IB Global Politics

Explore free resources that align with your IB Global Politics curriculum.

CFR Education offers a range of free resources that can supplement your IB Global Politics curriculum. Browse readings, timelines, videos, assessments, and simulations that align with core units and higher level (HL) extension case studies.

Core Units (People, Power and Politics): alignment with four compulsory units covering fundamental political concepts
HL Extensions (Global Political Challenges): alignment with six global political challenges that are researched and presented through a case study approach

Power, Sovereignty, and International Relations

The Growing Threat of Cyberattacks Video	The Stuxnet worm is only the beginning.
What Is Soft Power? Reading	From Cold War propaganda to current day pop culture, learn how countries use soft power to influence others without coercion in this free resource.
Defending Ukraine Mini Simulation	How should the United States and its NATO allies respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Explore this simulation.
Global Terrorism Trends Reading	Explore terrorism trends through five data charts that help show the threat of terrorism around the world and how it has changed over time.
Laws, Norms, and Democratic Backsliding Reading	Are countries less democratic than they used to be? Learn how democratic principles like checks and balances, free elections, and freedom of the press are under threat around the world.
What Tools Do Foreign Policy-Makers Have at Their Disposal? Video	In this foreign policy video, learn how leaders further their countries’ interests with political, economic, and military tools such as diplomacy, trade, and intelligence.
Humanitarian Intervention in South Sudan in 2014 (NSC) Simulation
Tools of Nonproliferation Video	How do world leaders try to prevent nuclear war? From diplomacy to military force, learn what policy options are most effective in this video.
Understanding Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ Reading	More than twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, challenges remain for Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland long after the conflict ended.
Marriage Equality Around the World Reading	An increasing number of countries recognize same-sex marriage, but discrimination and persecution persist.
The Terrorist Money Trail Reading	How do terrorists get funding? Learn about the challenges of targeting the finances of terrorist groups in this free resource on terrorism.
What Is Nation-Building? Video	In this free resource on nation-building, learn why developing political, economic, security, and social institutions across borders is a complex business.
Defining an Acceptable Outcome in Russia’s War in Ukraine Mini Simulation	How should Ukraine define success as it seeks to repel Russian forces? Explore this simulation.
What Is Terrorism? Video	Learn how terrorists have sought to achieve their goals all over the world with this video on terrorism.
Understanding Revolutions Reading	Explore the powerful political movements that can reshape forms of government.
How Do Countries Select Their Foreign Policy Tools? Video	In this educational video on foreign policy, explore how U.S. relations with Japan have changed over the past century, from Pearl Harbor to a peaceful alliance.
Humanitarian Intervention in South Sudan in 2014 (UNSC) Simulation
The Paris Agreement Reading	What is the Paris Agreement? In this free resource, learn what actions countries are taking to address the global threat of climate change.
NATO: The World’s Largest Alliance Timeline	What is NATO? Trace NATO’s history and learn how the organization’s mission has evolved over seventy-five years, from the end of World War II to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Eight “Hot Wars” During the Cold War Reading	The United States and the Soviet Union never directly clashed, but the Cold War was far from bloodless. From Cuba to Korea, explore the proxy wars these superpowers fueled in this historical resource.
The Rise and Fall of the Responsibility to Protect Timeline	Sovereignty is sacred. But when lives are in danger, does that principle still apply?
What Is Economic Statecraft? Reading	Learn why China lends billions of dollars abroad each year through its Belt and Road Initiative and the implications of that free resource for recipient countries.
Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon Mini Simulation	Should the United States take action to stop deforestation in the Amazon to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
Terrorism and the Media Video	How do terrorists use the media? From Osama bin Laden to the Islamic State, learn how terrorists use internet and media coverage to shape their goals.
What Is the Liberal World Order? Video	Explore the organizations and agreements that have promoted global peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, as well as the challenges that the liberal world order now faces in this video.
Why Does U.S. Foreign Policy Matter? Video	In this educational video on U.S. foreign policy, learn how the United States has shaped the world with its military and economic might.
Drones in Pakistan in 2011 (NSC) Simulation
What the World’s Terrorist Groups Have in Common Reading	From the KKK to al-Qaeda, learn how strong ideology motivates terrorist groups to commit violence, no matter their goals.
