Political Issues

                              The Middle East Peace Process: A Long Road to Stability The Middle East was never a safe place geographically, and it is in a record level of instability regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue. It has decades-long peace processes in place for trying to finish the disagreement, but so far, there has not yet appeared a mechanism through which it might be the ultimate solution. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is based on issues such as claims to land, religion, and historical grievances that may render it one of the most contentious issues in history. There have been some recent positive developments, such as the Abraham Accords, which consecrated it for Israel to have official business relations with several of the Arab states. Recognitions by diplomacy after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were initiated by diplomatic recognitions with Israel, a political realignment of the Mid...

                  The Future of Democracy in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities African politics are just as diverse as the African peoples, and African countries have been taking various paths when it comes to governance and issues of democracy. Whereas there has been considerable achievement on issues of democratization by some chosen African countries since the post-1990s, others are bogged down by autocracy, political instability, and war. Amongst some of the most serious problems in the continent is the persistence of autocratic leaders who manipulate elections to stay in office. Some of the longest reigning leaders in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Uganda have been accused of using violence, intimidation, and constitutional changes to continue staying in office. These have resulted in huge protests and oppositions but the fight for democracy is usually met with intransigence. But there are also gleaming success stories. Ghana and Botswana ar...

The U.S. and China Trade War: A Battle of Tariffs and Global Power The US-China trade war that escalated most during the presidency of Donald Trump is thus far one of the most significant economic and political events of the 21st century. The Donald Trump administration had imposed billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods, arguing that China's trade practices of intellectual property theft and currency manipulation were unfair. China struck back by levying taxes on U.S. imports, i.e., agricultural products, and a cycle of escalating tensions was driven through global markets. Trump's "America First" policy was intended to protect American workers, including those who work in factories, and reduce the nation's trade deficit. American industries have been positively impacted by these tariffs in the short run with fewer competitors, but other stakeholders, including consumers, paid the price through higher prices of imported Chinese goods. Farmer...

                         The Rise of Populism in Europe: A Shift in Political Landscapes Over the last ten years, Europe has witnessed the populist powers rising against the rules of the mighty political institutions. Populist powers, long controlled by authoritarian politicians, have had tremendous successes in Italy, Hungary, Poland, and France. European populism is defined by an anti-elitist crusade where the leaders have taken to the streets against immigration, globalization, and the failures of the EU. The best case in point is that of Italy's Matteo Salvini, the leader of the nation's far-right League party and whose anti-EU and anti-immigration rhetorical salvos have drawn both adoration and derision. The same holds true of Hungary's Viktor Orbán, the EU's most vocal critic when it comes to issues of immigration as well as going above and beyond in efforts to restrict democratic liberty within Hungary. In Poland, p...