The past 70 years has been the era of "Pax Americana," a period of relative stability thanks to the influence and ballast provided by the United States. But with Russian expansion and a rising China, how long can it last?

To his detractors, Putin is an autocrat, crushing any threat to his power, while renewing Soviet-style expansionism. To supporters, Putin represents Russia's redemption as a global superpower - and an alternative to the liberal democracy espoused by the West. Great Decisions explores what drives Putin's Foreign Policy.

China is the second largest economy in the world, and it's expected to bump the U.S. out of the top rank in less than a decade. Beijing is increasingly looking beyond China's borders, toward investment in Asia and across the world. What does China's massive One Belt One Road initiative mean for America?

The US has thrived on its vibrant and free press since the Founding Fathers first put the concept into law in the Bill of Rights as an important, independent check on power. Now Foreign policy is tweeted from the White House and "fake news" has entered the zeitgeist, while social media is proving to be a double-edged sword. What's next for media and the free press?

Once seen as a model of democracy, Turkey may be slipping toward autocracy. Critics charge that President Recip Tayyip Erdogan used a failed coup d'état in 2016 as a means of consolidating power - power he says is necessary to secure the state. Great Decisions producers traveled to Turkey to examine the relationship with this key U.S. ally.

The global power balance is rapidly evolving, leaving the United States at a turning point with respect to its level of engagement and the role of its military. How does the military function in today's international order, and what role should Diplomacy play in U.S. defense strategy?

South Africa's transition from apartheid to a democracy captivated the world in the early 1990's. While it remains the most advanced country in Africa, allegations of state corruption and huge disparities in wealth threaten its revolutionary dream.

For decades, the U.S. has been a leader in promoting global health. But foreign assistance has fallen out of favor in some circles in Washington, they argue the U.S. should help America first. Is the golden age of global health coming to an end, or just getting started?

Migration has become a hot political issue in Europe and the U.S. as hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty try to find sanctuary in more stable nations. Despite the heated rhetoric, migration is nothing new – previous migration waves have helped shape the world we live in. Is migration something that should be thwarted, or simply better-managed?

In 2020, dire shortages of medical supplies focused public attention on how much equipment is produced overseas. Great Decisions investigates the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global trade and asks how to secure supply chains.

As oil prices plummet and fatigue mounts from two decades of war, policymakers are reevaluating long-held assumptions about American engagement in the Persian Gulf. Great Decisions asks whether the US remains the dominant power in a changing region.

Although Britain has left the European Union, the ramifications of Brexit are far from fully settled. Great Decisions asks whether the United Kingdom can remain united and considers how Brexit will change Britain's relationships with Europe and the United States.

As the polar icecap retreats, the Arctic is becoming a focus for economic development and geopolitical rivalry. Great Decisions investigates the ambitions of Arctic powers both old and new and asks whether a spirit of cooperation can endure.

As cash-strapped nations across Africa have turned to China to build much-needed infrastructure, they have stepped into the middle of a geopolitical rivalry. Great Decisions investigates China's influence and explores the Chinese-American competition in Africa.

From an impoverished, war-torn nation to the world's twelfth largest economy, South Korea's transformation has been extraordinary. Great Decisions investigates South Korea's rapid development and examines its evolving partnership with the United States.

As Covid-19 brought the world to a grinding halt, the World Health Organization became a political flash point. Great Decisions explores how geopolitical rivalries are affecting public health and asks how the international community can prepare for the next pandemic.

After World War II, the United States developed the system of international institutions we know today. But the American appetite for multilateralism has since diminished. Great Decisions asks whether global cooperation can endure in an era of nationalist retrenchment.