US DOMESTIC POLITICS
AP Photo
July 27, 2008
"The way forward for Fannie and Freddie"
Op-Ed, Financial Times
By Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor
Lawrence Summers explains the Treasury's rescue plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how it will impact the housing crisis.
AP Photo
July 15, 2008
"'08's Emotional IQ Tests"
Op-Ed, Los Angeles Times
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"You can't fake emotional intelligence, but it does require some of the same skill possessed by good actors. Ronald Reagan's screen experience served him well in this regard, and Roosevelt was a master "actor." Despite his pain and difficulty in moving because of polio, he maintained a smiling exterior and was careful about how he was photographed. Critics sometimes fault the Barack Obama or John McCain campaigns for trying to stage-manage their candidates' appearances, but this is nothing new. It has simply gotten much more difficult because unmanaged moments can so easily find their way to YouTube or the blogosphere...."
RichardMasoner
July 14, 2008
A Tax Credit for Volunteerism
Magazine or Newspaper Article, The Louisiana Weekly
Hurricane Katrina devastated our region in 2005. With the help of volunteers, we have been rebuilding. If oil prices rise high enough to make travel unaffordable for volunteers, our resurrection will falter.
AP Photo
July 11, 2008
"Follow the Leader: We Must Go Beyond the 'Big Man' Approach"
Op-Ed, Globe and Mail
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"History is often written in terms of military heroes, but the enormous potential of human leadership ranges from Attila the Hun to Mother Teresa. Most everyday leaders remain unheralded. The role of heroic leadership in war leads to overemphasis of command and control and hard military power. In America today, the presidential debate is between Senator John McCain, a war hero, and Senator Barack Obama, a former community organizer.
The image of the warrior leader lingers in modern times. Writer Robert Kaplan points to the birth of a new "warrior class as cruel as ever and better armed," ranging from Russian Mafiosi and Latin American drug kingpins to terrorists who glorify violence just as ancient Greeks did in the sacking of Troy....Indeed, an oversimplified image of warrior-style leadership in President George W. Bush's first term caused costly setbacks for America's role in the world...."
July 2008
"Toward a Post-Kyoto Climate Change Architecture: A Political Analysis"
Discussion Paper
By Robert O. Keohane and Kal Raustiala
"Any international agreement to address climate change must rest on broad public support in developed nations for mitigation actions. We propose an international climate architecture that builds on such public support — which we hope will be forthcoming — and uses multilateral international institutions to extend its effects to countries without such "green" publics."
May 20, 2008
"Israel's Friends and the Path to Peace"
Op-Ed, The New York Times
By John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs; Faculty Chair, International Security Program
This letter was written in response to Jeffrey Goldberg's op-ed, "Israel's 'American Problem' " which was published on May 18, 2008.
May 10, 2008
"Hillary and the Gender Wars"
Op-Ed, Newsweek
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"Hillary Clinton's tenacious presidential campaign—holding on after the pundits have declared her finished—has focused attention on the important issue of women and leadership. From her unexpected tears in New Hampshire in February to her expertise on defense to her dogged refusal to cave under pressure, Clinton is challenging old stereotypes and sparking a national conversation on a key question: does gender still matter when it comes to picking the president? The old stereotypes maintain that men favor the hard power of command, while women are more collaborative and intuitively understand the soft power of attraction. Most Americans still tend to describe leadership in traditionally male terms. But studies show that successful leadership may now require what was once considered a "feminine" style...."
May 6, 2008
"The Mystery of Political Charisma"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"Followers are more likely to attribute charisma to leaders when they feel a strong need for change, often in the context of a personal, organizational or social crisis. For example, the British public did not see Winston Churchill as a charismatic leader in 1939, but a year later, his vision, confidence and communications skills made him charismatic in the eyes of the British people, given the anxieties they felt after the fall of France to the Nazis and the Dunkirk evacuation. Yet by 1945, when the public turned from winning the war to building the welfare state, Churchill was voted out of office. His charisma did not predict his defeat. The change in voters' needs was a better predictor....Barack Obama's charisma is in the eyes of his followers. Voters should be aware that charisma tells them something about a candidate, but even more about themselves, the mood of the country, and their desire for change."
AP Photo
April 15, 2008
"Good Leaders Must Avoid 'Emperor's Trap'"
Op-Ed, New Straits Times
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"Good leaders must manage their inner circle of advisers to ensure an accurate flow of information and influence. They must avoid the "emperor's trap" of hearing only about the beauty of their new clothes. Ironically, George W. Bush, the first president with an MBA, was weaker on this dimension than his father, who knew how to manage an able group of advisers."
AP Photo
April 10, 2008
The Current Economic Situation
Testimony
By Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor
Lawrence Summers testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to discuss solutions to mitigate the rising number of foreclosures occurring across the nation, which have led to turmoil in the mortgage and credit markets.
