Why It Matters

Female service members are more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow service member than shot by an enemy combatant at war. As the reports increase, the controversial military justice system remains intact. The current policy gives commanders authority over the prosecution, often allowing perpetrators to evade accountability. The consequences are dire for survivors and the armed services at...

Why It Matters is pleased to present an episode from its sister podcast, The President’s Inbox. Today, U.S. national security is dependent on international nuclear agreements. How does the world regulate nuclear weapons as countries continue to advance their arsenals?   Featured Guests:  James M. Lindsey (Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair, Council on Foreig...

The glamour and thrill of espionage, brought to life on screen by characters such as James Bond, have long captivated imaginations. But this profession is deeply misunderstood, and it is always changing. Today, spycraft hangs in the balance as new technologies emerge and societies change.    Featured Guests:  Edward Lucas (Senior Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis)  Emily Harding (Deputy...

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country, has prompted a moment of national debate about the war’s cost and legacy. Many are asking what went wrong and what the conflict accomplished.  For insight, Why It Matters turned to CFR President Richard N. Haass, who has spent four decades studying and advising on Afghanistan. As head of policy planning for the...

Hosting the Olympics is a monumental undertaking that often leaves behind rusted stadiums and financial losses. So why do nations compete to do it? This episode examines the political history of the games, and the soft power that countries hope to gain by hosting them.   Featured Guests:  Jules Boykoff  (Professor of Political Science, Pacific University)  Katharine Moon  (Professor of Political S...

The United States’ alliance with Japan is the centerpiece of U.S. security in Asia, but new demographic challenges from within Japan raise concerns about the future of the region.   Featured Guests:  Zach Cooper , Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)  Motoko Rich , Tokyo Bureau Chief, New York Times  Sheila A. Smith , John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific Studies   For an epis...

Fresh water is more than just a resource, it is the source of all life. But in many arid regions of the world, water supplies are under pressure from climate change, and outdated rules and infrastructure are making the problem worse. What does the world need to know about water consumption, and how can societies build better systems for a dryer future?   Featured Guests:  Mark Giordano (Professor...

Silicon chips are in almost all electronics, and access to them can make or break a country’s economic future. Their production relies on complex supply chains, and during the pandemic, the world learned just how fragile these supply chains are. Many countries, including the United States and China, are investing billions of dollars to develop the capacity to produce chips domestically, and some a...

Will the world have enough water to survive in the era of climate change? Could a shortage of silicon chips eventually lead to war? Do human spies matter in the era of cyber espionage? Why It Matters is back for its fourth season, unpacking new problems and speaking with a host of new guests.   For more about Why It Matters, visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/why-it-matters

Industrial overfishing and other man-made factors have pushed one-third of the world’s fish stocks to be threatened with extinction, and many other species are not far behind. The problem represents a serious risk to ocean biodiversity, and to large human populations that rely on fish for day-to-day survival. What can be done?   Featured Guests:  Manuel Barange (Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture...

Successful vaccine rollouts in the United States and other wealthy nations have made many people hopeful that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. But the majority of the world’s population does not yet have access to these vaccines. Without a strong global effort to immunize everyone, new variants could tighten the pandemic’s grip on rich and poor countries alike.   Featured Guests:  Ant...

The dollar is the world’s primary reserve currency, accounting for $6.7 trillion in foreign reserves. This has given the United States what some have called “an exorbitant privilege,” allowing it to borrow easily and to levy painful sanctions. But could it lose this status?   Featured Guests:  Roger Ferguson (President and Chief Executive Officer, TIAA)  Sebastian Mallaby (Paul A. Volcker Senior F...

For years, security experts have warned that white nationalist and white supremacist extremism represent the most significant domestic terrorism threat to the United States. Now, in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the country seems to be gaining clarity about the seriousness of the situation for the first time. How did we get here, and what can be done?   Featured Guests:  Bruce Hoffma...

There is no country quite like Russia. Despite having a relatively small economy, it has been able to maintain global influence through a range of unconventional tactics. How has Vladimir Putin played his country’s weak hand so effectively? And what is his goal?   Featured Guests:  Jill Dougherty (Global Fellow, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center)  Stephen Sestanovich (George F. Kennan Senior Fellow...

What does it take to make a Hollywood blockbuster? Movie stars? A great script? How about approval from the Chinese government? In this episode, two guests explore the surprising role of Chinese censorship and oversight in the production of U.S. films and ask what’s at stake as their presence increases.   Featured Guests:  Aynne Kokas (Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia) ...

The U.S. president can launch a first-strike nuclear attack at any time, and there’s no law mandating they seek advice first. Some experts think that’s too much power to put in one person’s hands.   Episode Page and Show Notes   Featured Guests:  Richard K. Betts (Adjunct Senior Fellow for National Security Studies) Alexandra Bell (Senior Policy Director, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferati...

Projections show that by 2050, Africa’s population will double. By 2100, one in three people on Earth will be African. This means that, by the end of the century, sub-Saharan Africa—which already has an extraordinarily young population—will be home to almost half of the young people in the world. In this episode, two experts examine whether Africa’s youth boom will be a blessing or a curse.   Feat...

The Brazilian Amazon is burning, threatening the world’s largest repository of biodiversity. If the fires are not controlled soon, they could release a “climate bomb” of stored carbon that would accelerate climate change.   Featured Guests:  Monica de Bolle (Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics)  Stewart M. Patrick (James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance and Di...

Fifty-five percent of the global population lacks access to safe sanitation, a deadly global health disparity that rarely finds its way into the spotlight. In this episode, we examine the scope of the problem, and the cultural challenges that have made it surprisingly difficult to fix.   Featured Guests:  Tom Slaymaker (Senior Statistics and Monitoring Specialist, WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Progr...

The United States trails far behind most advanced democracies when it comes to voter turnout, with just 55 percent of eligible voters participating in the 2016 election. What are other countries doing right, and what is the United States doing wrong?   Featured Guests:  David Becker (Executive Director, Center for Election Innovation & Research)  Kristen Clarke (President and Executive Director, L...

What happens when the world runs out of fish? Does TikTok actually present a national security risk? Will Africa's population boom change the world as we know it? In season three, Why It Matters explores a new series of challenges that are gathering on the horizon.   For more information on our first two seasons, be sure to visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/why-it-matters

As climate change accelerates, some scientists are researching ways to alter our climate to slow down warming. But the method, called solar geoengineering, comes with some serious risks.   Featured Guests:  David Keith (Harvard University)  Shuchi Talati (Union of Concerned Scientists)  Gernot Wagner (New York University)   For more information on this episode, visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/dimming...

Works of art and cultural heritage sites are common casualties in war. In many cases, the sale of plundered treasures has helped finance ongoing conflict. In this episode, two experts examine the history of conflict-driven looting. Along the way, they trace the opaque, unregulated international art market that allows irreplaceable treasures to travel from strife-torn regions to the catalogues of p...

For decades international students enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S., with strong consensus that they fueled American innovation, job creation and competitiveness. But in recent years the pipeline of international students has come under threat, and other nations are seizing the opportunity to take in the world’s brightest students.   Featured Guests:  Esther D. Brimmer (Executive Director an...

As the effects of climate change move from scientific predictions to daily headlines, some investors have begun sounding the alarm about impending dangers to financial markets. In this episode, experts break down the intersection of climate change and the economy, and examine whether the persuasive power of the dollar can be leveraged in the fight for climate action.   Featured Guests:  Kate Macke...