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Violence as Strategy: The Sinaloa Cartel and the Assassination of Mexican Mayors
By: Carolyn Adkins, Nicholas Gelston, and Georgia Nelson Executive Summary Mayoral assassinations represent a critical intersection of political violence, governance, and societal instability in Mexico. Despite municipal policing and security efforts to protect mayors, municipal governments face an exorbitant number of assassinations carried out by cartels who seek to gain control or impose retaliatory measures…
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North Korean Sanctions are not leading to Denuclearization
(Image Source: Flickr; https://tinyurl.com/3mn74tcf) By Jordyn Brambley Sanctions imposed on the DPRK to curtail its nuclear program have not succeeded in their goal of nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament. In 2003, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) became the first and only country to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT),…
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ASEAN Connectivity Plan: Funding the Crossroads of the East
(Image Source: Reddit; https://tinyurl.com/2epbkrvr) By Henry Wraight This submission on MPAC 2025 examines how ASEAN states can leverage alternative funding streams to fund the infrastructure projects required to enhance the integration of ASEAN economies. Executive Summary The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) is an initiative launched by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)…
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Slowing the Pentagon’s Revolving Door
When Special Interests Quietly Undermine National Security This article was published anonymously. (Image Source: Washington Post; https://tinyurl.com/mtph6nsy) This research paper examines the Pentagon’s “Revolving Door” phenomenon and its impact on defense acquisition, oversight, and national security outcomes. It analyzes how the movement of senior officials between government and industry reinforces cost inflation, weakens regulatory enforcement,…
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Greenland and the Golden Dome
Does Trump’s Space-Based Interceptor Shield Really Require Greenland? (Image Source: MSN; https://tinyurl.com/yx4n2xhy) By Grace Klopp This op-ed analyzes the strategic and political rationale behind proposals to acquire Greenland in support of the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense system. It argues that existing defense agreements already provide the United States with sufficient access to Greenland’s strategic…
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Trophies, Oil, and Blood: The Geopolitics of Manchester City
(Image Source: AS USA; https://tinyurl.com/y6bp2sn8) By Caleb Helsel On May 19, 2024, Manchester City Football Club—commonly referred to as “City”—won a fourth straight English Premier League title, becoming the first team in history to win four consecutive championships of the top flight of English football.i Less than a year after that, the President of Manchester City met with…
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Coercing Peace: The Use of Tariffs in Conflict Resolution
(Image Source: Pexels; https://tinyurl.com/8jfs8jf8) By Rachel Silverboard The Trump administration’s use of tariffs to coerce countries to end conflict marks a distinct application of the trade tool with ineffective outcomes. Introduction The Trump Administration’s use of tariffs in conflict resolution represents an unprecedented deployment of the trade remedy in compelling third parties to resolve interstate conflicts. Historically,…
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Women at the Forefront: Reshaping the WPS Framework for Global Security
Children join an Italian peacekeeper to paint a message in hope for the southern Lebanese town of Naqura during International Day of Peace (Image Source: Source: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images) By Carolyn Adkins This Op-Ed examines the challenges facing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda on the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, arguing…
American University: Journal of International Service
Great Writers Make Great Leaders
