Publications

At the Kratos Institute, we analyze how political, economic, and institutional developments around the world shape U.S. foreign policy priorities, strategic interests, and global stability. Our work centers on producing actionable policy briefs that help decision‑makers understand emerging risks, governance trends, and early‑warning indicators across key sectors.

Our research examines how seemingly small political or institutional shifts can generate significant consequences for U.S. engagement abroad. Whether through governance reforms, electoral dynamics, or changes in elite networks, these developments influence American diplomatic strategy, development programming, and security cooperation.

We focus on critical domains that intersect directly with U.S. interests:

  • Governance & Democratic Resilience – how institutional weakening, executive dominance, and electoral manipulation affect U.S. diplomatic and development objectives.

  • Peace & Security – how instability, coups, and regional conflicts shape U.S. security partnerships and counter‑authoritarian competition.

  • Economic & Development Policy – how reforms, investment patterns, and economic governance influence U.S. aid effectiveness and trade relationships.

  • Technology & Strategic Competition – how digital policy, information ecosystems, and foreign influence operations impact U.S. strategic positioning.

  • Health & Human Security – how public health capacity and crisis response affect U.S. humanitarian and global health priorities.

Through these lenses, our policy briefs provide U.S. policymakers, analysts, and partners with early‑warning insights, risk assessments, and evidence‑based recommendations that support informed decision‑making in complex political environments.

POLICY BRIEF: ASSESSING PERSONALIST POLITICS: A DIAGNOSTIC FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS

The Kratos Institute has released a new policy brief introducing an early‑warning diagnostic framework to help U.S. policymakers identify and respond to rising political personalization in fragile and transitioning states. Personalist regimes, where power concentrates in the hands of a single leader or elite network, pose escalating risks to U.S. foreign policy, development investments, and security partnerships.

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