Social Media: Revolutionizing Communication Reading	Social media has connected people at lightning speeds and upended long-held monopolies on information. But like past innovations, it has also created major societal challenges.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline Timeline	Explore the history and important events behind the long-standing Middle East conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians from 1947 to today.
How Self-Determination Shaped the Modern World Reading	Learn how the world’s nearly two hundred countries came to be, and whether the map is set in stone.
What Is Intelligence? Reading	From Cold War double agents to Chinese spy balloons, explore how lying and spying inform policymaking in this resource on intelligence.
Intelligence: Covert Action Mini Simulation	How should the United States use secret measures to address a national security threat? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
How a Single Phrase Defined the War on Terror Reading	What is the 2001 AUMF and what does it have to do with 9/11? From the invasion of Afghanistan, to the Iraq War, and more, learn how the United States justified U.S. counterterrorism policy for over two decades.
What Is the UN Security Council? Reading	In this free resource, learn more about the United Nations’ most powerful body working to maintain international peace and security. Explore the security council’s failures and successes, and why the UN Security Council’s veto power is so controversial.
How Do Treaties Get Made? Video	In this U.S. foreign policy video, understand the challenges of negotiating treaties and dive into two international climate agreements.
Should the United States Ratify the Law of the Sea? Mini Simulation	In this mini-simulation explore whether or not the United States should ratify the UN Convention's Law of the Sea.
Tools of Counterterrorism Video	What is counterterrorism? Learn how governments try to prevent terrorist attacks in this video on terrorism.
Radicalization and Right-Wing Extremism Reading	Learn how QAnon, white supremacists, and Silicon Valley have contributed to an evolving domestic terror threat.
How Do Humanitarian Corridors, Cease-Fires, and Pauses Address Violence in Conflict? Reading	When deadly conflict breaks out, what are different ways to respond to a humanitarian crisis, support life-saving relief, and lessen the loss of civilian lives?
Understanding the Constructive and Destructive Natures of Nationalism Reading	Nationalism can unify diverse societies. But when taken to extremes, it can also fuel violence, division, and global disorder.
What Is Deterrence? Reading	In this free resource, explore examples of deterrence from the Cold War to present day to learn how countries dissuade bad behavior with the threat of significant punishment.
U.S. Foreign Policy: Multilateralism or Unilateralism? Mini Simulation	Should the next U.S. president prioritize a multilateral or unilateral approach to foreign policy? Explore this simulation.
The History of Terrorism and U.S. Counterterrorism Since 1945 Timeline	From the creation of the CIA to the “War on Terror,” learn about the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism policies in this terrorism timeline.
What Is International Law? Reading	Explore the history of international law, important international agreements and the courts that aim to hold countries accountable, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
What Is the National Security Council? Reading	Learn how the president’s advisors protect U.S. national security and help with foreign policy decision-making and coordination across the executive branch.
The History of Nuclear Proliferation Timeline	What are the most significant attempts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and have they succeeded? Explore this timeline, from the first atomic bomb to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
What Is Cryptocurrency? Reading	Explore digital currency's uses and abuses in society.
Armed Force Mini Simulation	Should the United States use armed force to address a conflict in another country? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
Tanks, Sanctions, and Separatists: The Various Challenges to Sovereignty Reading	A government’s authority within its borders gets challenged all the time. Here is how.
What Is Arms Control? Reading	In this free resource on arms control agreements, learn how countries try to regulate the world’s most powerful weapons through foreign policy.
Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (UNSC) Simulation
Who Counts As a Terrorist? Reading	What are the major types of terrorism? From foreign groups to domestic threats, learn how the U.S. government defines terrorism and its legal consequences.
What Is the World Trade Organization? Reading	What is the WTO? Learn how the World Trade Organization manages the rules for international trade and why it's failing to address today’s most pressing issues.
How Do Forces Outside Government Influence Policymaking? Reading	Learn how journalism, social media, public opinion, and lobbies are all a part of American democracy and influence U.S. foreign policy.
The Origins of the Internet Timeline	The internet evolved from a niche government tool to a nearly universal platform for communications and entertainment.
Idealism Versus Realism Reading	What is idealism? What is realism? In this free resource, explore two schools of thought on a country’s foreign policy priorities.
