Episode 04: One of the Largest Deals Ever Made: Talking Trump, China, and Trade
On December 1, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met during the G-20 summit in Argentina and agreed, it seems, to put the economic disputes on ice. No raising …
The Dilemmas of Promoting Gender Equality in Times of Polarization
The political landscapes in both countries are characterized by increasing polarization. In the U.S., a man became president who makes a spectacle of himself through derogative language and who tends …
A European Army: The Wrong Choice for Germany Among Greater Defense Woes
French president Emmanuel Macron’s call for a European army at the beginning of November was met with some justified eye-rolling on both sides of the Atlantic. Chancellor Merkel and defense …
Germany’s Road Ahead: Four Years into the Munich Consensus
It seems that Germany has come a long way since February 2014 when decision-makers proclaimed the “Munich consensus.” In it, then-federal president Joachim Gauck, then-foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who has …
The CDU Faces Pressure to Move Right—That Could Backfire
Today, Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is meeting in Hamburg to choose a new leader—a decision with massive ramifications for national and European politics. This moment represents the first opportunity …
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Will Merkel’s Retreat Spark German Foreign Policy Renewal?
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has ruled Germany since 2005 and for 49 of the past 69 years—its election of a new party leader December 7 will have far-reaching impact …
Bridging Troubled Waters: Civil Societies in Dark Times of Transatlantic Partnership
Much of the focus of our work (and that of our predecessors) in the AICGS NextGen project has focused on the reconciliatory role of “good” civil society in a challenging …
“Othering” Across and Beyond the Pond
During a recent discussion about the problematic state of the transatlantic relationship, someone explained that we needed to realize that important parts of the American political establishment and their voters …
Rainbow Politics: Comparing LGBT+ Rights in Germany and the United States
On October 1, 2017, Karl Kreile and Bodo Mende exchanged vows at the town hall in Schöneberg—the first same-sex couple married in Germany. More than two years earlier, the United …
Report and Executive Summary: Bonn International Security Forum
From November 18-20, 2018, the Center for International Security and Governance (CISG) of Bonn University and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) of Johns Hopkins University hosted the …
Episode 03: Burdensharing within NATO: Do more, spend more?
No relationship is without its difficulties and disagreements, not even between societies as close as the U.S. and Europe. For almost as long as NATO has existed, Washington has wanted …
Human remains of Ovaherero and Nama: Transnational dynamics in post-genocidal restitutions
Former DAAD/AICGS Research Fellow Elise Pape’s latest article is now available. Published in Volume 4, Issue 2 of Human Remains and Violence: An Interdisciplinary Journal, the article builds on Dr. Pape’s …
German and U.S. International Assistance: Closer Than You Think
In the face of strained relations, could international cooperation support reconciliation between the United States and Germany? Complementarities in approach and interests indicate yes. The United States and Germany topped …
Mothers: Remembering Three Women on the 80th Anniversary of Kristallnacht
Ida was terrified. She figured she would never see either her husband or brother ever again. For several days she fretted, not knowing what to do. While desperately trying to …
