LATEST ANALYSIS:
Yevgeny Prigozhin Might Have the Last Laugh
Coup plotters rarely die of old age. Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead and the Kremlin is rid of a formidable challenger, but at what price? Brian Klaas explores, in the Atlantic.
The Coup in Niger Is About Power. Russia Will Exploit It.
The most exciting explanations for Niger’s upheaval are globe-sweeping and probably wrong. Brian Klaas deduces the likeliest explanation, in the Atlantic.
The Rise of Counterfeit Democracy
The new normal outside of established, rich democracies is counterfeit democracy—authoritarian rule that pretends to be democratic. And the playbook is being co-opted by wannabe despots everywhere. Brian Klaas explains
Why the Russian Coup Plot Failed
After the submarine, the deep-sea experts became coup experts. To understand the weekend’s mercenary mutiny, actual coup expert Brian Klaas outlines what we do know… and what we can’t know, in the Garden of Forking Paths.
How I Won a Disinformation Battle — But Lost the War
A firsthand lesson of how and why disinformation spreads, why it's so sticky in the minds of deluded believers, and how to fight back. Brian Klaas explores, in the Garden of Forking Paths.
The Lost Art of the Ideal and the Cycle of Futility
In modern discourse, we focus on the politics of the possible, with a sense of futility about real, positive change. According to Brian Klaas, it's time to say what we really want, by embracing the politics of the ideal.
Representation and the Power of Randomness
A natural experiment with political lotteries points to the benefits of ensuring that candidates fully represent the demographics of their communities. Brian Klaas explains, in the Garden of Forking Paths.
The Case for Pro-Democracy Rituals
Pro-democracy movements are missing a key political tool that authoritarian movements have perfected: the power of ritual. It's time to fight back. Brian Klaas writes in the Garden of Forking Paths.
Who Supports Political Violence in America?
A new political science study looks at the traits of people who support political violence in the United States. They develop a "political violence profile." And the key variables might surprise you. Brian Klaas writes in The Garden of Forking Paths.
In America’s Competition With China, Democracy Could Lose
If the president condemns a manipulated election in Thailand, the U.S. could lose its oldest Asian ally. Ahead of the Thai elections, Brian Klaas reviews the stakes, in The Atlantic.
The Billion Dollar Shack
Nauru, a tiny little belly button nation in the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean, is the most interesting island you've never heard of. Follow Brian Klaas into a history of isolation, sudden riches, lost paradise and uncertain future - a story of globalization and interdependence.
How Trump Could Win
Donald Trump is deeply unpopular outside his base and is facing multiple criminal investigations that could land him in jail. But...he could also win the 2024 US presidential election. Brian Klaas explains how in the Garden of Forking Paths.
The Red States Experimenting with Authoritarianism
Republican States are becoming laboratories for authoritarianism. Brian Klaas explains, in The Atlantic.
The Rise of Granfalloon Politics
Why are humans, aligning themselves into meaningless groups that hate each other more than ever before? Borrowing a whimsical framework from Kurt Vonnegut, Brian Klaas explores the political implications of the karass and the granfalloon in Garden of the Forking Paths.
The "Need for Chaos" Voter
New research has discovered a new personality trait called "need for chaos." They just want to watch the world burn and they're happy to help democracy end in flames. We must understand them. Brian Klaas explores in the Garden of Forking Paths.
The Missing Covid Origin Debate
Did Covid-19 come from a raccoon dog or a lab leak? Brian Klaas explores how a more important debate has been hidden from public view in The Garden of Forking Paths…
Rule by Law in Florida
Would President DeSantis be worse for American democracy than President Trump? Brian Klaas investigates for The Atlantic…
The Hidden Plight of the Street Level Bureaucrat
Most encounters with government happen with “street-level bureaucrats.” Brian Klaas tries to figure out what it’s like to be one for The Garden of Forking Paths.
Why do we get the wrong leaders?
Brian Klaas’ lecture for Science & Cocktails on why we get the wrong leaders and what can be done to put better ones in charge.
We need sting operations for politicians
In The Garden of Forking Paths, Brian Klaas argues that corruption, lobbying, and improper political influence plague our political systems, wasting money and creating bad governance, and that randomised sting operations could expose this.