Arms Control Mini Simulation	Should the United States use arms control to reduce the threat of a new type of weapon? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
The European Union: The World’s Biggest Sovereignty Experiment Reading	Countries fight to protect their sovereignty. So why would they willingly give it up?
What Is Peacekeeping? Reading	In this free resource on the successes and failures of peacekeeping, learn about the UN missions tasked with transitioning countries out of war.
Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (NSC) Simulation
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Reading	What is the NPT and how has the treaty influenced the spread of nuclear weapons?
What Is the World Health Organization? Reading	What is the WHO? Learn how the UN agency in charge of international public health responds to crises that threaten global health coordination, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Is the Relationship Between Domestic and Foreign Policy? Reading	Explore maps and charts that illustrate how climate change, terrorism, COVID-19, and internet freedom require both international and domestic solutions in an increasingly interconnected world.
The Internet by the Numbers Reading	In a world where internet access is increasing, digital divides remain.
Isolationism Versus Engagement Reading	What is isolationism? What is engagement? In this free resource on foreign policy, explore why some leaders view the outside world as a threat and others view it as an opportunity.
Deterrence Mini Simulation	How should the United States use deterrence to block threats against itself and its allies? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
What Is Sovereignty? Video	Understand the principle that has underpinned world order for the past four hundred years.
What Is Armed Force? Reading	In this free resource on military action, learn how countries use violence, or armed force, to influence foreign policy.
Cyber Clash with China (NSC) Simulation
What Is Nuclear Proliferation? Video	In this video on nuclear proliferation, learn why countries develop nuclear weapons—and what is being done to prevent the spread of these weapons and the possibility of nuclear war.
The Civilian Consequences of Conflict Reading	From World War II to Syria’s civil war, understand the deadly consequences of war and what that means about the changing nature of conflict.
What Roles Do Congress and the President Play in U.S. Foreign Policy? Reading	What does the Constitution say about foreign policy? In this free resource, explore how the powers of Congress and the president protect and advance the country’s interests abroad.
Should the Internet Respect National Borders? Video	The United States supports internet freedom. China, a proponent of cyber sovereignty, disagrees.
Unilateralism Versus Multilateralism Reading	What is unilateralism? What is multilateralism? In this free resource on foreign policy, explore why leaders address some challenges independently and others as part of a team.
Economic Sanctions Mini Simulation	How should the United States apply sanctions to influence a crisis abroad? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
Reimagining Sovereignty in a Global Era Video	When fires in the Amazon affect countries around the world, is there a need to rethink a centuries-old understanding of sovereignty?
What Is Trade Policy? Reading	In this free resource on trade policy, explore how countries leverage their economic power to advance their foreign policy interests.
Cyber Clash with China (UNSC) Simulation
South Africa: Why Countries Acquire and Abandon Nuclear Bombs Reading	Why did South Africa give up its nuclear weapons? In this historical case study, learn about the only country in the world to have developed and then dismantled its nuclear program.
How Is Conflict Changing? Video	What is conflict? Explore the reasons why tensions, violence, and war break out and what the consequences are for the world in this video.
How Does AI Influence Conflict? Reading	How is the military using AI? Killer robots have long been a fear and fascination of humankind. Explore how weapons that can locate, target, and kill without human involvement shape today’s conflicts and hold the potential to re-shape future conflicts.
How Companies and Governments Do (and Don’t) Protect Your Data Reading	The spread of the internet has far outpaced domestic and international privacy laws, making global coordination difficult and leaving personal data vulnerable.
How Do Governments Approach Foreign Policy? Video	In this educational video, explore three fundamental questions that shape a country’s relationship with the world through foreign policy.
Peacekeeping Mini Simulation	Should the United States support peacekeeping in a country filled with ethnic conflict? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
What Is Government? Video	From direct and parliamentary democracy to authoritarianism, learn how rulers take power—and who decides.
What Is Diplomacy? Reading	In this free resource on diplomacy, understand how countries advocate for their national interests through foreign policy.
Boko Haram in Nigeria in 2017 (NSC) Simulation
How Do Countries Create Nuclear Weapons? Reading	What is nuclear power and how can the same process that generates nuclear energy create a nuclear bomb?
