Alia Nardini

• History of International Relations, PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Spring Hill College

Foreign policy is never a major factor in deciding Presidential elections, and yet the unresolved question of the US international standing is still begging. And voters, especially the independents, are looking for reassurance and detailed plans about how the candidates plan to solve existing global crises, including immigration.

In the campaign’s final days – with the current range of numbers on hold – forecasts are rated on a scale from safely Democratic or Republican to tossup as voters grapple with record high-inflation, a lingering pandemic, war in Ukraine and sharp cultural divides.

While America remains focused on domestic issues, Biden's victory might be expected to champion international cooperation and to restore close ties with US traditional allies. Transatlantic partners must remember that any restored synergy will be functional to the US's strategic interests, and it will not mean an unlimited concession of trust.

The US economy and America’s global standing still matter in this election. Overconfidence in a Biden win could lead Democrats to overlook more sophisticated campaign efforts, whilst the Trump Administration use the country’s slow but steady economic recovery as a sign that the President deserves reelection.

The virus outbreak erupted halfway through the presidential primary season and Democrats are doing all they can to politicize the pandemic. Biden’s presidential bid seems to have benefited from it. Sanders’ campaign fizzled out, but changed the party’s liberal soul. Whether veering to the left proves a winning strategy for Democrats in an election...

The coronavirus has demonstrated just how low bilateral ties have sunk. Washington and Beijing might still be willing to cooperate but the US mixed messages reflect a good-cop-bad-cop tactic, and a real internal disagreement over policy. It has become the latest and potentially most divisive issue driving the United States and China apart.

At the dawn of 2020 some of the most compelling ideas are emerging after years of wrangling over a controversial political bypass. US achievements and challenges matter for the Twenties and not only in the voting booth.

With his impulsive moves President Trump delivered the latest act of American mismanagement of Syria’s crisis. It is what Trump and Obama have in common. The mistakes of both presidents have created a power vacuum in the Middle East, but looking back on the long history of inaction there, many accusations should be turned towards the international...

Identity issues and divisiveness are poisoning American politics. The birth of the Squad has immense potential for Democrats as it represents yet another tangible sign of the great diversity introduced into Congress after the latest midterm elections. Nevertheless, there is today no equally shared agreement on what exactly the Squad represents poli...

Notwithstanding an uprising of the right wing, it has not translated into greater political convergence between influential nationalist and populist players across the Atlantic. Indeed, better transatlantic relations could be the most effective way to counter that, and the only way to oppose the return of a fragmented world.

What emerges from these midterms is a deeply divided country. Though Congress has an increasingly diversified character, more directly connected to the people it represents, divisions within society become more and more profound, opening an important window on the 2020 elections.

While U.S. immigration entry policies after 1953 became a hallmark of ideological openness, designating the United States as the unquestioned leader of a freer and more just world order, Donald Trump's current immigration strategies isolate America, damage her economy, and fuel divisive feelings among citizens. This paper hopes to persuade the Repu...

What emerges from the Midterms is a deeply divided country. Though Congress has an increasingly diversified character more directly connected to the people it represents, divisions within society are becoming more and more profound, opening an important window on the 2020 Presidential elections.

North Korea’s erratic leader is stirring fears of nuclear war. But a detached assessment of the options available makes clear that there can be no military solution that does not involve mass destruction. Hence, diplomacy is the only way out

The European Union (EU) is currently facing an uncertain future as member states debate the importance of political and economic cooperation. Although the organisation was founded on liberal principles, national discourses based on realist strategies have become more prevalent, spurred by debates on borders and identity issues. In essence, Europe c...

Analyzing the evolution of the American counter-terrorism strategy today is just as pertinent as it is paramount. The international coalition fighting the Islamic State is effectively gaining ground in Iraq; all the while, territory in Libya and Syria claimed by the caliphate continues to reduce. Understanding the evolution of logic throughout the...

Obama, presidente per due impegnativi mandati, lascia un’eredità controversa e difficile ancora da valutare. La sua elezione aveva suscitato grandi speranze, per il ruolo innovativo che gli Stati Uniti, sotto la sua guida, avrebbero potuto esercitare sulla scena internazionale. Ma sul versante della politica estera, dopo un iniziale attivismo diplo...

Political analysis requires us to extend our sights beyond Donald Trump’s social and cultural phenomenon, using our unique position as Italians to shed light on the often too lightly traced parallels between the New York tycoon’s campaign and the mannerisms of Silvio Berlusconi.

On January 20, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Beyond the doomsday scenarios for the future of freedom and democracy in America foreseen by the liberal press, the November 8h, 2016, results elicited feeling of deep surprise among many. Despite a scenario that remains highly volatile, however, the America...

In a recent interview featured in The Atlantic, Molly Ball asks Rick Wilson, the controversial Republican strategy consultant, about the possibility of the Republican Party not surviving Donald Trump's campaign. " Trump, " Wilson notes, " is framing up a scenario where the election in the fall doesn't become a referendum on the tenure of Barack Oba...

Maxwell Rabb is remembered as the longest-serving US Ambassador to Italy, fulfilling this role from 1981 to 1989. Although many believe that he attained his role through his links to the Jewish community of New York, his appointment was in fact based on his deep knowledge of Italian politics. Using this understanding, Rabb worked as both an advisor...

Lee Edwards, widely regarded as the historian of the American conservative movement, has published seventeen books about the leading individuals and institutions of American conservatism, including biographies of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater and histories of The Heritage Foundation and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Edwards also serves...

Prominent writer, thinker, and Crisis co-founder Michael Novak sat down with Italian scholar Alia K. Nardini to discuss neoconservatism, Catholicism, and the future of the West.