(-) Backgrounder
A Unique Military Force: The U.S. National Guard
The National Guard is a special part of the U.S. military that answers to both state governors and the president. In some instances, how leaders have used the Guard has generated controversy, particu…
Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu
The Role of the UN Secretary-General
The United Nations' top leadership position has broad authority to steer the organization's agenda, but its impact has varied widely since 1946.
Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization
U.S. strategic and tactical nuclear weapons on land, in the air, and at sea, will undergo costly and extensive modernization in the coming years.
Backgrounder by Ankit Panda
The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games
The costs of hosting the Olympics have skyrocketed, while the economic benefits are far from clear. This has led to fewer states interested in playing host and a search for options to lighten the bur…
Backgrounder by James McBride
U.S. Foreign Policy Powers: Congress and the President
The separation of powers has spawned a great deal of debate over the roles of the president and Congress in foreign affairs, as well as over the limits on their respective authorities, explains this …
Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters
European Foreign Policy and the Euro Crisis
The eurozone crisis has consequences far beyond the continent's economic performance, such as the EU's ability to forge coherent defense and foreign policy.
Backgrounder by Jeanne Park
The Dodd-Frank Act
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank"), signed into law in July 2010, is one of the most significant regulatory reform measures since the Great Depression.
Backgrounder by Steven J. Markovich Renewing America
Pakistan's New Generation of Terrorists
Pakistan has emerged as a sanctuary for some of the world's most violent groups, including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and homegrown militants, that threaten the stability of Pakistan as well as the regio…
Backgrounder by Zachary Laub
Iraq: The war's price tag
This publication is now archived. How much has the war in Iraq cost?Congress has so far appropriated about $123 billion for the war in Iraq in addition to the military's standard operating expenses c…
Backgrounder by Paul Tagliabue
National Conventions and U.S. Foreign Policy
U.S. presidential nominating conventions often touch on national security and foreign policy, but don't always signal the direction of a winning candidate's policy, explains this Backgrounder.
Backgrounder by Toni Johnson
Stephen C. Freidheim Symposium
Stephen Sestanovich
George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Stephen D. Biddle
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy
Mira Rapp-Hooper
Stephen A. Schwarzman Senior Fellow for Asia Studies
Jendayi E. Frazer
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Studies
Robert E. Rubin
Chairman Emeritus; Former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury
Heidi Crebo-Rediker