What Is Interstate Conflict? Reading	Bombs and bullets are not always required for countries to come into conflict. From Russia’s war in Ukraine to a U.S. trade war with China, explore the different ways countries come into tension.
How Does AI Influence Government? Reading	Artificial intelligence can empower authoritarians but also support democracies.
What are Cyberspace and Cybersecurity? Video	Explore the origins of the internet and the challenges that will define its future.
What Are Economic Sanctions? Reading	In this free resource on sanctions, learn how countries use punitive economic measures to advance their foreign policy priorities.
Soft Power Mini Simulation	Should the United States use soft power to enhance its standing in the world? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
What Are Different Types of Government? Reading	Learn about different forms of government—including democracy, authoritarian rule, and monarchy—and how their distinctions aren't always so clear.
How Did the United States Approach the Tiananmen Square Crackdown? Video	In this educational video, learn how idealism and realism shaped U.S. foreign policy following the Chinese government’s massacre at Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Boko Haram in Nigeria in 2017 (UNSC) Simulation
The Nuclear World Reading	Where are the world’s nuclear weapons today and whom do they protect? Explore maps, charts, and graphs to learn about current and future nuclear weapons states.
Understanding Intrastate Conflict Reading	From civil war to terrorist violence, explore the types, causes, and consequences of conflicts within countries that are increasingly threatening world order.
Statelessness Around the World Reading	Without a country to call their own, millions of people experience discrimination and persecution.

Human Rights

The Changing Response to AIDS Timeline	A neglected global health crisis ultimately became a top priority for policymakers, donors, and doctors.
Understanding Revolutions Reading	Explore the powerful political movements that can reshape forms of government.
The Internet by the Numbers Reading	In a world where internet access is increasing, digital divides remain.
Statelessness Around the World Reading	Without a country to call their own, millions of people experience discrimination and persecution.
The Rise and Fall of the Responsibility to Protect Timeline	Sovereignty is sacred. But when lives are in danger, does that principle still apply?
COVID-19’s Unequal Consequences Reading	In its first few months, the pandemic disproportionately harmed people of color in the United States.
Should the Internet Respect National Borders? Video	The United States supports internet freedom. China, a proponent of cyber sovereignty, disagrees.
Marriage Equality Around the World Reading	An increasing number of countries recognize same-sex marriage, but discrimination and persecution persist.
How Self-Determination Shaped the Modern World Reading	Learn how the world’s nearly two hundred countries came to be, and whether the map is set in stone.
What Is the Liberal World Order? Video	Explore the organizations and agreements that have promoted global peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, as well as the challenges that the liberal world order now faces in this video.
How Companies and Governments Do (and Don’t) Protect Your Data Reading	The spread of the internet has far outpaced domestic and international privacy laws, making global coordination difficult and leaving personal data vulnerable.
Peacekeeping Mini Simulation	Should the United States support peacekeeping in a country filled with ethnic conflict? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
Understanding the Constructive and Destructive Natures of Nationalism Reading	Nationalism can unify diverse societies. But when taken to extremes, it can also fuel violence, division, and global disorder.
What Is the UN Security Council? Reading	In this free resource, learn more about the United Nations’ most powerful body working to maintain international peace and security. Explore the security council’s failures and successes, and why the UN Security Council’s veto power is so controversial.
How Does Cyberspace Work? Reading	Learn about the many places information is transferred across the internet—including under the ocean, up in space, and in your pocket.
Cuban Immigration in 1980 Mini Simulation	How should the United States respond to the massive influx of Cuban migrants? Explore this historical simulation set in 1980.
Tanks, Sanctions, and Separatists: The Various Challenges to Sovereignty Reading	A government’s authority within its borders gets challenged all the time. Here is how.
Migration Today Reading	Understand where migrants come from, where they go, and why migration is increasing through maps, charts, and data.
What Is International Law? Reading	Explore the history of international law, important international agreements and the courts that aim to hold countries accountable, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
What are Cyberspace and Cybersecurity? Video	Explore the origins of the internet and the challenges that will define its future.
Uighur Repression in Xinjiang Mini Simulation	Should the United States reassess its policy toward China in light of the ongoing repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang? Explore this simulation.
The European Union: The World’s Biggest Sovereignty Experiment Reading	Countries fight to protect their sovereignty. So why would they willingly give it up?
