Existing models of U.S. politics are wrong. Here’s how the system really works.

A broken U.S. public sphere, QAnon’s resilience amid disappointment, and how to eavesdrop on policymaking conversations.

The outgoing secretary of state prioritized his political ambitions over America’s interests.

Brazil’s “Tropical Trump” is laying the groundwork to discredit his country’s electoral process.

Adversaries are already leveraging Wednesday’s indelible images of chaos for propaganda purposes.

Trump’s actions on Wednesday have led to an unavoidable national reckoning.

What needs to happen next if U.S. democracy is to survive.

Lessons from democracy-building efforts abroad for use at home.

Trump failed because key Republicans backed down and the military stayed out—yet critical questions remain.

As Congress hangs in the balance, Obama’s national security advisor explains how a president can deal with a less than cooperative legislature.

Rebuilding Republican credibility in national security will require an honest look at Trumpism—and a return to our party’s foreign-policy principles.

France is going to have a harder time selling “strategic autonomy” without the foil of the Trump administration to drive it.

The U.S. president-elect laid out most of his national security team even as more Republicans abandoned Trump and his legal battles over the election results.

But it won’t be a “great bonanza.”

The outgoing president continues to spread falsehoods about fraud, even as the recently fired Chris Krebs calls the elections ‘the most secure’ in history.

Populist authoritarians don’t usually leave through the ballot box. The Democrats’ success offers lessons for others.

Refusing to concede and start the transition creates mostly hindrances, not disasters. But on key issues, obstructing Biden puts America in danger.

Lawmakers are redoubling efforts to ensure all countries can get essential medical equipment during the pandemic despite ramped-up U.S. sanctions.

Europeans are relieved by Biden’s victory but will be very disappointed if they don’t heed the lessons of the past four years.

America’s democracy demotion, U.N. peacemaking in the age of plague, and Biden’s Putin challenge.

His new financial advisors include some of the toughest proponents of banking regulation from the 2008 financial crisis.

Once a country loses its sense of national identity, a national unraveling is often not far behind.

Pro-democracy groups and foreign governments should be calling out Donald Trump’s attack on the country’s core democratic institutions. They aren’t.

A dive into Chinese-language media offers some clues.

Biden’s final picks could ultimately hinge on two runoff Senate races in Georgia, which will determine who controls the upper chamber.

And why this year’s dumpster fire is so dangerous.

Normally, they’d already be landing inside government agencies, preparing for a smooth transfer of power—but can’t yet as Trump levels unfounded claims about election fraud.

As Putin refuses to congratulate Biden, all eyes in the Kremlin are on the president-elect’s new team.

The costs of being orphaned in the Americas is too great to snub him forever.

Major world leaders are reaching out to the U.S. president-elect as Pompeo claims there will be a “smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”

Netanyahu has a wish list for the lame-duck president while Trump has a score to settle with Biden.

International election monitors have proven ways to verify a disputed vote. Could they work in the United States?

Some leaders are breaking ranks with the majority of world leaders in the hopes that Trump will somehow cling to power.

A new administration points to a resolution of some thorny bilateral disputes—but could threaten Moon Jae-in’s cherished rapprochement with the North.

U.S. defense cooperation with India is one thing Democratic and Republican administrations agree on.

Bolsonaro needs Trumpism to rally his base, but he might need Biden’s America even more.

The abrupt news after Trump’s electoral defeat follows months of tensions between the U.S. president and his secretary of defense.

Biden will inherit a tax system rigged to deepen inequality. He’ll need corporate America’s help to fix it.

Trump was a much weaker potential autocrat than others have faced.

In today’s Democratic Party, inheriting Obama’s economic legacy may be a burden, not a benefit.

The country is treating the outcome of the U.S. election as an opportunity—and a potential threat.

Biden will shift focus in the Middle East, but Israeli-Arab normalization will continue.

Trump’s brand of populist conservatism had little appeal north of the border, but leaves a legacy of U.S.-style race politics.

Democrats on the continent are eager to have a U.S. ally again, but the new administration will have to deliver at home as well.

It’s time the United States and Europe start taking their democracies more seriously.

Right-wing leader Janez Jansa called the election early—for the wrong side.

The damage done to the U.S. reputation may take years to repair.

European allies who regularly clashed with Trump were among the first to applaud the U.S. president-elect on his victory. Now even the president's closest friends abroad are joining in.

