Recent Publications

Washington’s Debt, Beijing’s Bubble, and the Discussion No One is Having
November 15, 2013 — Mr. Ian ButtonWashington, we have a problem. The economy is staggering its way out of the global financial crisis and none too quickly. Across the nation, unemployment rates in excess of 7 percent continue to pinch the pockets of middle-class Americans. The much-coveted AAA credit rating that once blessed Washington’s financial decisions has since... MORE

State Collapse, Insurgency, and Counterinsurgency: Lessons from Somalia
November 14, 2013 — Author: Dr J Peter Pham View the Executive SummaryFor more than 2 decades, Somalia has been the prime example of a collapsed state, resisting multiple attempts to reconstitute a central government, with the current internationally-backed regime of the “Federal Republic of Somalia” struggling just to maintain its hold on the capital and the... MORE

Building Better Armies: An Insider’s Account of Liberia
November 12, 2013 — Author: Dr Sean McFate View the Executive SummaryRecent events in Mali, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere demonstrate that building professional indigenous forces is imperative to regional stability, yet few success stories exist. Liberia is a qualified “success,” and this study explores how it was achieved by the program’s chief... MORE

Reforming the Police in Post-Soviet States: Georgia and Kyrgyzstan
November 6, 2013 — Author: Dr Erica Marat View the Executive SummaryThis report identifies and explains the determinants of police reform in former Soviet states by examining the cases of Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. The two cases were chosen to show two drastically different approaches to reform played out in countries facing arguably similar problems with state-crime... MORE

Central Asia After 2014
November 3, 2013 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank View the Executive SummaryAs NATO and the United States proceed to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan, the inherent and preexisting geopolitical, security, and strategic challenges in Central Asia become ever more apparent. The rivalry among the great powers: the United States, China, Russia, India, and others to a... MORE

Changing Minds In The Army: Why It Is So Difficult and What To Do About It
October 28, 2013 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong View the Executive SummaryHistory and organizational studies both demonstrate that changing one’s mind is quite difficult, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that this change needs to occur. This monograph explains how smart, professional, and incredibly performance-oriented Army senior leaders... MORE

Forging an American Grand Strategy: Securing a Path Through a Complex Future. Selected Presentations from a Symposium at the National Defense University
October 22, 2013 — Author: Dr Sheila R Ronis View the Executive SummaryOn November 8-9, 2011, the National Defense University (NDU) held a conference entitled "Forging an American Grand Strategy: Securing a Path Through a Complex Future." The discussion that began at that conference needs to be further developed and continued. More importantly, we, as a nation, need... MORE

NATO Missile Defense and the European Phased Adaptive Approach: The Implications of Burden-Sharing and the Underappreciated Role of the U.S. Army
October 18, 2013 — Authors: Dr John R Deni, Mr Steven J Whitmore View the Executive SummaryIn 2010, NATO decided to expand its ballistic missile defense program, in part because of the American offer to include its European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) as the centerpiece of an expanded effort. For the Allies' part, few have actually contributed tangible ballistic... MORE

Conflict Management and Peacebuilding: Pillars of a New American Grand Strategy
October 16, 2013 — Authors: Dr Robert H Dorff, Dr Volker C Franke View the Executive SummaryThe authors examine the utility of the U.S. Government’s whole-of-government (WoG) approach for responding to the challenging security demands of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. They specifically discuss the strategic objectives of interagency cooperation particularly in... MORE

Op-Ed: Doubts on China’s “New Model for Great Power Relationship”
October 3, 2013 — Dr. David LaiA buzz phrase, “China’s new model for great power relationship (read U.S.-China relationship),” is making rounds in China’s diplomatic, defense, and policy analysis circles of late. Chinese official statements, policy think-tank discussions, and publications on U.S.-China relations are all heavily loaded with this topic. This fanfare... MORE

The Army Should Embrace A2/AD — A Rebuttal
October 3, 2013 — COL Vincent AlcazarIn July, in a Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and U.S. Army War College (USAWC) Press editorial, Dr. Alex Crowther writes that the U.S. Army should embrace Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD).1 In strict terms, I agree with Dr. Crowther’s proposition: the Department of the Army should “embrace” A2/AD; however, I disagree with the... MORE

Strategic Landpower Task Force Research Report
October 3, 2013 — Dr. Steven MetzAcknowledgement. The author would like to thank Frank Hoffman of the National Defense University for major contributions to this report. Introduction. The 21st-century security environment compels the United States to develop more effective and efficient ways to promote its national interests. This includes refining... MORE