What Is Migration? Video	Why do people migrate? Understand why migration means different things for individuals, countries, and economies in a globalized world.
What Are the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund? Reading	What's the difference between the World Bank and the IMF? Understand two institutions that undergird global development and the international monetary system.
What Is Global Health? Video	We have made advances in global health, but we face challenges from new disease trends—and need funding to treat them.
Asylum Seekers at the U.S. Southern Border in 2019 (NSC) Simulation
What Is Sovereignty? Video	Understand the principle that has underpinned world order for the past four hundred years.
For Migrants, Labels Matter Reading	What is the difference between immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers? Explore how contested definitions of migrants have a profound effect on the rights and protections of people leaving their homes.
What Is the World Health Organization? Reading	What is the WHO? Learn how the UN agency in charge of international public health responds to crises that threaten global health coordination, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Global Health Then and Now Reading	The world has become healthier over the past few centuries, but new challenges are on the horizon.
Humanitarian Intervention in South Sudan in 2014 (NSC) Simulation
Reimagining Sovereignty in a Global Era Video	When fires in the Amazon affect countries around the world, is there a need to rethink a centuries-old understanding of sovereignty?
History of U.S. Immigration Policy Video	Explore how the United States has responded to migrants throughout history—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to DACA—and how immigration policy influences the society, economy, and politics of a country.
The Civilian Consequences of Conflict Reading	From World War II to Syria’s civil war, understand the deadly consequences of war and what that means about the changing nature of conflict.
The Rising Tide of Diabetes in Mexico Video	As noncommunicable diseases become more prevalent, Mexico is coming up with innovative ideas to fight the problem.
Unrest in Bahrain in 2014 (NSC) Simulation
What Is Government? Video	From direct and parliamentary democracy to authoritarianism, learn how rulers take power—and who decides.
The Lasting Effects of Emigration Video	When migrants seek work abroad, what does their home country gain and lose? Explore one example of a country shaped by emigration, the Philippines.
Human Trafficking in the Global Era Reading	Understand the various forms of human trafficking, including forced labor, forced marriage, and forced organ removal.
Noncommunicable Diseases and How They Are Measured Reading	How to track and understand the world’s leading causes of death.
Unrest in Bahrain in 2014 (UNSC) Simulation
What Are Different Types of Government? Reading	Learn about different forms of government—including democracy, authoritarian rule, and monarchy—and how their distinctions aren't always so clear.
Internally Displaced Persons: Migrants Who Do Not Cross a National Border Reading	Who are IDPs and how are they different from refugees? Understand what happens to people who are forced from their homes but remain inside their own country through country case studies.
Social Media: Revolutionizing Communication Reading	Social media has connected people at lightning speeds and upended long-held monopolies on information. But like past innovations, it has also created major societal challenges.
How Health Care Works Around the World Reading	Experts agree that access to quality health care is the best way to improve global health. But health-care options vary greatly depending on where you are in the world.
Laws, Norms, and Democratic Backsliding Reading	Are countries less democratic than they used to be? Learn how democratic principles like checks and balances, free elections, and freedom of the press are under threat around the world.
The Origins of the Internet Timeline	The internet evolved from a niche government tool to a nearly universal platform for communications and entertainment.
How Does AI Influence Government? Reading	Artificial intelligence can empower authoritarians but also support democracies.

Development

It Takes a Village to Make Your Medicine Reading	Follow the global supply chain across borders and into your pill bottle.
COVID-19’s Unequal Consequences Reading	In its first few months, the pandemic disproportionately harmed people of color in the United States.
The Changing Response to AIDS Timeline	A neglected global health crisis ultimately became a top priority for policymakers, donors, and doctors.
A Global Semiconductor Shortage Reading	Expensive cars? Phone order delays? Learn how today’s globalized supply chain can affect our daily lives by exploring the global semiconductor shortage.
The Global Consequences of Financial Contagion Reading	What caused the Great Recession of 2008? Learn why a financial crisis can spread around the world with our modern globalized economy.
What Is Globalization? Video	Explore examples of globalization to understand the benefits and challenges of our increasingly interconnected world in this video.
What Is the Liberal World Order? Video	Explore the organizations and agreements that have promoted global peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, as well as the challenges that the liberal world order now faces in this video.
