As the 2012 election reaches fever pitch, Dr. William Inboden takes the time in his recent work to discuss what the U.S. has to be thankful for. Beginning with the basic fact that win or lose the candidates will honor the wishes of the electorate and submit to the authority of the vote without fear of violent reprisal or coup. Second, while the issues that face the U.S. are significant, our existence is not threatened as it was in 1860 before the Civil War, 1940 as WWII approached or during the Cold War when nuclear apocalypse was a very real threat. Finally, in light of the violence in Syria, dubious elections in China and Russia, and suppression in Iran, U.S. citizens are fortunate to have the right to choose their leaders. Dr. Inboden finishes his piece poignantly, “The freedom we have in the United States to choose our own leaders and know that they will honor the democratic process ‘has been bought with a price,’ to invoke the biblical phrase. Let us honor it, and be thankful, as we vote this election day.”

The Strauss Center's Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs Jeremi Suri was honored at the recent football game against West Virginia for being one of the University of Texas at Austin's Professors of Excellence.  The Professors of Excellence program is part of an ongoing effort to promote academics through athletics.  The program has been in place for a number of years and professors are selected by a committee of faculty from the Faculty Council.

The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law and Cornell University Press is pleased to announce the publication of Nuclear Statecraft, by Francis J. Gavin, which challenges key elements of the widely accepted narrative about the history of the atomic age and the consequences of the nuclear revolution. On the basis of recently declassified documents, Gavin reassesses the strategy of flexible response, the influence of nuclear weapons during the Berlin Crisis, the origins of and motivations for U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policy, and the nuclear dangers we face today.

Professor Alan Kuperman, Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar, recently discussed the role of foreign policy in the presidential election with The University of Texas at Austin’s Elections 2012 blog. Professor Kuperman explains how President Obama and Governor Romney differ in their views of America’s place in the world. He then offers an insightful analysis of how the issue of Israel could affect the electoral calculus of the election.

The recent political season has brought back memories of Robert Strauss’s wonderful Texan quotes and role in American politics. An op-ed in the New York Times relates how Robert Strauss’s ability to work with James Baker III saved the presidential debate. In his speech at the democratic convention, Bill Clinton referred to one of Strauss’s jokes about politicians. Strauss’s legacy isn’t limited to domestic policy; a recent article about the elections in Venezuela quotes Strauss’s evaluation of Russian politics.

white house medium
Search News
Sort By Year: