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S&P Warns Congress of Risks of Political Brinkmanship on Debt

Stacy Kaper | May 19, 2013

The group's top analyst for the U.S. government's credit rating says making big fiscal decisions in a crisis setting raises chances of another downgrade.

Play of the Day: The Salad of Obama Scandals

Ross Gianfortune and Government Executive | May 17, 2013

Fast forward to 2:40 to see Stephen Colbert show how Eric Holder held up in a hearing against a representative who didn't exactly use his words correctly.

What Moscow's Arrest Says About U.S.-Russia Relationship

James Kitfield | May 14, 2013

As the U.S. and Russia go through the motions of expelling each other’s “diplomats” in the coming days, it’s likely they will only be pawns in a much bigger game.

The Coming GOP Civil War Over Climate Change

Coral Davenport | May 9, 2013

Science, storms, and demographics are starting to change minds among the rank and file.

Will New Oil Reserves Tempt Americans Back Into Wastefulness?

Coral Davenport | May 9, 2013

Recently discovered reserves suggest fossil fuels will last longer than we thought. But the economy won’t grow if Americans don’t use that energy efficiently.

Why Mexico Will Always Play Second Fiddle

George E. Condon Jr. | May 9, 2013

Like all presidents, Barack Obama says he wants a better relationship with his neighbors to the south. Then events get in the way.

The Hottest Trend for Wealthy Do-Gooders

Sophie Quinton | May 7, 2013

The Rockefeller Foundation's Judith Rodin explains impact investing. But she warns: "This is not the solution to less government funding."

Immigration Will Be Hot Topic During President Obama's Trip to Mexico

George E. Condon Jr. | May 2, 2013

President heads south of the border on Thursday.

What You Need to Know About Obama's Trade Pick Mike Froman

Matt Vasilogambros | May 1, 2013

President Obama nominated one of his top national security advisers, Mike Froman, as the next U.S. trade representative on Thursday. Froman would replace Ron Kirk, who stepped down last month.

The American Dream, Downsized

Amy Sullivan and Sophie Quinton contributed | April 25, 2013

The middle class now worries more about holding on for dear life than about climbing the ladder to riches.

Two Completely Different Ways to Deal With the Upward-Mobility Crisis

Ronald Brownstein | April 25, 2013

Top economists from the Clinton and Bush administrations debate how to revive the economy to keep people from getting stuck.

What If Oil Lasts Forever?

Charles C. Mann - The Atlantic | April 25, 2013

New technology and a little-known energy source suggest that fossil fuels may not be finite. This would be a miracle—and a nightmare.

Bob Corker Charts Leadership Course

Stacy Kaper | April 22, 2013

Sen. Bob Corker's independent voice on high-profile issues and scholarly devotion to studying policies he is interested in have made GOP leaders take notice of him and want to keep the Tennessee Republican close at hand — both to capitalize on his expertise and to watch his moves.

U.S. and E.U. Will Gnaw on Trade Agreement

Catherine Hollander | April 17, 2013

Late last month, the White House notified Congress that it planned to begin negotiating a comprehensive trade and investment agreement with the European Union. Talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are expected to begin in June—and that’s when the House Energy and Commerce Committee will step up its involvement.

Manufacturers, Ag Interests Will Lobby for Trade Deal

Catherine Hollander | April 17, 2013

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership won’t be focused on already-low tariffs between the U.S. and European Union. It will be focused on so-called “behind the border” measures, like regulation—and that means there will be plenty of stakeholders with strong opinions.

How Can Congress Help Manufacturers?

Catherine Hollander | April 17, 2013

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade kicked off 2013 with a focus on its middle name. It’s fitting. After all, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., who chairs the committee, changed the subcommittee name when he took over in 2011 to include an explicit reference to manufacturing.

What Drones Can Do for You

Sara Sorcher | April 11, 2013

Prescription drugs, fast-food delivery, disaster relief—unmanned aerial vehicles can be handy in all sorts of ways.

It's Debt-Ceiling Madness Again. Why You Should Stay Calm (Sort Of)

Catherine Hollander | April 10, 2013

Fighting over the debt ceiling? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Why Washington and Moscow Still Don't Trust Each Other

Olga Belogolova | April 4, 2013

I left the USSR in 1991. Going back showed that Cold War stereotypes don’t fade—even with time.

When Corporations Are Hacked, Who Should Know?

Brian Fung | April 4, 2013

Companies hurt themselves—but help the rest of us—when they disclose cyberattacks.

Sequestration Hurting Your Budget? It Didn't Stop a 13-Day Overseas Congressional Trip

Billy House | April 2, 2013

Roughly 16 Senate Finance Committee staffers are wrapping up a whirlwind 13-day trip to Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand, even as federal agencies have been forced by sequestration to limit employee travel and participation in out-of-town conferences.