What Is Trade? Video	The modern era of global trade began just after World War II.
Solar Geoengineering Mini Simulation	Should the United States consider the use of solar geoengineering to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
The Global Role of the U.S. Dollar Video	Why is the U.S. dollar the world's most popular currency and how does it help the U.S. economy? Watch this video on the history of U.S. currency.
Two Hundred Years of Global Communications Timeline	From the printing press to Instagram, technological advances shape how people communicate.
What Is the UN Security Council? Reading	In this free resource, learn more about the United Nations’ most powerful body working to maintain international peace and security. Explore the security council’s failures and successes, and why the UN Security Council’s veto power is so controversial.
The Globe-Trotting Journey of a Sneaker Video	Learn the pros and cons of the global supply chain process of making a popular Nike shoe in this video.
Economic Statecraft: Foreign Assistance Mini Simulation	How should the United States employ foreign aid to help a country in crisis? Explore this hypothetical simulation.
The Suez Canal Crisis Video	Explore a historical case study on the Suez Canal to understand how monetary policy can also be used as a tool of foreign policy.
Big in China: The Global Market for Hollywood Movies Reading	Hollywood’s relationship with the Chinese market—and its gatekeepers, Chinese government censors—is changing the way movies are made and promoted.
What Are the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund? Reading	What's the difference between the World Bank and the IMF? Understand two institutions that undergird global development and the international monetary system.
Trade as Foreign Policy Video	When local concerns drive national trade policies, there are global consequences.
Global Climate Change Policy (NSC) Simulation
What Is a Central Bank and What Does It Do for You? Reading	What is the Federal Reserve? Learn how central banks conduct monetary policy by influencing the rate of inflation, money supply, and interest rates.
Trains, Planes, and Shipping Containers Reading	Three innovations shaped how people and goods move around the world today.
What Is the World Trade Organization? Reading	What is the WTO? Learn how the World Trade Organization manages the rules for international trade and why it's failing to address today’s most pressing issues.
What Happened When China Joined the WTO? Reading	The United States thought it was directing the show when China acceded to the World Trade Organization. Instead, China wrote its own script.
Global Climate Change Policy (UNSC) Simulation
Global Development Explained Video	How do governments help people everywhere become healthier and wealthier? Many countries have made great strides in global development progress but challenges remain.
Six Essential International Organizations You Need to Know Reading	Learn about the most prominent international organizations tackling the world’s biggest issues in this free resource.
What Is the World Health Organization? Reading	What is the WHO? Learn how the UN agency in charge of international public health responds to crises that threaten global health coordination, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Gets in the Way of Free Trade? Reading	A world with free trade yields net benefits for all participants. But that world does not actually exist— countries impose free-trade roadblocks for a number of reasons.
The Marshall Plan Video	Understand how the Marshall Plan, one of the first large foreign aid programs, helped Europe rebuild after World War II, but also served the foreign policy interests of the United States.
What Is Global Health? Video	We have made advances in global health, but we face challenges from new disease trends—and need funding to treat them.
What Is Economic Inequality? Reading	Explore how severe inequalities and disparities in wealth and income can harm individuals, countries, and the global economy, and how some governments implement policies to reduce inequality.
What a Trade Deficit Means Reading	What is a trade deficit? And, perhaps more important, what is it not?
Understanding the Last Fifty Years of Global Development Reading	Has life gotten better for people around the world? Learn how improvements in health, education, and income are measured and explore three countries' opportunities and challenges with development.
Global Health Then and Now Reading	The world has become healthier over the past few centuries, but new challenges are on the horizon.
Why Do Taxes Matter? Reading	What are the different types of taxes and how does a government's ability to collect tax revenue shape a country's economic and social development?
How Trade Rules Are Written Reading	The WTO system is the foundation of modern global trade. But as trade becomes more connected, with new challenges constantly emerging, trade agreements are adapting in order to keep up.
Technology and Development Video	As Great Britain’s Industrial Revolution and India’s Green Revolution have shown, technological innovation can drive extraordinary development. Explore how digital advancements are further driving progress today.
The Rising Tide of Diabetes in Mexico Video	As noncommunicable diseases become more prevalent, Mexico is coming up with innovative ideas to fight the problem.
