreign companies continue to prop up the Kremlin

Some companies are only making vague commitments to get out of Russia.

By Jura LiaukonyteApril 8, 2022
Analysis

In Hungary, Orban wins again — because he has rigged the system

Here’s how Orban’s Fidesz party won 53 percent of the vote — but 83 percent of the districts.

By Kim Lane ScheppeleApril 7, 2022
Analysis

Why counting vaccinated Americans doesn’t always add up

The percentages the CDC reports don’t necessarily line up with census data. Here’s why.

By David LazerApril 7, 2022
Analysis

Why Putin uses Russian law to crack down on dissent

Autocrats make things like protests illegal so they can blame individuals for breaking the law -- while avoiding blame for passing unjust laws.

By Lauren A. McCarthy April 7, 2022
Analysis

What’s so funny about a Russian invasion?

Here's how Kyiv is wielding humor in its information war against the Russians.

By Chonlawit SirikuptApril 7, 2022
Analysis

Will Russia really care if U.S. actions make it default on its debt?

The U.S. Treasury's recent actions will force Russia to choose between using its scarce dollars for debt repayment or facing a sovereign default.

By Layna Mosley April 7, 2022
Analysis

Poland’s official nationalism will make it hard to absorb Ukrainians

Although Poles have been welcoming, the newly official Polish version of history is based on excluding and blaming outsiders. How will that affect Ukrainians?

By Mateusz Mazzini April 6, 2022
Analysis

Imran Khan dissolved Pakistan’s parliament. How did that happen?

Pakistan’s Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the prime minister’s moves.

By Yasser Kureshi and Asfandyar MirApril 5, 2022
Analysis

Why aren’t Americans rallying around Biden during a war?

With encouragement from some of their leaders, more Republicans disapprove of Biden than Democrats disapprove of Trump.

By Peter K. Enns and Douglas KrinerApril 5, 2022
Analysis

Ukraine’s oligarchs are united against Russia

That wasn’t the case in 2014.

By Silviya NitsovaApril 5, 2022
Analysis

What the new ‘Kremlinology’ reveals about Putin’s motives and power

Invading Ukraine may have left him weaker than he has been in a decade.

By Alexander Baturo April 1, 2022
Analysis

Cities regularly hire lobbyists. It pays off for the richest cities.

President Biden signed a spending bill that will fund landmark infrastructure projects. Will poorer areas be left behind?

By Julia Payson April 1, 2022
Analysis

Why democracies win more wars than autocracies

Like Putin, dictators tend to start risky wars, our research shows.

By Dan Reiter and Allan C. StamMarch 31, 2022
Analysis

Condemning Putin will make it harder to end the conflict with Russia

Consider how hard it was to lift sanctions after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

By Samuel Helfont March 31, 2022
Analysis

Putin called fleeing Russians ‘traitors.’ Who’s actually leaving?

Many will be activists in exile, our research suggests.

By Laura A. Henry and Elizabeth PlantanMarch 31, 2022
Analysis

Putin’s warning about Russian ‘fifth columns’ has a long, sordid lineage

He is suggesting that anyone with a Western lifestyle could be a traitor.

By Scott Radnitz and Harris MylonasMarch 30, 2022
Analysis

Peru’s ex-president Alberto Fujimori was just pardoned — again. What’s going on?

Since Fujimori was convicted of crimes against humanity in 2009, his sentence has been hotly contested.

By Ñusta Carranza KoMarch 30, 2022
Analysis

Putin is discovering that overwhelming military power can be a curse

As Stalin learned in Finland, small countries can inflict serious damage on invading superpowers.

By Todd S. SechserMarch 29, 2022
Analysis

Ukraine updated its defense institutions — and is defying expectations

Procurement changes addressed corruption and boosted Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.

By Louis-Alexandre Berg and Andrew RadinMarch 29, 2022