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Promoting healthy lifestyle in Chinese college students: evaluation of a social media-based intervention applying the RE-AIM framework
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Relationship between markers of malnutrition and clinical outcomes in older adults with cancer: systematic review, narrative synthesis and meta-analysis
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Comments on “The role of appetite-related hormones, adaptive thermogenesis, perceived hunger and stress in long-term weight-loss maintenance: a mixed-methods study”
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Placental expression of leptin: fetal sex-independent relation with human placental growth
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Julius Weitzdörfer: Managing the Impact of Nuclear Disasters
Julius Weitzdörfer’s earliest childhood memories are the major global events of 1986—the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and the Chernobyl disaster. Looking back, he realizes that these events must have contributed to shaping his later research interests in managing technological risks.
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A Financial Sanctions Dilemma
Over the last two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of financial sanctions as an instrument of US foreign policy to address security threats ranging from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation and terrorism to human rights violations and transnational crime. Washington’s policymakers have prized these tools for their ability to rapidly apply pressure against foreign targets with few perceived repercussions against American business interests. The problem, however, is that Washington is ignoring a growing tension between financial sanctions designed to support economic statecraft (with non-financial goals) and those designed to protect the international financial system. Confusing the two sends mixed signals to adversaries as well as allies and undermines US credibility and commitment to upholding international banking rules and norms. If Washington cannot reconcile these competing processes, it is unlikely that future administrations will enjoy the same foreign policy levers, leaving the United States at a significant disadvantage.
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We’re In For A Rough Ride With Iran
In a dangerous world, every US use of military force should be backed up by a careful calculation of risks and a strategy to cope with the adversary’s response. Neither risk-balancing nor strategy is apparent in President Trump’s decision to kill Major General Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. With that killing — and Iran’s announcement it would exact a “harsh revenge” — there is a real danger the Middle East will slide even further into the fires of war.
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U.S. and Iranian Choices Are Getting Dangerously Narrow
The smoke is still clearing from the drone strike that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, and from the Iranian retaliation against U.S. bases in Iraq, and any conclusions have to be tentative ones. But the history of U.S.-Iran conflict points to a narrow, and possibly dangerous, set of choices ahead.
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The Strategic Postures of China and India: A Visual Guide
Fueled by aggressive rhetoric from both capitals, Indian and Chinese ground forces engaged in a standoff between June and August 2017. The Doklam crisis, as it became known, stimulated introspection among officials and experts in both states about the future of their relationship. Politically, both strategic communities largely concluded that the peaceful resolution of border disputes is now less likely, forecasting more rivalry than cooperation. Militarily, Indian discussions on the strength of its military position against China in their disputed ground frontier areas have converged on the view that China holds the conventional and nuclear edge over India in this domain.
Based on our analysis of data on the location and capabilities of Indian and Chinese strategic forces and related military units, we conclude that this assessment of the balance of forces may be mistaken and a poor guide for Indian security and procurement policies. We recommend that instead of investing in new nuclear weapons platforms that our analysis suggests are not likely to be required to deter China, New Delhi should improve the survivability of its existing forces and fill the gap in global arms control leadership with an initiative on restraint and transparency.
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Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson
Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.”
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The United States Is Getting Infected With Dictatorship
The coronavirus pandemic has provided an opening for Donald Trump to attack transparency, voting rights, and accountability.
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After Social Distancing, a Strange Purgatory Awaits
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No, the Coronavirus Will Not Change the Global Order
Joseph Nye advises skepticism toward claims that the pandemic changes everything. China won't benefit, and the United States will remain preeminent.
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Getting Smart on Pandemics: Intelligence in the Wake of COVID-19
This episode of Horns of a Dilemma touches on whether the failure to properly anticipate and warn about the novel coronavirus constitutes an intelligence failure, what changes might be required in the intelligence community in the wake of the pandemic, and what type of investigation or inquiry might be appropriate in order to learn lessons and incorporate changes for both the intelligence community and the whole of government moving forward.
