Data analysis from CSIS reveals that there was a significant increase in the number and percentage of domestic terrorist incidents at demonstrations in cities in 2020 and 2021. In 2019, only 2 percent of all U.S. terrorist attacks and plots occurred at demonstrations, but this portion rose to 47 percent in 2020 and 53 percent in 2021.

SOURCE: "Pushed to Extremes: Domestic Terrorism amid Polarization and Protest" by CSIS's Catrina Doxsee, Seth Jones, and Jared Thompson.

While there are growing calls for a decrease in the U.S. military presence in the Middle East to focus on growing competition with China in the Indo-Pacific and Russia in Europe, others contend that maintaining a robust presence is necessary to respond to a complex mix of adversaries active in the region. Analysis from CSIS finds that the United States should keep a notable but tailored presence in the Middle East for the moment, with a total of between 20,000 and 30,000 personnel.

SOURCE: "U.S. Defense Posture in the Middle East" by CSIS's Seth Jones and Seamus Daniels.

Although Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its undeclared proxy war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions awakened a sense of patriotism among many Ukrainians in 2014, a substantial portion of the population continued to hope for the normalization of relations with Moscow. However, hopes of a peaceful coexistence with Russia have evaporated since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Recent social surveys found that only 8 percent of respondents had positive inclinations toward Russian citizens, down from 47 percent in 2018.

SOURCE: "How the War Could Transform Ukrainian Politics" by CSIS's Andrew Lohsen.

China’s massive population provides a foundational advantage in the supply of talent, and the country’s rapid economic growth in recent decades can be directly linked to its mobilization of human capital. However, research indicates that due to the government’s strict population control policies, China will face a talent demand gap of nearly 30 million workers by 2025 in 10 key areas of China’s manufacturing industry, or a 48 percent shortage of skilled workers to meet demand.

SOURCE: How China’s Human Capital Impacts Its National Competitiveness by CSIS's Briana Boland and Jude Blanchette.