Books & ideas

Books & Ideas is going on holiday for the summer, and will resume its publication schedule in September. In the meantime, we present you with a weekly roundup of our most recent essays and reviews.

With the rise of ISIS and ongoing warfare in the Middle East, the year 2015 has been fraught with geopolitical debates. What constitutes a state? In an era of redefined national allegiances, how can we define borders, sovereignty, state power and state legitimacy? Focused mainly on the Middle East and the Russian Federation, the articles featured in our fourth summer selection develop threads of analysis going beyond these often blurred national and regional boundaries.

Our Books and Ideas dossier on the American presidential elections will make no forecasts - instead it will look back on four years of Democratic leadership at the White House and four years of right-wing radicalization inside and outside of the G.O.P. Whoever wins will have to deal with the Tea Party, and the record shows it will not be easy for anyone.