
Image credit: CNAS
Sharper
The CNAS Sharper series features curated analysis and commentary from CNAS experts on the most critical challenges in U.S. foreign policy. From the future of America's relationship with China to the state of U.S. sanctions policy and more, each collection will draw on the reports, interviews, and other commentaries produced by experts across the Center to explore how America can strengthen its competitive edge.
Read more:
Get caught up on all the previous issues of Sharper.
Sharper: Military Recruitment
With the 50th anniversary of the United States’ All-Volunteer Force this summer, and the current recruiting crisis potentially impacting force readiness, military personnel po...
Sharper: U.S.-ROK Alliance
With the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance this year, a summit between Presidents Biden and Yoon on the horizon, and an increasing emphasis from Washington on security...
Sharper: Iraq
It has been 20 years since the United States began Operation Iraqi Freedom, and over a year since the Biden administration transitioned from a combat mission to an advise-and-...
Sharper: Ukraine One Year Later
Immediately after President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the general consensus was that Ukrainian forces would be overwhelmed in a matter of days. O...
Sharper: Critical Technology
Critical technologies promise to upend traditional understandings of national security, economic prosperity, and everyday life. Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantu...
Sharper: National Security in a Divided Congress
Following the 2022 midterm elections, a new U.S. Congress was sworn in, resulting in a divided House and Senate with narrow margins. Key national security legislative items ar...
Sharper: Integrated Deterrence
The belated 2022 National Defense Strategy—released in October of last year—identified integrated deterrence as the cornerstone of the strategy. Integrated deterrence calls fo...
Sharper: The Future of Russia Relations
While the recently released U.S. National Defense Strategy names the People's Republic of China as the greatest pacing threat facing the United States, Russia poses the most i...
Sharper: The State of AI
The U.S. government's recent chip export controls are the latest salvo in the U.S.–China rivalry in artificial intelligence. Semiconductors are a key input for AI systems and ...
Sharper: NATO
As the war in Ukraine pushes past the six-month mark, NATO stands at a critical juncture. In the face of renewed great-power competition in Europe, the alliance has proved to ...
Sharper: Climate Security
Climate change is a force multiplier for geopolitical instability and operational readiness, the stressors of which profoundly impact national security priorities and resource...
Sharper: Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the United States' newest, but most pivotal federal government departments, charged with protecting national security since...
Sharper: Industrial Policy
Lawmakers in Washington have increasingly pushed for legislation to address key industry vulnerabilities and better position the United States as a leader in critical technolo...
Sharper: Middle East
President Biden’s recent Middle East tour was vital in presenting U.S. foreign policy in the region. Other geopolitical developments including the killing of al Qaeda leader A...
Sharper: Wargames
From armed conflicts to global pandemics, military strategists and policymakers use gaming to gain insights into some of the most challenging problems they face. Ranging from ...
Sharper: Pride in National Security
In order for the United States to maintain its strategic advantage, the national security community must be able to access the nation's top talent and draw from their strength...
Sharper: The Indo-Pacific Pivot
Previous presidential administrations have laid much groundwork diplomatically and militarily to ensure a strategic pivot to the Indo-Pacific. The past week has seen the ASEAN...
Sharper: The Authoritarianism Challenge
Autocratic leadership is on the rise globally. Even in democratic nations, leaders are eroding checks on their power and weakening institutions. The use of illiberal technolog...
Sharper: Sanctions on Russia
The threat of sanctions from the United States, Europe, and their allies against Russia failed to deter the superpower from invading Ukraine, yet they remain one of the most i...
Sharper: Defense Budget and Strategy
On Monday, the Biden administration released the annual presidential budget request and a two-page fact sheet on the forthcoming 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS). While th...
Sharper: Nuclear Weapons
The threat of nuclear war has reentered the global consciousness as Russia endangers the security of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, North Korea ramps up its testing of ballis...
Sharper: Blockchain
The rapid innovation of cryptocurrency technology beyond the current regulatory framework within the space has urged U.S. policymakers to advance their understanding of blockc...
Sharper: Russia
With the deployment of 2,000 U.S. troops to Europe and continued intervention from global leaders, what economic and hard power options remain to prevent a full Russian invasi...
Sharper: Global Posture
The Department of Defense is finalizing the first global posture review of the Biden administration, an assessment of the U.S. military's global footprint. What will the admin...