For all his flaws, there has never been a better deal-maker on Capitol Hill, colleagues say.

A preview of the foreign-policy battle that’s looming over Joe Biden’s presidency.

The U.S. stance toward any future Scottish independence referendum could be crucial.

President Trump’s legal team is challenging the results in several states.

Election chaos could be a boon for U.S. adversaries, what Europe’s anti-lockdown protesters really want, and musings on the state of the nation.

A split government could present the Biden administration with some hard choices about the scope of its own authority.

Bush assembled a high-powered legal team. Trump is relying mostly on cronies.

The Democratic nominee could win as many electoral votes as Trump did four years ago.

Continued Republican control of the Senate threatens to forestall both progressive cabinet picks and progressive policies.

Obama won hearts all over the world, but people have been burned twice now.

Right-wing Chinese American groups have already conjured up conspiracies.

Going digital would ensure faster results, easing concerns about legitimacy and providing a productive role for big tech.

The pseudonymous leader of the conspiracy theory hasn’t posted for days.

No one is more anxious about a potential Biden presidency than Mohammed bin Salman.

Beijing may appreciate a less erratic U.S. administration. But it shouldn’t expect Biden to be more pliable.

A split government would make it harder, but there are many things a president can do.

Outreach programs and a hard-line attitude persuaded communities with long Republican ties.

Washington will not return as the champion of the global trading system. But it may stop being its biggest foe.

With Kamala Harris in the West Wing, Modi’s opponents in India may suddenly gain leverage.

The former vice president contributed to a legacy of failed wars in the Middle East. Can he fix it?

The president railed against “illegal votes” and “suppression polls” he thinks helped steal the election from him.

Trump claimed victory yet again and said he was being cheated—with no evidence. Biden, with a likelier path to victory, says, “Every vote must be counted.”

As U.S. states count votes, are foreign states seeking to undermine American interests from East Asia to East Africa?

Under a potential Biden administration, protectionism may be more targeted and subtle—but it isn’t going anywhere.

The U.S. presidential election came off with little evidence of outside interference—but plenty of internal confusion.

Experts say there’s little chance they could actually affect the results—but they could affect the nation.

Catholics were the first scapegoats of the new republic, but others followed.

Biden or Trump, Massive Immediate Spending Is Probably Off the Table

America, unlike most democracies, maintains barriers to ex-felons voting, which affects millions.

Claims of fraud, premature declarations of victory, and battles over Sharpies are par for the course—in Kabul.

This was no repudiation of Trumpism, making it harder for the party to heal and return to its strengths.

Conservative commentators dislike Biden, but they’re a minority.

An uncertain U.S. presidency creates the risk of opportunism, but the dangers are too high for Beijing.

By casting his lot with Trump, the U.K. prime minister now looks like yesterday’s man. He is in for a rude awakening.

Mature democracies don’t treat political opponents as wartime enemies.

Saudi Arabia went all-in for Trump—and might be about to reap the consequences.

The continent’s populists have run out of momentum—and are looking for an unlikely boost from across the Atlantic.

The options are either an ineffective pandemic response—or an utterly catastrophic one.

They may admire Trump’s pugilism toward China, but the former vice president may have more to offer.

Trump put unprecedented strain on the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

Lawsuits by the Republican Party are criticized as specious.

Many thought 2016 was a fluke. That’s impossible to argue now.

If he wins the White House, the Democrat will need all his skills to reach across the aisle and avoid political paralysis.

Americans have no point of comparison for the coronavirus.

Trump’s most dedicated supporters are going into a spiral online.

The world’s largest democracy might have some lessons to offer the oldest democracy on how to conduct an election.

In younger democracies, disputes about the results may be more common, but in mature democracies like the United States, the loser should have reason to step aside.

Biden’s ambitious domestic and international agenda will be stymied by a Senate the Democrats failed to win.

The 2020s will be a decade of political evolution and realignment, no matter who wins this election.

The election has been called an “attack on the nerves”—and Trump’s statements have been dubbed an “attempted coup.”

Try as they might, pollsters can never account for one thing: human psychology.

For the Scottish National Party, Trump is an easy target—and a way to bash Brexiteers at home.

The world, like the United States, is in limbo. But one thing is clear: 2016 was not an aberration.

Regional media is covering the U.S. elections much like we covered theirs.