Why the Euro is Doomed

Matthew OBrien - The Atlantic | April 1, 2013

It's the gold standard minus the shiny rocks.

There’s Nothing to Fear But the Debt Itself

Niraj Chokshi | March 28, 2013

Quick, which segment of federal spending will grow fastest from 2015 through 2021? Did you guess Medicare? If you did, you’d be wrong.

Cyprus's Steps to Stop Bank Runs Are Risky, but the Eurozone Is Likely to Survive Them

Catherine Hollander | March 27, 2013

On Wednesday, Cyprus will announce the eurozone’s first-ever capital controls.

How Cyprus, A Two-Bit Country, Could Change the World

Michael Hirsh | March 22, 2013

Tiny Cyprus poses an existential threat to the eurozone, proof that little countries can occasionally have big consequences.

What Could Happen If Cyprus Fails

Simone Foxman and Quartz | March 22, 2013

Things are looking increasingly dicey for the Mediterranean nation. Here's what could happen if the country fails.

Ireland's Deputy PM: 'You Cannot Get an Economy to Recover Just by Doing Austerity Measures or Budget Discipline.'

Catherine Hollander | March 19, 2013

A Q&A with Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore.

National Security Insiders: Obama Can't Bring Israelis and Palestinians to Negotiating Table

Sara Sorcher | March 18, 2013

President Obama is headed to the Holy Land this week, but 72 percent of National Journal's National Security Insiders are not optimistic he can bring Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table anytime soon.

How the Cyprus Tempest Could Pose a Threat to the U.S. Economy

Catherine Hollander | March 18, 2013

The situation there serves as a reminder that a dark cloud still looms over the U.S. recovery in the form of the eurozone crisis.

The Next Arab Challenge

Michael Hirsh | March 14, 2013

Two years after the Middle East revolts, the Obama administration has mounted no real effort to understand the dynamics of political Islam.

Play of the Day: International Leader Edition

Ross Gianfortune and Government Executive | March 14, 2013

What do Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Pope Francis and Hugo Chávez have in common? Of course, they are all former or current leaders of sovereign states and they were all major players in jokes on last night's late-night shows. The man formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio took center stage on most of the shows, with Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson using the South American angle to comment on race in the United States. On NBC, Jimmy Fallon explained how armies work in regards to North Korea’s recent war talk and Jay Leno had to explain Venezuelan socialism to his crowd.

Former Top Economic Officials Fret About Asset Bubbles

Catherine Hollander | March 13, 2013

A number of them worry about potential long-term consequences of the Fed's easy-money policies.

America's 3 Biggest Cybersecurity Vunerabilities

Matt Vasilogambros | March 13, 2013

The Obama administration has put cyberattacks at the top of the list of global threats, and concerns are rising about at-risk infrastructure.

Outsourcing the Fight Against Terrorism

James Kitfield | March 7, 2013

The United States is using local soldiers to fight al-Qaida allies in East Africa.

How Dirty, Polluted China Takes Climate Change More Seriously Than We Do

Coral Davenport | March 7, 2013

People may not be able to breathe in Beijing, but its politicians are doing more than U.S. lawmakers are to slow global warming.

Ways San Antonio Is Adapting to the New U.S. Economy

Jody Brannon and Doris Nhan | March 6, 2013

National Journal’s Next Economy project asks a key question: How are Americans adapting to the new economy? Examined within the prism of diversifying America, the question has equally important relevance.

America's $1.6 Billion Trade Surplus With China (Yes, China)

Todd Woody and Quartz | March 6, 2013

For those who fret over the US trade deficits and that China’s dominance of the solar industry, here’s some good news: The US is in the black with a massive $1.6 billion green technology trade surplus with China.

Republicans Take Aim at Obama’s EPA Nominee

Coral Davenport | March 4, 2013

President Obama’s nomination Monday of Gina McCarthy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency sets up the next high-profile clash between the White House and congressional Republicans over the incendiary issue of climate change.

Opinion: Immigrants Did Not Take Your Job

Alex Nowrasteh | March 4, 2013

Writes Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute: It's time conservatives embrace a reform measure, for political and economic reasons.

Former Iran Hostages Are Still Seeking Justice

Jill Lawrence | February 28, 2013

'Argo' won the Oscar. But the 52 Americans held captive for another 14 months didn't get their feel-good ending.

Don't Laugh at Italy's Elections

Matthew Cooper | February 26, 2013

Italy is dealing with austerity – with less whining than we are.

