Navigating Tensions in the South China Sea: A Multidimensional Analysis

By Megan Wei, University of Chicago The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint for regional tension, with competing territorial claims at the heart of a complex and evolving geopolitical struggle. Stretching from the Strait of Malacca to the Strait of Taiwan, this vital waterway includes hundreds of islands,

The Risks of Quantum Supremacy

By Daniel Maresca, University of Chicago Quantum computing—a revolutionary technology positioned to benefit society through streamlined problem-solving, advanced simulations, and innovations in fields like healthcare and materials science—presents more risks than benefits when examined from a national security perspective.[1] The unparalleled capabilities threaten the dismantling of existing

Eradication vs. Abandonment: Changing Community Social Norms Around FGM

By Kacey Archer, University of Chicago Humanitarian intervention is often caught between two frequently conflicting ideals: universal human rights and a society’s entitlement to cultural autonomy. In some cases, the rights of an individual and the rights of a community appear to be so deeply incompatible that addressing inhumane

Afghanistan and the Myth of an “Orderly” Withdrawal

By Omar Abdelrahman, University of Texas at Austin On August 15, Americans watched in horror as Taliban pickup trucks covered in white flags flooded the streets of Kabul, marking the tragic end of America’s longest war. The eyes of the world fixated on the heartbreaking scenes of Afghans hanging

Is Paul Kagame’s Rwanda on the Brink of Authoritarianism?

By Tom Smee, University of Chicago Arsenal Football Club, one of the world’s biggest sports teams, has retained the same jersey sponsor since 2018: “Visit Rwanda”. This unique sponsorship is symbolic of Rwanda’s decades-long push to rapidly grow the economy through tourism and other non-resource-intensive sectors, especially in

Industrial-Military Ambition: The PRC's Strategic Cyber Offensive

By Seth Poling, University of Chicago Introduction  Cyberspace has become embedded in the fabric of large swaths of the globe. Individual actors, groups, and governments use cyberspace to store, process, and transmit billions of data points daily. Some of these data are more valuable than others. Consider a firm’s

The New Détente: Driving a Wedge Between Russia and China

By Sam Hagood, University of Chicago Over a thousand days have passed since Putin sent his first troops into Ukraine. The Ukrainian conflict has since claimed the lives of millions; its hunger for materiel and men draws in superpowers and neighbors alike. Allies have shipped ammunition, adversaries have cried foul

The Philosopher King’s Policies: Assessing the Long-Term Impact of Mano Dura on El Salvador and the Americas

By Henry Jacobs, University of Chicago In 2017, then 36-year-old mayor of San Salvador, Nayib Bukele threw an apple at a member of his former party in a closed-door meeting. He was expelled from the party, only to create his own party, Nuevas Ideas, and win the 2019 El Salvador

For Germany's Green Party, the 50-Year Dream to End Nuclear Power Ends in a Nightmare

By Sam Fisher, University of Chicago It has been a little over a year since Germany’s Green Party killed all of their country’s nuclear energy, and keeping that promise may kill their electoral future too. Germany’s Green Party has been fighting for the end of nuclear energy

CJFP Winter 2024 Journal

The editorial board is pleased to present the Winter 2024 issue of the Chicago Journal of Foreign Policy. This issue, our first in over a year, would not have been possible without the hard work of our staff at the University, and contributors both at the University and across the

Realism and Regionalism: The United States in a Multipolar World

By Michael F. Duggan, Ph.D. This article appeared in CJFP's Winter 2024 publication. Introduction Successful imperialism wins wealth. Yet, historically, successful empires such as Persia, Rome, Byzantium, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, have not remained rich.  Indeed, it seems to be the fate of empires to become

Impact of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on Arms Control Efforts

By Andrew Gary, University of North Carolina This article appeared in CJFP's Winter 2024 publication.  Background Several years prior to the Second World War it had been theorized that through the destruction of civilian cities, air power would be able to win a war on its own. Italian