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.

Learn more:

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 ...

Military, Veterans & Society

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...

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Defense

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...

Energy, Economics & Security

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...

Transatlantic Security

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...

Defense

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...

Military, Veterans & Society

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...

Transatlantic Security

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...

Indo-Pacific 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...

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Transatlantic Security

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...

Defense

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...

Defense

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 ...

Middle East Security

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...

Defense

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?...

Indo-Pacific Security

Sharper: The Beijing-Moscow Partnership

Cooperation between Russia and China has deepened across nearly every dimension of their relationship....

Defense

Sharper: Civil-Military Relations

The so-called “civil-military divide” has increasingly defined the relationship between America's civil society and its armed forces....

Defense

Sharper: National Security's Next Generation

The need to amplify new and diverse voices in national security policymaking has never been clearer....

Energy, Economics & Security

Sharper: Financial Technology

CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation about the economic and national security implications of new innovations in financial technology....

Middle East Security

Sharper: Iran

While President Biden has publicly committed to reengaging Iran, his administration faces immediate challenges....

Defense

Sharper: Day One

The Biden-Harris administration will confront a range of national security challenges from the moment it takes office....

Defense

Sharper: 2020

2020 featured an ever-evolving series of national security challenges....

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Defense

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...

Defense

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....

Defense

Sharper: America's Next Defense Strategy

CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation surrounding the future of America’s defense priorities....

Indo-Pacific Security

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....

Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative

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....

Middle East Security

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....

Indo-Pacific Security

Sharper: The China Challenge

The United States and China are competing across economic, diplomatic, military, technological, and ideological spheres....

Indo-Pacific Security

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...

Defense

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...

Indo-Pacific Security

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