The Big Picture

Following several days of violent nationwide protests, the Kazakh authorities, with the help of Russian-led forces, appear to have restored order. For the United States and China, the episode has highlighted the strategic importance of this resource-rich Central Asian country, as well as the scope of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions.

Twelve months after an insurrectionist right-wing mob incited by then-President Donald Trump stormed and occupied the US Capitol, many Americans fear that deepening polarization could result in a sequel, or worse. In the absence of agreement on basic facts and rules of political engagement, can further violence and threats to democracy be prevented?

The world will enter 2022 still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainty. Developing effective policy responses to these challenges is essential to passing the biggest global test of all: rekindling a sense of public trust and optimism.

As 2021 draws to a close, Russia’s massing of troops along its border with Ukraine has prompted fears of an imminent invasion. Although a diplomatic resolution of the crisis is still possible, the path to achieving one is narrow – and many worry that time might be running out.

The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing technological disruption have resulted in economies that are ill-equipped to create good, secure jobs, with many workers rejecting the low-paid, unsafe service-sector positions on offer. In the face of these twin challenges, how can workers get a better deal – and how should policymakers help?

US President Joe Biden’s virtual Summit for Democracy is taking place amid persistent authoritarian and populist challenges worldwide, digitally turbocharged misinformation, and lingering concerns about the United States itself. Will the gathering prove to be more than just a talking shop, and do today’s democracies have the strength and vision to reinvigorate themselves and their political model?

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches its second anniversary, the emergence of the Omicron variant has prompted many to ask whether there will ever be a light at the end of the tunnel. And, given seemingly entrenched nationalism and vaccine misinformation, will the world cope any better with the next global health crisis?

The recent surge in oil, gas, and electricity prices is forcing governments to confront a policy and political challenge that is further complicating the green transition. Advocates of a rapid shift to renewables need to face an uncomfortable fact: when demand spikes, the world needs all the energy it can get.

Optimists hope that the recent virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrested the alarming slide in Sino-American relations, at least for now. But even if the superpowers’ rivalry stops short of conflict, is substantive cooperation on pressing global challenges possible?

US President Joe Biden must soon decide whether to reappoint Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to another four-year term. With inflation at a 30-year high, the debate over Biden’s choice is understandably focusing on the Fed’s policy priorities as well as its leadership.

Many are calling for a major rethink about how to tackle the climate crisis, but doubt whether the world has the time or the inclination. With the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow now well underway, governments have only one week left to prove the skeptics wrong.

The upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is a crucial credibility test for global governance, but expectations for progress are low. Will world leaders nevertheless rise to the occasion and adopt the ambitious measures needed to avert disaster, or will political short-termism and great-power rivalry condemn the gathering to failure?