Two Koreas, Two Development Policies Reading	How did North Korea and South Korea turn out so differently? Learn about the history of Korea after World War II and how economic policies shaped the region.
Foreign Investment 101 Reading	What is foreign investment, and what does it have to do with trade? An economics expert explains.
The Sustainable Development Goals Reading	In this free SDG resource, learn about the formation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and review the opportunities and challenges for meeting them.
Noncommunicable Diseases and How They Are Measured Reading	How to track and understand the world’s leading causes of death.
Global Population Growth Is Slowing Down Reading	Is the global population declining? Learn how changes in birth, death, and migration rates affect society, economics, and politics around the world
What Is Monetary Policy? Video	From inflation to interest rates, understand the basics of monetary policy, currencies, and the flow of money in the global economy with this introductory video.
How Globalization Affects What’s for Brunch Video	Globalization’s effects can appear where you least expect them—including on your plate.
A Brief History of U.S. Foreign Aid Reading	Where and why the United States gives foreign aid has changed over time. Learn the difference between military, economic, and humanitarian aid and the history behind U.S. aid.
How Health Care Works Around the World Reading	Experts agree that access to quality health care is the best way to improve global health. But health-care options vary greatly depending on where you are in the world.
Why Is The Free Flow of Oil Important? Reading	Why does the price of oil change so much? Learn how crude oil affects the global economy and the potential for economic development, and how fluctuating prices can contribute to crises.
Understanding Currencies and Exchange Rates Reading	Supply and demand influence how much a currency is worth. Learn how exchange rates affect producers and consumers.

Peace and Conflict

What Is Soft Power? Reading	From Cold War propaganda to current day pop culture, learn how countries use soft power to influence others without coercion in this free resource.
How Do Countries Select Their Foreign Policy Tools? Video	In this educational video on foreign policy, explore how U.S. relations with Japan have changed over the past century, from Pearl Harbor to a peaceful alliance.
Reimagining Sovereignty in a Global Era Video	When fires in the Amazon affect countries around the world, is there a need to rethink a centuries-old understanding of sovereignty?
Humanitarian Intervention in South Sudan in 2014 (UNSC) Simulation
What Is Nation-Building? Video	In this free resource on nation-building, learn why developing political, economic, security, and social institutions across borders is a complex business.
Russia and NATO in the Baltics in 2016 (NSC) Simulation
What Is the Liberal World Order? Video	Explore the organizations and agreements that have promoted global peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, as well as the challenges that the liberal world order now faces in this video.
Drones in Pakistan in 2011 (NSC) Simulation
What Is Economic Statecraft? Reading	Learn why China lends billions of dollars abroad each year through its Belt and Road Initiative and the implications of that free resource for recipient countries.
Sovereignty and Neutrality in 1807 Mini Simulation	Should the United States remain neutral during the war between France and England? Explore this simulation set in 1807.
What Is the UN Security Council? Reading	In this free resource, learn more about the United Nations’ most powerful body working to maintain international peace and security. Explore the security council’s failures and successes, and why the UN Security Council’s veto power is so controversial.
What Is Intelligence? Reading	From Cold War double agents to Chinese spy balloons, explore how lying and spying inform policymaking in this resource on intelligence.
Strategic Ambiguity Toward Taiwan Mini Simulation	Should the United States maintain its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan? Explore this simulation.
What Is International Law? Reading	Explore the history of international law, important international agreements and the courts that aim to hold countries accountable, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
What Is Deterrence? Reading	In this free resource, explore examples of deterrence from the Cold War to present day to learn how countries dissuade bad behavior with the threat of significant punishment.
U.S. Arctic Policy Mini Simulation	Should the United States launch a new Arctic policy in response to climate change and investments from countries like China and Russia in the region? Explore this simulation.
The Civilian Consequences of Conflict Reading	From World War II to Syria’s civil war, understand the deadly consequences of war and what that means about the changing nature of conflict.
What Is Arms Control? Reading	In this free resource on arms control agreements, learn how countries try to regulate the world’s most powerful weapons through foreign policy.
The Rise and Fall of the Responsibility to Protect Timeline	Sovereignty is sacred. But when lives are in danger, does that principle still apply?
Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (UNSC) Simulation
How Is Conflict Changing? Video	What is conflict? Explore the reasons why tensions, violence, and war break out and what the consequences are for the world in this video.
