Academic Writing

Britain has plunged into Brexit chaos. Here are the key facts.

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
December 12, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Over the past few days, Britain has entered into a major political crisis. Negotiators for the Conservative Party government made a deal with European Union negotiators over the Brexit process. However, the deal was unacceptable to the Democratic Unionist Party, which the government relies on for support, as well as to the Labour Party and many members of the Conservative Party. Now rebel Conservatives have gathered the necessary votes to challenge the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May. How did this happen, and what happens next? Read more about Britain has plunged into Brexit chaos. Here are the key facts.

The U.S. often takes hostages in trade fights. They usually aren’t live human beings

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
December 12, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

The United States, like other countries, frequently uses the tactic of hostage taking in trade disputes. When it imposes punitive tariffs against another country, it very often targets politically sensitive products to put more pressure on the government. At the World Trade Organization, it is refusing to agree to the appointment of new judges, to try to force other WTO members to accede to its demands. Read more about The U.S. often takes hostages in trade fights. They usually aren’t live human beings

Rudy Giuliani is Trump’s cybersecurity adviser. He might want a refresher

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
December 5, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

n 2017, Rudolph W. Giuliani was named as a cybersecurity adviser to President Trump. This was widely seen as a consolation prize. Giuliani had been in charge of a cybersecurity firm but had reportedly wanted to become secretary of state. More recently Giuliani has come to play a central part in Trump’s legal team, and has also acted as a public advocate battling on behalf of Trump across a wide variety of media. Read more about Rudy Giuliani is Trump’s cybersecurity adviser. He might want a refresher

Citizens feel disconnected from government. If they knew what government did for them, they wouldn’t

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
November 28, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Suzanne Mettler is the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the department of government at Cornell University. She is also the author of a new book, “The Government-Citizen Disconnect,” which argues that citizens are often unaware of the benefits they receive from the government. I spoke to her about her arguments. Read more about Citizens feel disconnected from government. If they knew what government did for them, they wouldn’t

The Most Damaging Election Disinformation Campaign Came From Donald Trump, Not Russia

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
November 19, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

On November 4, 2016, the hacker “Guccifer 2.0,” a front for Russia’s military intelligence service, claimed in a blogpost that the Democrats were likely to use vulnerabilities to hack the presidential elections. On November 9, 2018, President Donald Trump started tweeting about the senatorial elections in Florida and Arizona. Read more about The Most Damaging Election Disinformation Campaign Came From Donald Trump, Not Russia

Supplemental Comments to Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) on the Assistance & Access Bill 2018

Author(s): 
Riana Pfefferkorn
Publication Date: 
November 13, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Supplemental comments submitted to Australia's Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) on the revised draft (20 September 2018 version) of the Telecommunication & Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance & Access) Bill 2018, in advance of testimony during the PJCIS's 16 November 2018 hearing on the Bill. Read more about Supplemental Comments to Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) on the Assistance & Access Bill 2018

Information Attacks on Democracies

Author(s): 
Henry Farrell
Publication Date: 
November 15, 2018
Publication Type: 
Other Writing

Democracy is an information system.

That's the starting place of our new paper: “Common-Knowledge Attacks on Democracy.” In it, we look at democracy through the lens of information security, trying to understand the current waves of Internet disinformation attacks. Specifically, we wanted to explain why the same disinformation campaigns that act as a stabilizing influence in Russia are destabilizing in the United States. Read more about Information Attacks on Democracies

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