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The Global Pandemic Has Spawned New Forms of Activism — and They're Flourishing
The authors have identified nearly 100 distinct methods of nonviolent action that include physical, virtual and hybrid actions.
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There's No Such Thing as Good Liberal Hegemony
Stephen Walt argues that as democracies falter, it's worth considering whether the United States made the right call in attempting to create a liberal world order.
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What Policymakers Should Ask Modelers
With decision-makers relying on a growing torrent of forecasts regarding COVID-19 and other important issues, it is more important than ever that they ask questions about how the projections were made. To use predictive tools more effectively, policymakers should ask four questions in particular.
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This Virus Is Tough, but History Provides Perspective: The 1968 Pandemic and the Vietnam War
Nathaniel L. Moir recounts the events of 1968: The war in Vietnam and extensive civil unrest in the United States — and yet another big problem that made life harder. In 1968, the H3N2 pandemic killed more individuals in the United States than the combined total number of American fatalities during both the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
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How COVID-19 is Testing American Leadership
Joseph Nye suggests that a new U.S. administration might take a leaf from the success of the post-1945 American presidents that are described in Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump. The United States could launch a massive COVID-19 aid program like the Marshall Plan.
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Poll: What the American Public Likes and Hates about Trump's Nuclear Policies
The authors conducted a study which highlights how the U.S. public as a whole and various demographic groups view President Donald Trump's positions on nuclear weapons.
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Why Bernie Sanders Will Win in 2020, No Matter Who Gets Elected
Stephen Walt writes that even though Bernie Sanders is out of the presidential race, the time has come for many of the policies that he promoted: Universal Healthcare; Democratic Socialism; Income Redistribution; and Foreign Policy.
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What I Wish I Had Said on CNN About Trump's 'Lysol and Sunshine' Speech
Joel Clement appeared on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront on April 23, 2020. In this blog post for the Union of Concerned Scientists, he elaborates on what he wishes he had said during that interview.
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Trump Turned the Death Count Into a Story About Himself
Official figures exclude thousands who have died during the pandemic. To draw the right lessons, the United States needs an accurate tally of the victims.
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An Abysmal Failure of Leadership
During times of crisis, the most effective leaders are those who can build solidarity by educating the public about its own interests. Sadly, in the case of COVID-19, the leaders of the world's two largest economies have gone in the opposite direction, all but ensuring that the crisis will deepen.
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Harvard Project on Climate Agreements at COP-25
The Harvard Project on Climate Agreements will conduct two panel events at the Twenty-Fifth Conference of the Parties (COP-25) of the UNFCCC in Madrid, Spain during the week of December 9, 2019. In addition, Professor Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Project, and Professor Joseph Aldy will speak at several events hosted by other organizations.
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Carbon Taxes vs. Cap and Trade: Theory and Practice
How do the two major approaches to carbon pricing compare on relevant dimensions, including efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and distributional equity? This paper addresses this question by drawing on theories of policy instrument choice pertaining to the attributes — or merits — of the instruments.
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HPCA Hosts COP25 Side Event Focused on Reducing GHG Emissions through Carbon Pricing
As negotiators from around the world arrived in Madrid for the second week of the 25th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-25), the Harvard Project on Climate Agreements hosted an official COP side event on Dec. 9 focusing on the potential for reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions through the use of carbon pricing.
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How to Topple Dictators and Transform Society
Nonviolent resistance scholar Erica Chenoweth explains the key ingredients of successful social movements.
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Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases—Book Review
William James reviews Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases edited by Thierry Balzacq, Peter Dombrowski, and Simon Reich (Oxford University Press, 2019).
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H-Diplo Review Essay 192 on Lawson. Anatomies of Revolution
Emily Whalen reviews Anatomies of Revolution by George Lawson (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019).
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How Do Past Presidents Rank in Foreign Policy?