Sharper: Women Who Serve
With the proposed 2022 National Defense Authorization Act set to include an amendment requiring women to register for Selective Service, the role of women in the military is o...
Sharper: Supply Chain Security
The pandemic has shown that the resilience of America's global supply chains—the interconnected movement of goods and services from creation to consumer—is a national security...
Sharper: Indo-Pacific Partnerships & Allies
Through the Quad and the newly minted, yet controversial, AUKUS agreement, Washington is increasing its focus and resources on the Indo-Pacific region. The White House is also...
Sharper: Afghanistan 20 Years Later
The chaotic end to the war in Afghanistan bookends two decades in which America changed irrevocably. Thousands of soldiers experienced dual wars, and multiple generations of v...
Sharper: The Future of European Leadership
When President Biden declared that "America is back," many European partners breathed a sigh of relief that the future may bring a much-desired era of stability—and predictabi...
Sharper: The Budget
The defense budget and its $715 million price tag accounts for much of the U.S. government's discretionary spending every year, but where will (and should) this money go in th...
Sharper: Defense Tech
The prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the growing centrality of information warfare, and threats to traditional command and control are redefining combat in ...
Sharper: Israeli-Palestinian Diplomacy
In recent days, Israel and Palestine have been overcome by the worst violence since the 2014 Gaza war. This flare-up poses the first real test to the Biden administration’s fo...
Sharper: The Next 100 Days
As the administration marks its 100th day in office, what lies ahead?...
Sharper: The Quad
How can the Quad countries take advantage of new opportunities for cooperation?...
Sharper: The Beijing-Moscow Partnership
Cooperation between Russia and China has deepened across nearly every dimension of their relationship....
Sharper: Civil-Military Relations
The so-called “civil-military divide” has increasingly defined the relationship between America's civil society and its armed forces....
Sharper: National Security's Next Generation
The need to amplify new and diverse voices in national security policymaking has never been clearer....
Sharper: Financial Technology
CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation about the economic and national security implications of new innovations in financial technology....
Sharper: Iran
While President Biden has publicly committed to reengaging Iran, his administration faces immediate challenges....
Sharper: Day One
The Biden-Harris administration will confront a range of national security challenges from the moment it takes office....
Sharper: 2020
2020 featured an ever-evolving series of national security challenges....
Sharper: North Korea
For decades, North Korea's authoritarian dictatorship has threatened Northeast Asia's regional stability, challenged U.S. interests, and subjected its own citizens to an unpar...
Sharper: America's Alliances and Partnerships
Cooperation with allies and partners is vital for achieving U.S. foreign policy goals, especially with respect to global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the sprea...
Sharper: The Next Four Years
America will face a range of national security challenges over the next four years. From sustaining military deterrence to bolstering the nation's economic leadership and more...
Sharper: U.S. Strategy in the Middle East
CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation surrounding the future of U.S. strategy in the Middle East....
Sharper: America's Next Defense Strategy
CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation surrounding the future of America’s defense priorities....
Sharper: America and the United Nations
The UN is emerging as a key arena for ideological competition as authoritarian actors seek to bend the organization toward illiberalism....
Sharper: The Next Congress
When the 117th Congress is sworn in next January, legislators have the opportunity to exert substantial influence on the future of America's role in the world....
Sharper: The Future of U.S. Sanctions Policy
Sanctions are increasingly common in U.S. foreign policy and economic statecraft. But they are not a cure-all....
Sharper: The China Challenge
The United States and China are competing across economic, diplomatic, military, technological, and ideological spheres....
Sharper: The 5G Future
5th Generation (5G) telecommunications promises to be a foundational next-generation technology—and vital to enabling the next industrial revolution. The stakes in 5G are high...
Sharper: America's National Security Workforce
The greatest source of strength in American national security is the people who lead and serve within its institutions. The ongoing U.S. response to the global coronavirus out...
Sharper: Global Coronavirus Response
Analysis from CNAS experts on the most critical challenges in U.S. foreign policy....
Subscribe
Sign up to receive the latest analysis from the CNAS expert community on the most important issues facing America's national security.
Contributors
-
Anna Pederson
Co-Curator
-
Shai Korman
Co-Curator
-
Emma Swislow
Co-Curator
-
Chris Estep
Former Co-Curator
-
Cole Stevens
Former Co-Curator