Graham Allison
Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Faculty Chair, Dubai Initiative
Member of the Board
Contact:
Telephone: (617) 496-6099
Fax: (617) 495-8963
Email: graham_allison@harvard.edu
May 31, 2000
ABCs of ABM and Missile Defense
Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Re-ignition of heated debate about missile defense, the ABM Treaty, and another arms race befuddles many normal Americans. Can these cold-war relics really dominate President Clinton's agenda in his first meeting with Russia's new president next month in Moscow?
April 24, 2000
Graham Allison and Sam Nunn Op-Ed: Chance for a Safer World
Press Release
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Despite a decade of effort, the risks of loose nukes are larger today than they were when these efforts began. U.S. programs have had positive results, but declines in Russia's economy and in the government's ability to control anything--from money to nuclear materials--has had larger negative consequences. The good news is that Russians are ready to engage in more joint efforts to secure Russia's nuclear materials.
March 27, 2000
The Real Putin
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
The central question for Russia-watchers today is: Who is Putin? Even among fellow KGB spooks in his first profession, Putin earned a reputation for being "secretive." He personifies Winston Churchill's characterization of Russia: "A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."
March 27, 2000
Transcript of Graham Allison Interview on 'Talk of the Nation' (National Public Radio)
Media Interview Transcripts
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Yesterday Russia elected a new president, Vladimir Putin. The former KGB agent is just 47 and is best known for his harsh tactics in dealing with rebels in Chechnya. Putin has been acting president since January, when Boris Yeltsin resigned. He got 52 percent of the vote yesterday, and in a surprise, a Communist candidate received nearly 30 percent of the vote in the former Communist nation. In a midnight press conference Putin interpreted the sizable Communist vote as a protest by the Russian people. He said they are displeased by the current state of life in Russia. In his campaign, Putin made no promises about what he will do to improve their lives, but the nation's social welfare system is in trauma, with high levels of alcoholism, prostitution, and a very high death rate. The nation's banking and judicial systems are dysfunctional and corruption is widespread.
December 21, 1999
The 'Democratic Presumption' is Taking Hold in Russia
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Sunday's stunning victory for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his supporters in the new Unity Party surprised most observers. Just three months ago when Russian President Boris Yeltsin made Putin prime minister, knowledgeable Muscovites dismissed the Kremlin entourage as politically spent. It was judged too corrupt and too incompetent to matter.
April 25, 1999
Could the US and Russia Wind Up at War?
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
>Could NATO's current bombing campaign against Serbia lead to deadly conflict between the United States and Russian military forces? Until last week, my answer was a categorical no. But then I went to Moscow.
April 25, 1999
Could the US and Russia Wind up at War?
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Could NATO's current bombing campaign against Serbia lead to deadly conflict between the United States and Russian military forces? Until last week, my answer was a categorical no. But then I went to Moscow
January 1999
Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis, 2nd ed.
Book
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School and Philip D. Zelikow, Former Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Former Faculty Affiliate, International Security Program
The single best volume analyzing the defining moment in the nuclear age, the original edition of Essence of Decision is a classic work that has influenced generations of students, scholars, and policy makers. The new edition of this best-selling text includes comprehensive synthesis of all new evidence — including recently declassified Kennedy tapes and Soviet files. Not only revised, but completely rewritten, the new edition provides deeper and clearer answers to an enduring question: how should citizens understand the actions of their governments?
1999
Russia Votes Symposium: Graham Allison on Russian Elections
Event Report
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Some of you may remember Yevgenii Primakov’s last comment to the Duma before he was unceremoniously dismissed. This is a true statement. He said “Your lives will be bad, but not long.” I think you could make this comment about the election. It has not been good, but fortunately, it will not be long.
August 31, 1998
Why Russia's Meltdown Matters
Op-Ed, Washington Post
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
For Americans watching the deepening economic crisis in Russia, the most important question is why it matters to us. Given modest levels of U.S. investment and trade and muffled impacts on American markets, Russia's crisis would be important, but no more so than earlier crises in Korea and Indonesia. But Russia is not Indonesia. The reason why Russia's meltdown matters for Americans is much more specific and potentially catastrophic. As an economic crisis accelerates the disintegration of authority in Russia, history has left a superpower arsenal.
