Dangerous Territory for US Democracy, Cities' Climate Progress, and More

September 24, 2022

Why federalism has become risky for American democracy

State and local governments have long been considered “laboratories of democracy” that ensure valuable innovation. But the country has recently entered a risky new phase that pits blue and red jurisdictions against one another. Darrell West explains the dangerous new territory U.S. democracy finds itself in.

Exploring gaps in city climate planning

The past year has demonstrated that the U.S. federal government can do its part in providing resources to combat climate change—the question now is whether cities are well-positioned to take advantage of these resources. A new report by Joseph Kane, Adie Tomer, Caroline George, and Jamal Russell Black outlines ways to help local and regional leaders develop and execute lasting climate action plans.

Biden should embrace the UN’s sustainable development goals

A strong commitment by the United States to achieve the sustainable development goals would benefit Americans at home while helping Washington exercise leadership in the global community, argue Elizabeth Cousens and Tony Pipa.

Read in Foreign Policy

Timely foreign policy conversations

The protests in Iran. The death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests over compulsory veiling and days of significant unrest throughout Iran. Suzanne Maloney, Maziar Bahari, and Aida Ghajar unpacked what is happening in the country.

Pakistan’s devastating floods. Thousands are dead, millions are stranded and hungry, and around a third of the country is under water. On Twitter Spaces, Madiha Afzal, Huma Yusuf, and Arifa Noor discussed the impact of climate change on Pakistan and how the government is handling it.

The Russia-Ukraine war. In the first annual Knight Forum on Geopolitics, experts from across Brookings took stock of the dynamics of the war more than six months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the state of European security, and the implications for global security at large.

The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.

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