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McFaul's World

Explaining international politics, and especially the fight between autocrats and democrats in the world today.

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When Russian Elections Were Actually Competitive (Video)

Revisiting the competitive 1996 presidential election—and what came next.

The Best Conversations From My Book Tour

Highlights from conversations about democracy, autocracy, American foreign policy, and the new global disorder.

Are there parallels between Trump and modern autocrats?

That’s one of the questions my Stanford colleague Stan Christensen challenged me to address on his All Things Negotiation podcast.

What I Learned on My Book Tour Across America

Over the last nine months, I’ve travelled the country to speak about the ideas in my book, Autocrats vs. Democrats. Here are my biggest takeaways.

July 2026: Reflections on Europe, NATO, China, and Iran

From Europe’s security to China’s global ambitions, the key conversations and lessons that shaped my month.

Democracy, Diplomacy and the New World Order

A recording of my recent talk at the Aspen Institute

The Drone Revolution: How Ukraine Is Changing Modern Warfare (video)

A conversation with Caterina Buchatskiy, Director of Analytics at the Snake Island Institute, one of Ukraine's leading defense and security think tanks.

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The Dangers of Unilateralism Abroad and Polarization at Home

If American leaders continue to go it alone abroad and foment division at home, we will lose the 21st century to China.

The End of Democracy? Is the Populist Wave Unstoppable? (Video)

A timely discussion with former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

The World's Most Dangerous Flashpoints—Harry Litman with Michael McFaul

War rages on in Iran and Ukraine; Trump stays in NATO (for now).

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NATO Lives On

The NATO Summit in Ankara this week produced some positive results and avoided a major blow-up between the US and Europe.