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Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

Writing for PS since 2002
256 commentaries
3 videos & podcasts

Joseph S. Nye, Jr., an emeritus professor at Harvard Kennedy School and a former US assistant secretary of defense, is the author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump (Oxford University Press, 2020) and A Life in the American Century (Polity Press, 2024).

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  1. How to Prevent a War Over Taiwan
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    How to Prevent a War Over Taiwan

    Apr 8, 2024 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. explains what can be done to keep the peace between America and an increasingly assertive China.

  2. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., on nuclear risk, American hubris, great-power competition, and more
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    Joseph S. Nye, Jr., on nuclear risk, American hubris, great-power competition, and more

    Apr 2, 2024 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. calls for restoring the credibility of the US nuclear umbrella, highlights the role of nongovernmental agencies in international relations, worries that the US will play its cards poorly vis-à-vis China, and more.

  3. Is Nuclear Proliferation Back?
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    Is Nuclear Proliferation Back?

    Mar 5, 2024 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. considers lessons from his own work on preventing the spread of the technology in the 1970s.

  4. American Greatness and Decline
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    American Greatness and Decline

    Feb 1, 2024 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. warns that populist nationalism at home is by far the biggest threat to US power.

  5. What Killed US-China Engagement?
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    What Killed US-China Engagement?

    Jan 4, 2024 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. revisits the events and trends that led to the policy’s demise in the mid-2010s.

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  1. tharoor190_R. SATISH BABUAFP via Getty Images_india elections R. SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

    Might Modi Lose?

    Shashi Tharoor predicts that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will perform worse than expected in India’s general election.
  2. sierakowski108_Steffen KuglerBundesregierung via Getty Images_tuskscholzmacron Steffen Kugler/Bundesregierung via Getty Images

    The European Union’s New Triumvirate

    Sławomir Sierakowski sees France, Germany, and Poland setting a new strategic course for the bloc.
  3. bardhan12_ TAUSEEF MUSTAFAAFP via Getty Images_bjp TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images

    The Popular Decimation of India’s Democracy

    Pranab Bardhan examines the shrewd tactics and false narratives that underpin broad support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  4. posner32_Getty Images_contract Getty Images

    Why Non-Compete Clauses Should Be Banned

    Eric Posner explains why the arguments in favor of legally binding employees to firms ultimately fall flat.
  5. op_drchowdhury1_ IDREES MOHAMMEDAFP via Getty Images_modiindiaelection Idrees Mohammed/AFP via Getty Images

    India’s Despotic Election

    Debasish Roy Chowdhury

    For the past decade, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been eroding civil liberties and minority rights, curtailing dissent, undermining democratic institutions, and building a cult of personality. The ongoing national election must be understood in this context.

    explains how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has eroded democratic safeguards and stacked the deck in his favor.
  6. klee19_Gerhard JorenLightRocket via Getty Images_hyundaimanufacturing Gerhard Joren/LightRocket via Getty Images

    What Fiscally Sound Industrial Policy Can Do

    Keun Lee highlights three tools that can support domestic-market growth and development without breaking the bank.
  7. boskin94_Elijah NouvelageGetty Images_voting ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Why Voters Are Unhappy About the Biden Economy

    Michael J. Boskin explains why Americans do not share the White House’s rosy assessment of its economic track record.
  8. ginsberg1_Tayfun CoskunAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_january6journalistviolence Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Our Freedoms Depend on Press Freedom

    Jodie Ginsberg warns that the increased targeting of journalists and the media is a key indicator of democratic erosion.
  9. balasegaram2_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_africaflood John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

    Climate Change Is a Worse Health Threat Than We Think

    Manica Balasegaram warns that the world is underestimating the extent to which global warming will fuel antimicrobial resistance.

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