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It’s a Material World: Managing Metals and Critical Materials against All Odds

Commodity Markets under Stress The international commodity markets are under stress. Since 2000, prices have been on an upward trajectory due to soaring demand, briefly interrupted by the financial crisis. …

U.S. and EU Trade Relations with China: Increasingly Similar, and Increasingly Conflictual?

Introduction Trade is a hot topic in international relations again, much more so than in previous years. Still struggling with the negative effects of the most recent global financial crisis, …

Private Health Care Insurance: Accessibility and Efficiency in the U.S. and Germany

Different Systems, Similar Debates Despite different health care systems in Germany and the U.S., similar debates and health policy questions can be identified in both countries. Some common issues are …

What Do Citizens in Europe and the United States Think About Fiscal Austerity?

There is currently no national government in the European Union (EU) that is not indebted to a certain extent. The same holds true for the United States, Switzerland, and the …

The Debate over Betreuungsgeld

Viewed narrowly, the passage of Betreuungsgeld demonstrated the power of a small but determined party in a coalition government; it is a bit harder to determine its meaning for German family policy more generally. Considering Germany’s belated commitment to making adequate numbers of child care places available, does Betreuungsgeld simply represent the dying gasp of a deeply conservative strand of German family policy, one that has sought to maintain a housewife role for women since the early days of the Federal Republic?

Who Can Lead the Change?

“Comfort women,” the Dokdo/Takeshima islands, and the Yasukuni shrine are the Achilles’ heel of South Korean-Japanese relations. Recurring for decades, the clashes over history issues this year have taken a …

The Comprehensive Approach in Euro-Atlantic Security

The transformation of the international arena in the last two decades and the respective revisions of international conflict management have made the realignment of traditional security concepts possible and necessary. …

Domestic Structures in Germany and Japan and Their Influence on Reconciliation Policy

Comparing reconciliation politics of different states helps us to understand better the reasons why reconciliation, i.e., the process of normalization of bilateral relations after conflict between former perpetrator and victim …

Presidential Election 2012: Foreign and National Security Issues

Foreign policy in the race for the presidency has historically not been center stage, or barely even on stage at all. While the vote is predicted to be focused primarily …

The United States Economy after the 2012 Election: Playing Chicken

American elections are many things.  One thing they rarely produce, however, is a deep and detailed discussion of policy proposals.  This is particularly true for economic policy.  In 2012, both …

The U.S. Elections 2012: The Role of Health Care Reform

Over the last four years, President Barack Obama’s most significant bill was the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), which introduced a major reform of the U.S. health care system. Although …

From Consolidation to Globalization: The Changing Nature of NATO Partnerships

What is the vision for NATO today? On July 4, 2012 NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen outlined his vision: A NATO that derives its strength and vitality from engaging …