How Trump's terrorist designation of Iran's revolutionary guard impacts its economy

Sanam Vakil was interviewed by CNBC on the US designation of Iran's revolutionary guard as a terrorist organization. "The symbolism is very important here. The Trump administration is upping the ante... because their policy as it stands today has yet to see any change in Iranian behavior," said Vakil. " However, "The current pressure campaign will definitely not produce a change in behavior," she added, as "Iran is also doubling down.”

Democracies in Peril

Justin Frosini will participate in a Roundtable Discussion on the topic of Alternatives to Democracy during an event titled Democracies in Peril to take place at the Boston College Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy at Brighton. The conference aims to bring together leading scholars of democracy, populism, and authoritarianism for two events, one to be held in Boston on April 12-13, 2019, one in Tokyo on October 11-12, 2019.

Norm contestation in the digital era: campaigning for refugee rights

Nina Hall recently published an article that seeks to fill the gap in International Relations (IR) scholarship in regard to the role of digital advocacy organizations in norm contestation. The article explores the responses of three digital advocacy organizations in Australia, the UK and Ireland to increasing number of refugees worldwide.

Can Sánchez's Eight-Point Roadmap strengthen European reform?

Marcus Walsh-Führing penned an opinion piece in E!Sharp looking into Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's European reform proposals in the context of a tough general election battle approaching later this month. "If he is able to overcome the odds, his reform agenda would position Spain in the centre of the political discussion on the direction of European integration," says Walsh-Führing.

IACL NYC Roundtable: 'A Passion for Civil Liberties: Building on the Legacy of Norman Dorsen'

Susanna Mancini participated in a roundtable on Contemporary Challenges and Perspectives on Freedom of Speech during and International Association of Constitutional Law event held in New York City. The event, hosted at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, focused on civil liberties and honored the legacy of Norman Dorsen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union.

New TPP expansion: Do you want an opportunity? (in Chinese)

Michael Plummer was interviewed by the Chinese financial and business newspaper Caixin recently about China's role in the new TPP expansion. "If China is not joining the CPTPP, it will be impacted by the trade and investment diversion effect, especially if CPTPP keeps expanding," said Plummer. That being said, China could take a lead in international trade by joining the CPTPP and such a system could encourage China's domestic reforms and the reform of the WTO.

Erik Jones on Brexit

Erik Jones joined Knowledge@Wharton on SiriusXM Radio to share his latest insights on Brexit as the UK's departure date draws near and Prime Minister May offered her resignation in exchange for a deal. Jones was joined in the discussion by Harold James, Director of the Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society at Princeton University.

Brazil: Boom, Bust and the Road to Recovery

Alessandro Merli authored a chapter in the International Monetary Fund publication entitled "Brazil: Boom, Bust and the Road to Recovery." Merli investigates the similarities Brazil's Operation Lava Jato and the lessons learned from Italy's Mani Pulite inquiry of the 1990s. Both Italy and Brazil demonstrate cases where corruption penetrated the highest levels of the political and business establishments.

La 'Belt and Road' in chiave italiana e la strategia cinese sui porti europei (In Italian)

Simone Tagliapietra outlined the strategy behind Italy's decision to collaborate with China via the One Belt, One Road Initiative despite European concerns. Tagliapietra discusses what the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Italy and China last week means, especially in regard to infrastructure investment including Italian ports.

Insecurity, Identity Politics, and the Restructuring of the Middle East

Raffaella Del Sarto's latest essay has been published as part of the Project on Middle East Political Science focusing on insecurity, identity politics, and the restructuring of the Middle East. Del Sarto discusses themes related to rise of ethno-religious politics, insecurity and fear in periods of transition, and lessons learned from identity politics beyond the Middle East.