When the U.S.A. Was Neutral

For 150 Years, America Didn’t Take Sides—But the Nation Still Fought Plenty of Wars

Can we, and should we, ever really be neutral? In a new series, Zócalo explores the idea of neutrality—in politics, sports, gender, journalism, international law, and more. In this essay, neutrality studies scholar Pascal Lottaz writes about the unique American-style neutrality from George Washington to Pearl Harbor.

If you were born any time after 1960, the first (and perhaps only) country that will come to mind when you think of “neutrality” is Switzerland—that tiny alpine nation that has been following a policy of “perpetual neutrality” …

by Pascal Lottaz | July 22, 2024

Learning in the Midst of a Humanitarian Crisis

In Its Struggle to Respond to a Massive Surge of Refugees, the EU Needs a More Collaborative and Global Approach

by Joe Mathews | October 23, 2015

Europe’s current refugee crisis offers many good examples for how to better deal with the 19 million refugees around the world—and a host of hard lessons about mistakes to avoid, …