Papers don’t want to give the impression Beijing is taking a side.

Decriminalization measures have won across the United States.

What Angela Merkel’s approach to a blustering incumbent can teach us about America’s political crisis today.

There wasn’t any blue wave for House Democrats looking to pad their majority.

Divided government could mean four years of financial instability and stagnation.

The president is drawing from an authoritarian playbook—but it’s important to consider which kind.

Despite polls suggesting he would beat the president, the Democratic candidate finds himself in a tight contest.

The state was a must-win for the president, and he prevailed thanks in part to broad support from Cuban Americans and other Latino voters.

The South Carolina senator is a key defender on the right of U.S. foreign aid.

Neither U.S. presidential option is great for Tokyo.

Burned by 2016, leaders are cautious about vocally favoring Democrats.

Officials and observers say widely anticipated interference has not materialized.

Record voter turnout is expected in the United States. How does it stack up?

Few Americans have any idea how exotic their election process is.

The U.S. president is seen as a failure—but that helps China.

Beijing often places more importance on structural trends than presidential personalities.

Many adherents of the conspiracy theory believe Trump’s victory is preordained.

U.S. foreign policy has been thrown for a loop over the course of the 2020 presidential campaign. Our reporters recount some of the highlights—or lowlights.

Sensing Trump is on the way out, Israel, the UAE, and Turkey are trying to squeeze as much out of the United States as they can now.

Regional coverage has focused on the prospect of all-too-familiar chaos.

What to expect from the next four years, regardless of who wins the vote.

In the short term, progress on vaccines may matter more than any particular president. In the long term, though, it’s the government’s relationship with the economy that will be key.

Europeans don’t like Trump—but they’re also not sure what they think about the United States at all.

The main goal of foreign adversaries is to sow distrust in U.S. democracy itself—and they have an ally in the White House.

Good riddance to a superspreading coronavirus election campaign.

Settler leaders are openly praying for Trump, but Netanyahu is more cagey.

The global economy is in bad shape—and Big Capital knows that only a blue wave can start fixing it.

In 2016, Trump triumphed in places where inequality is lower but economies are more stagnant. But now inequality is rising everywhere.

Most Russians are afraid a President Biden would bring a chill in relations, but insiders hold a more nuanced view.

For the first time, the United Nations is warning staffers of how to deal with disturbances after a U.S. election.

They don’t have great hopes for Biden—but they’re desperate for a change in Washington.

From talks with Kim Jong Un to the fate of the U.S. troop deployment there, Tuesday’s election could be critical to a key U.S. ally in Asia.

Donald Trump Jr. thinks Trumpism is far more popular globally than it actually is.

Trump’s insults and ideological closeness to Marine Le Pen have left a bitter taste.

Trump has showered Netanyahu with foreign-policy favors, but a Biden win could be a harsh wake-up call for Israelis.

An early declaration of the election result from a partisan network—on the left or right—could trigger violence in the United States.

Corruption, oligarchs, and media concentration have weakened Bulgarian democracy.

History suggests that post-election crisis is coming for Americans—both at home and abroad.

Our reporters guide you on what to watch—and what to watch out for.

Whoever wins, the United States’ democratic model is already shattered.

On substance and style, authoritarians see an ally in the White House—and hope to keep him there.

The country’s entrenched elite could help a new U.S. administration achieve its regional goals—while sacrificing its citizens.

At the State Department, Pentagon, and other agencies, some senior officials can’t take four more years.

At the State Department, Pentagon, and other agencies, some senior officials can’t take four more years.

The community leans toward the Democratic Party, but the ‘American Bolsonaro’ could make inroads.

Trump had success focusing on the region’s authoritarians, but the next administration will need to get back to basics.

Israelis are watching the U.S. presidential race almost as closely as Americans.

There is now a widespread belief that their big neighbor is headed for a sociopolitical meltdown no matter who wins.

Whether Biden wins or Trump pulls off an upset could have big implications for Iran, Israel, and the rest of the Middle East.

Both Biden and Trump have pledged to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. But the Taliban have a vote, too.

The cloud of fear and foreboding that was hanging over Israel in 1995 is similar to the anxious political climate of America today.

The American public is already confused. China, Iran, and Russia may now get more creative with their election meddling.

Either Trump or Biden would face a stalled diplomatic situation when it comes to Venezuela.

