In the early 1990s, in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, the world was anticipating a “peace dividend” from the end of the cold war. In one part of the world, however, military spending was not slowing down.
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Peace & Foreign Policy
To build peace, we must dislodge the economic and political foundations of war. IPS believes that a just foreign policy is based on human rights, international law, and diplomacy over military intervention.
Latest Work
Campaigning at Dairy Farms
A Republican candidate for Congress addresses farmers’ troubles.
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Drug Policy Disconnect
The Obama administration’s rhetoric on drug policy has changed dramatically. But has the policy changed to fit the rhetoric?
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Mexico’s State of Impunity
The killing of two human rights activists in Mexico is only the most recent example of Mexico’s slide into lawlessness. The Mexican government, columnist Laura Carlsen argues, is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
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China’s Military Spending: Soft Rise or Hard Threat?
Interpreting China’s military expenditure has been a complicated issue with important regional implications. Although China publishes its official defense budget and provides justifications for increases in its military spending, most observers remain skeptical of the accuracy of the official figures and wary of the military modernization efforts. This skepticism has shaped the responses of other Asia-Pacific nations toward China’s military modernization.
Read moreAssessing the BP Oil Disaster
The Sierra Club calls warns against more offshore oil drilling.
Read moreThe Unfinished Business of Financial Reform
Lawmakers will need to consider financial speculation taxes in the next round of the fight to rein in Wall Street.
Read moreTerrorists’ Right to Bear Arms
Two GOP senators say they wouldn’t support a bill to stop suspected terrorists from buying weapons.
Read moreObama and U.S. Military Engagement in Africa
Upon replacing George W. Bush as US president, hopes were high that Barack Obama would oversee sweeping change in relation to US military policy. But far from seeing a reversal, such policy has in fact intensified, entirely at the expense of more progressive diplomatic and economically-based approaches.
Read moreSanctions Debate Heats Up
The recent and highly unusual public launch of a “conference committee” of both houses of Congress to hash out differences in long-pending legislation to impose unilateral sanctions on Iran marks a new stage in the escalating debate over what to do about Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Read moreIPS Projects
Reports
FACT SHEET: Invest in Communities, Not Violence
Here’s how legislators have splurged on militarism, and what could happen if those funds instead benefited people and communities.
REPORT: Sending Arms or Twisting Arms: The U.S. Role in the Ukraine War
This backgrounder explores the causes of the war in Ukraine and the actions of different actors in the conflict to date.
Tax Day 2023: Where Your 2022 Tax Dollars Went
IPS’s National Priorities Project takes a look at where American taxpayers’ money went in 2022, and how skewed our national priorities are.
From a Militarized to a Decarbonized Economy: A Case for Conversion
In a new analysis for Costs of War, IPS Associate Fellow Miriam Pemberton lays out a case for a transition from a militarized to a decarbonized economy.
REPORT: New Mexico at a Crossroads: False Solutions or a Just Transition?
How community-led energy solutions can benefit the Land of Enchantment — and the country.