Elizabeth Saunders

Editor and Contributor at Good Authority

Prof. of Political Science, Columbia; @goodauth @BrookingsFP. New Book: https://t.co/oaOEUvBCDw

Articles

IGP and CGEP Rapid Response: Israel and Iran Conflict - Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA | CGEP

1 week ago | energypolicy.columbia.edu | Jason Bordoff |Eyal Hulata |Richard Nephew |MEGHAN L. O’SULLIVAN |Elizabeth Saunders

On the night of June 12, the Israeli military conducted widespread strikes on sites in Iran that targeted the country’s nuclear program and its senior military leadership. This attack, and subsequent retaliation by Iran, has set off an unprecedented exchange of intense missile strikes between Iran and Israel, which risks escalating into a larger regional conflict.
Imperial President at Home, Emperor Abroad

1 week ago | foreignaffairs.com | Elizabeth Saunders

Only a few months into U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, the United States looks dramatically and perhaps irreversibly different at home and on the world stage. Trump’s rampage through the federal government has gutted U.S. state capacity. His undermining of basic constitutional rights at home and his hostility to immigration have made the United States inhospitable to visitors who enrich the country and contribute to its productivity and innovation.
Is Your Flexible Schedule Burning You Out?

2 weeks ago | hbr.org | Elizabeth Saunders

By On paper, Sean was doing well. Early on in his career, he had put in an immense amount of effort into his work and advanced to the level of firm partner. Now as one of the top leaders in his organization, he had more freedom to set his hours and had chosen to use that flexibility for his wife and children.
Trump and Zelenskyy clashed in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.

Feb 28, 2025 | goodauthority.org | Elizabeth Saunders

On Friday, the world witnessed President Donald Trump, aided by Vice President JD Vance, in the Oval Office, in front of television cameras. Was this another of Trump’s vaunted “madman” moments, where he tries to act unpredictably as a way to make credible threats? The answer is no. Trump’s Oval Office meltdown – which Americans should view as a major turning point in U.S. foreign policy – was the culmination of Trump’s longstanding foreign policy views.
U.S. diplomacy is in crisis.

Feb 19, 2025 | goodauthority.org | Elizabeth Saunders

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was the first such interaction between Russia and the United States since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Rubio, accompanied by Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, talked to Lavrov and other high-level Russian officials for four hours.
Does DOGE Pose a National Security Risk?

Feb 7, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | Larry Garber |Michelle Gavin |James Goldgeier |Elizabeth Saunders

Just a few weeks ago, the greatest threat to U.S. government computer systems seemed to be that hostile foreign powers could break into them and steal data. In late December, Treasury Department officials sent a letter to members of Congress reporting that a Chinese group had hacked their systems and stolen unclassified documents. The department said that it was working with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI to assess the damage.
Don’t Let Bad Time Management Undermine Your Leadership

Feb 5, 2025 | hbr.org | Elizabeth Saunders

Post Post Share Annotate Save Print According to a survey by SHRM, 84% of workers believe poorly trained managers create unnecessary work and stress. And poor time management is a huge factor. When you’re not in control of your own time, you can end up overloading your team, creating unnecessary emergencies, and neglecting to provide essential support. Even though you’re working hard and have good intentions, you still may be stressing out or demotivating direct reports. As a manager, you owe...
We need to talk about the emotional weight of work

Oct 22, 2024 | fastcompanyme.com | Elizabeth Saunders

You can feel the muscles between your shoulder blades tense up and your stomach feels a bit queasy. Is that a headache coming on? You know you really should do that task that’s collecting cobwebs on your to-do list. It’s important. It needs to happen. And it’s not even that hard. But you find it emotionally exhausting to even think about getting it done. So you protrastinate and distract yourself, hoping that you’ll have the courage to check it off the list someday—just not today. Sound familiar?
Three big questions about nuclear weapons

Oct 13, 2024 | goodauthority.org | Elizabeth Saunders

Editors’ note: The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Japanese grassroots organization Nihon Hidankyo, has worked for decades to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again. In this archival newsletter piece, Good Authority editor Elizabeth N. Saunders examined the reasons that officials worry that some country might use nuclear weapons – and the structural forces constraining that use. Her analysis was originally published in August 2023.
Make the Most of Your Vacation When You Can’t Fully Unplug

Jul 29, 2024 | hbr.org | Elizabeth Saunders

While working while on vacation isn’t ideal, there may be times when projects, deadlines, or client obligations prevent you from being fully offline. While it’s not easy to balance these competing priorities, it is possible to get critical work done while enjoying some refreshing time off. The key is to do a little pre-planning, making sure to avoid a few common mistakes people make when mixing business and personal travel.