It's Been Almost 3 Years Since the Senate Passed a Major New Law

Molly Ball - The Atlantic | February 20, 2013

If you're wondering whether President Obama's ambitious second-term agenda has a chance to make it through Congress, that might be worth keeping in mind.

A Look at Homicide Statistics in Obama’s Hometown of Chicago in 3 Charts

Matt Vasilogambros | February 15, 2013

President Obama traveled back on Friday to Chicago, his hometown and a city where gun violence and a jump in the number of homicides has received national attention. In 2012, there were 506 homicides in the Windy City, a sharp rise from the 435 recorded in 2011. Chicago has a population that is only about a third the size of New York City, yet the number of homicides there is fast approaching that of the Big Apple.

Why Japan Can't Quit Nuclear Power

Olga Belogolova | February 14, 2013

Since the Fukushima meltdown, the country has tried to reduce its reliance on nuclear reactors. But with nearly a third of its energy needs powered by the atom, change is difficult.

The Scary Truth About How Much Climate Change is Costing You

Coral Davenport | February 7, 2013

While policymakers fiddle, the threat of economic harm posed by rising sea levels, devastating storms, and drought is growing every day.

Spending Cuts Stink, But They're Overhyped by Obama and Republicans Alike

Matthew Cooper | February 6, 2013

Yes, sequestration is bad. But government agencies have an incentive to make it seem more dire than it is.

The 22 Funniest #GeithnerBookTitles Tweets

Niraj Chokshi | February 6, 2013

News broke late Wednesday morning that former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner plans to write a book about his response to the financial crisis. Within hours, jokes about possible book titles began trending nationwide on Twitter under the hashtag #geithnerbooktitles. [View the story "The 22 Funniest #GeithnerBookTitles" on Storify]

Can Washington Break Its Addiction to Crisis Economics?

Nancy Cook | February 5, 2013

The country has lurched from one emergency to the next since 2007. Amid a rare lull, here's a modest plan of action for Congress and President Obama.

Early Data Says the Economy Contracted at the End of Last Year. Don't Panic Yet.

Catherine Hollander | January 30, 2013

The economy unexpectedly contracted in the last three months of 2012, according to early data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday.

Ports Matter Too

Fawn Johnson | January 28, 2013

It was Christmas Eve at my sister's house, where her twin three-year-olds vied for attention by hanging on the treadmill bars and the grown-ups quizzed me about whether the country would go over the fiscal cliff.

David Cameron Gambles on European Union Membership

Simone Foxman and Quartz | January 23, 2013

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise to hold a referendum on his country’s membership in the European Union was immediately hit with ridicule. As pundits were quick to note, Cameron seems to be angling not to leave the union (a poll showed that most Britons don’t want to, anyway) but to win the UK new freedoms in a changing Europe.

How Washington's Disarray Could Prompt Another Credit Downgrade

Niraj Chokshi | January 18, 2013

Raising the nation’s borrowing limit, and thus avoiding a historic default, isn’t enough to prevent a potential downgrade. Not by a long shot.

Why Hostage-Taking in West Africa Is a Lucrative Business

Matt Vasilogambros | January 18, 2013

“We will not negotiate with terrorists.” It’s a line cemented in pop culture, ingraining the idea that Western nations will not succumb to the demands of militants that hold their citizens. But that’s not always the case in Western Africa.

What Treasury's 'Least Harmful' Debt-Ceiling Response Looks Like

Niraj Chokshi | January 17, 2013

If Congress misses the deadline for raising the country's borrowing limit, the Treasury Department may start playing catch-up on the nation's bills.

Treasury Has Options on Debt Ceiling But All of Them Are Ugly

Niraj Chokshi | January 14, 2013

If past is precedent, Treasury Department staff sees four responses to bumping up against the nation’s borrowing limit, none of them great.

Richard Nixon: One of Us

John Aloysius Farrell | January 9, 2013

On this, the 100th birthday of Richard Nixon, the slogan from his first campaign for Congress is the salient fact: "One of us." His dreams were ours -- and so, in the end, were his sins.

Why the $1 Trillion Platinum Coin Won’t Solve the U.S. Debt Problem

Tim Fernholz and Quartz | January 8, 2013

When faced with absurdity, it can feel like the only recourse is more absurdity.

The Emergency Debt Plan That Would Put U.S. Citizens Second

Niraj Chokshi | January 7, 2013

In just a few weeks, the federal government won’t be able to pay all its bills on time. If that happens, the nation could start paying its lenders before its citizens.

The $1 Trillion Platinum Coin Is As Good an Idea As FDR's Court-Packing

Matthew Cooper | January 4, 2013

A provocative idea has the Treasury secretary minting $1 trillion coins to pay off the debt. Ignore it.