How do presidents incorporate morality into decisions involving the national interest? Moral considerations explain why Truman, who authorized the use of nuclear weapons in Japan during World War II, later refused General MacArthur's request to use them in China during the Korean War. What is contextual intelligence, and how does it explain why Bush 41 is ranked first in foreign policy, but Bush 43 is found wanting? Is it possible for a president to lie in the service of the public interest? In this episode, Professor Joseph S. Nye considers these questions as he explores the role of morality in presidential decision-making from FDR to Trump.
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The COVID-19 Cash Out
Because hand-to-hand exchange of physical currency could transmit the coronavirus, countries around the world are being forced to reconsider the use of cash. In fact, COVID-19 might turn out to be the catalyst that finally brings digital payments fully into the mainstream. Not surprisingly, the digital-payments industry is already focusing on the opportunities created by the crisis.
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COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerates the Rise of Digital Payments
Could using the cash in your pocket have the potential to spread covid-19? That question has rarely appeared in the news, but many governments and leaders in the digital payments industry are wondering how the virus might impact the use of cash. Several countries have already taken drastic measures to limit circulation of bank notes. Could such interventions lead to the end of cash payments?
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U.S. Intervention in Russia-Saudi Impasse Isn't Tenable (Radio)
Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School, former National Security Council advisor, and a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, discusses the oil market plunge, and the Russia-Saudi relationship. Hosted by Lisa Abramowicz and Paul Sweeney.
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How Digital Service Teams are Responding to Covid-19
David Eaves writes that the most significant lesson coming out of the COVID-19 crisis is the importance of having a digital strategy and a technological infrastructure in place at both the national and local levels.
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Factoring Pandemic Risks into Financial Modelling
Today’s economic crisis leaves us with an unsettling and perplexing regret. Why weren’t financial portfolios already adjusted for risks that stem from health events such as pandemics? After all, financial portfolios are adjusted for liquidity risks, market risks, credit risks, and even operational and political risks.
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Oil Markets Provide a Glimpse of the Post-Pandemic Future
Henry Kissinger warns that many existing domestic and international institutions that have helped govern the past decades will not survive the Covid-19 crisis. He is surely correct.
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The Global Pandemic Has Spawned New Forms of Activism — and They're Flourishing
The authors have identified nearly 100 distinct methods of nonviolent action that include physical, virtual and hybrid actions.
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Carmen Reinhart Says Argentina’s Debt Workout Won’t Be Its Last
Argentina’s latest effort to restructure its overseas debt probably won’t be its last, according to Harvard University economist Carmen Reinhart, who has sounded alarms over coming emerging markets crises in Venezuela and Turkey.
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Oil's Collapse Is a Geopolitical Reset In Disguise
The world is on the cusp of a geopolitical reset. The global pandemic could well undermine international institutions, reinforce nationalism and spur de-globalization. But far-sighted leadership could also rekindle cooperation, glimmers of which appeared in the G-20’s offer of debt relief for some of the world’s poorest countries, a joint plea from more than 200 former national leaders for a more coordinated pandemic response and an unprecedented multinational pact to arrest the crash in oil markets.
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What Caused the COVID-19 Testing Deficit?
As the divergent experiences of the US and South Korea show, testing can be the difference between disease containment and catastrophe. Rather than relying on national governments to ensure the rapid development, production, and deployment of diagnostics during outbreaks, the world needs a global coordinating platform.
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Restructuring Argentina’s Private Debt is Essential
Argentina's creditors are being asked to accept a proposal that would reduce their revenue stream but make it sustainable. A responsible resolution will set a positive precedent, not only for Argentina, but for the international financial system as a whole.
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Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson
Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.”
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The United States Is Getting Infected With Dictatorship
The coronavirus pandemic has provided an opening for Donald Trump to attack transparency, voting rights, and accountability.
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After Social Distancing, a Strange Purgatory Awaits
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No, the Coronavirus Will Not Change the Global Order
Joseph Nye advises skepticism toward claims that the pandemic changes everything. China won't benefit, and the United States will remain preeminent.