Only three elected incumbent presidents in the last century have lost reelection. Polls suggest Trump will be the fourth, but the memories of 2016 have made pollsters leery.

At least three groups will be closely monitoring the voting process for even more signs of trouble.

Only three elected incumbent presidents in the last century have lost reelection. Polls suggest Trump will be the fourth, but the memories of 2016 have made pollsters leery.

Internecine tensions within the Democratic Party have been tamped down to defeat Trump—but that truce could be over Wednesday.

Why President Fernandez is hoping for Joe Biden to win the U.S. election.

China’s growing influence in Latin America and climate change will both continue to shape the future of the bilateral relationship.

Both Trump and Biden are winging it when it comes to economic theory—but so are economists, who have yet to get their theoretical house in order.

A continued stalemate in Washington makes this a moment of great danger for Europe.

Used to monitoring elections in fragile states overseas, the Carter Center is turning its attention for the first time to U.S. elections.

Young Cuban Americans have turned the internet into a political battlefield in this must-win swing state, but the Cuban American vote is even more pro-Trump now than in 2016.

Restoring a common purpose with Canada and Mexico is the lowest-hanging fruit in U.S. foreign policy.

Americans expect election-related instability in faraway countries. Here’s how it could happen at home.

Young Americans will be voting in huge numbers. They are also the most globally minded generation since the 1970s.

Regardless of who wins next week, Afghans feel neither Trump nor Biden will do anything for Afghanistan—they just hope the next president completes the U.S. withdrawal.

The backlash against “forever wars” is no reason to abandon Iraq. Just don’t measure U.S. engagement by the number of troops.

From suffering U.S. farmers to the pain inflicted on the developing world, everything about U.S. agriculture policy is dysfunctional. The next administration can do better.

What to Know Before–and After–You Go to the Polls

It’s neither a coincidence, nor a problem, that both candidates for America’s highest office are so old.

The next president should move swiftly to reassure allies that the U.S. nuclear guarantee remains credible—or risk rapid nuclear proliferation.

By painting Biden as a far-left sympathizer, Trump is getting a late-election bounce with Florida’s normally Democratic-leaning Colombian community.

Biden’s foreign-policy gatekeepers tell diplomats to hold their calls—until they’re in charge.

Created for another age, Washington’s foreign-policy institutions have atrophied. The next administration should rebuild and reshape them.

A veteran observer of elections in troubled countries describes the undeniable parallels.

With the world on fire from Thailand to Nigeria, there wasn’t much talk of international affairs in the final debate of the 2020 campaign—and when there was, both candidates defended flawed approaches to North Korea.

Many in the community worry that Trump’s anti-China rhetoric is fueling hate crimes.

Tough on China or not, a second term would only spell more misery for Tibetans and other communities victimized by Beijing.

Some hard-won active advice for staging a national vote during a pandemic.

Missing in the current U.S. debate on China is the question of Asian nationalism and how the United States could profitably align with it.

Faced with accusations that his family is corrupt, the Democratic challenger gives as good as he gets from Trump.

A survey of academics underscores sharp divergences on key issues but expects bipartisan alignment next year on China, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism.

Transatlantic relations are at a low point. But there are reasons why even Trump might want to mend them.

Confrontation with Iran almost dragged the United States into war. Détente would benefit all sides.

America’s second-largest immigrant group mostly supports Democratic candidates, but support for Trump has grown since the 2016 election.

Once solid red, Georgia has become a battleground state in part due to its growing Latino population—and rampant anger at Trump’s immigration policies.

Trump's foreign-policy instincts might be more sound—but he has forfeited the chance to lead.

For all the talk of a new administration boldly reengaging with the world after four years of “America first,” Trump’s strategic retrenchment can only be the start.

Misinformation is hyperlocal. Attempts to counter it should be, too.

The global financial crisis was just the prelude to what could be coming next. The next administration better be ready.

In a crucial state like Michigan, Joe Biden will have to convince skeptical Palestinians that he won’t leave them in the lurch—again.

Biden and Trump are debating who is the bigger China hawk. Instead, the next administration should learn from the Cold War to defuse the rivalry.

U.S. policy to contain China will require a lot more continuity with Trump than Biden’s backers would like to admit.

Across much of the world—including one remote Nigerian village—the availability of family planning will largely depend on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Election chaos, social unrest, and weak institutions make the United States too risky for a developed economy.