Don't Despair (Yet) Over Next Fiscal Cliff

Jill Lawrence | January 3, 2013

Here’s a radical thought: Maybe the next round of Capital Hill strife won’t be as bad as what we’ve just endured at the precipice of the fiscal cliff.

President Obama’s 5 New Year's Resolutions

Sophie Quinton | December 31, 2012

President Obama may have won four more years in the White House, but he has a narrower window of opportunity to act on a domestic policy agenda. Here’s a list of five New Year's resolutions that Obama will have on his To Do list for 2013.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Terminator, Body-Builder, and Global Leader on Climate-Change

Coral Davenport | December 30, 2012

If the United States ever enacts a major climate-change law, it will owe a debt to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Bright Side of Falling Off the Fiscal Cliff

Zachary Karabell for The Atlantic | December 29, 2012

As 2012 sputters to a close, it wraps up with a yawning gap between widespread economic pessimism and the actual state of economic affairs.

What to Expect From the Global Economy in 2013

A. Michael Spence, Robert Kahn, Mark Thoma, Yukon Huang, Mark Zandi, Council on Foreign Relations | December 28, 2012

Economic experts take a look at the prospects for the global economy in 2013.

Hill Dems Haven't Been Told of Latest Obama Fiscal Cliff Plan

Chris Frates | December 27, 2012

President Obama is sending a scaled back fiscal cliff measure to Capitol Hill today, CNN's Dana Bash is reporting citing two unidentified sources. But that was news to some congressional Democrats. A senior Senate Democratic aide told the Alley that White House hasn't notified Democrats of the plan.

What Did Congress Do for You This Year? 10 Bills the 112th Passed

Matt Vasilogambros | December 25, 2012

You wouldn’t know it from the rhetoric in Washington, but Congress actually passed a few bills this year.

Obama Treasury Secretary Pick To Await Fiscal Cliff Resolution

Stacy Kaper | December 19, 2012

As the countdown to the fiscal cliff at the end of the year dominates the attention of the White House and lawmakers, President Obama is unlikely to make any announcement about his choice to replace departing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner until a resolution is reached to the cliff standoff.

Manufacturers Troubled by Prospect of Exporting More Natural Gas

Coral Davenport | December 6, 2012

The administration appears poised to allow increased gas sales overseas. It will expand America’s influence, but it carries economic risk.

The People, Not Washington, Will Solve America's Everyday Problems

James Oliphant and Stacy Kaper and Catherine Hollander and Adam Mazmanian and James Kitfield and Ben Terris and Fawn Johnson | December 6, 2012

Beyond the fiscal cliff, entitlement reform, and a tax overhaul, a host of other issues continue to vex Americans. They include burgeoning traffic, the shrinking pool of affordable housing, escalating gun violence, and the rising invasion of online privacy.

Boehner Mum On Detailed Fiscal Cliff Options

Billy House | November 9, 2012

This is the month President Obama must show he can engage the Congress and come up with bipartisan solutions to address the nation’s immediate fiscal crisis, House Speaker John Boehner said on Friday.

Weather or Not

Catherine Hollander | July 12, 2012

An extremely hot summer, like this one, isn’t as disruptive to the economy as a very cold winter.

Eastern Market

Olga Belogolova | May 10, 2012

The country's decision to walk away from nuclear power has it scrambling for natural gas, giving the U.S. a chance to be a large-scale exporter.

Gridlocked Out

Fawn Johnson and Beth Reinhard and Chris Frates | March 15, 2012

Sam Chaudhary and Liam Don are young entrepreneurs who want to create jobs. But their work visas expire in April because of a problem that Congress seems incapable of addressing. First in a new National Journal series that examines the crumbling of America’s basic foundations—and the prospects for rebuilding them.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Reinventing Iraq

March 22, 2003

A country called Iraq has existed only since 1919. But some cities in that land were already 16 centuries old when the nearby Egyptians built their pyramids. Bureaucrats in Mesopotamia, as the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers was known, began keeping written records in 3400 B.C. And despite three decades of political repression, economic mismanagement, and military disaster under Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, Iraq today-unlike Afghanistan in 2001, Yugoslavia in 1995, and Germany in 1945-is not a "failed state." (See "Occupational Hazards," this issue.) From food-distribution systems to local police forces, essential institutions and infrastructures have survived Saddam, albeit barely, and they will survive a war that successfully ousts him. So the good news is that Iraq will not have to start over from scratch. Unfortunately, the bad news is also that Iraq will not be able to start over from scratch.

POLITICS - As Bush Does Balancing Act, His Ratings Keep Slipping

March 15, 2003

As war with Iraq increasingly appears inevit-

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