What Is Peacekeeping? Reading	In this free resource on the successes and failures of peacekeeping, learn about the UN missions tasked with transitioning countries out of war.
How Self-Determination Shaped the Modern World Reading	Learn how the world’s nearly two hundred countries came to be, and whether the map is set in stone.
Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (NSC) Simulation
What Is Interstate Conflict? Reading	Bombs and bullets are not always required for countries to come into conflict. From Russia’s war in Ukraine to a U.S. trade war with China, explore the different ways countries come into tension.
What Is Armed Force? Reading	In this free resource on military action, learn how countries use violence, or armed force, to influence foreign policy.
Understanding the Constructive and Destructive Natures of Nationalism Reading	Nationalism can unify diverse societies. But when taken to extremes, it can also fuel violence, division, and global disorder.
North Korean Nuclear Threat (UNSC) Simulation
Understanding Intrastate Conflict Reading	From civil war to terrorist violence, explore the types, causes, and consequences of conflicts within countries that are increasingly threatening world order.
What Is Trade Policy? Reading	In this free resource on trade policy, explore how countries leverage their economic power to advance their foreign policy interests.
Tanks, Sanctions, and Separatists: The Various Challenges to Sovereignty Reading	A government’s authority within its borders gets challenged all the time. Here is how.
North Korean Nuclear Threat (NSC) Simulation
NATO: The World’s Largest Alliance Timeline	What is NATO? Trace NATO’s history and learn how the organization’s mission has evolved over seventy-five years, from the end of World War II to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
What Is Diplomacy? Reading	In this free resource on diplomacy, understand how countries advocate for their national interests through foreign policy.
The European Union: The World’s Biggest Sovereignty Experiment Reading	Countries fight to protect their sovereignty. So why would they willingly give it up?
NATO Enlargement in 1994 (NSC) Simulation
What Are Economic Sanctions? Reading	In this free resource on sanctions, learn how countries use punitive economic measures to advance their foreign policy priorities.
What Tools Do Foreign Policy-Makers Have at Their Disposal? Video	In this foreign policy video, learn how leaders further their countries’ interests with political, economic, and military tools such as diplomacy, trade, and intelligence.
What Is Sovereignty? Video	Understand the principle that has underpinned world order for the past four hundred years.
Humanitarian Intervention in South Sudan in 2014 (NSC) Simulation

HL Extension: Environment

The Sustainable Development Goals Reading	In this free SDG resource, learn about the formation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and review the opportunities and challenges for meeting them.
How Climate Change Affects Our Health Reading	A warmer world threatens more extreme weather and infectious disease, but policymakers can counter climate change’s damages to global health.
Hurricane in the Caribbean Mini Simulation	How should the United States assist small island nations facing disasters? Explore this simulation.
How Climate Change Can Get Even Worse Reading	Climate change can amplify itself through feedback loops. It can also trigger catastrophic “tipping points.”
Climate Change Inequality Reading	In this free resource, explore how climate change disproportionately affects certain communities and could drastically increase global inequality.
How Regulations Help Fight Climate Change Reading	Standards and regulations can help countries achieve climate goals, but they pose some drawbacks and challenges.
Should the United States Ratify the Law of the Sea? Mini Simulation	In this mini-simulation explore whether or not the United States should ratify the UN Convention's Law of the Sea.
How Humans Cause Climate Change Reading	Every aspect of modern life carries hidden environmental costs. Recognizing the human-driven causes of climate change can help build a more sustainable future.
What Is Water Scarcity? Reading	Is there a global water crisis? In this free resource, learn how climate change is causing water scarcity to worsen worldwide.
How to Make the Green Transition Just and Equitable Reading	Learn how efforts to slow emissions raise concerns over inequity and justice, and what we can do to ensure a more equitable and greener future.
What Is a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism? Reading	Learn how governments can prevent international carbon leakage from their climate mitigation policies.
Climate Change Adaptations Reading	Explore how eleven countries are adapting to the effects of climate change in this free resource.
Climate Change Threatens to Displace Many People Reading	Extreme weather and climate change effects could drive millions of people to migrate. Government leaders can take steps to address those flows of people and prepare the communities at their destinations.
How Do Governments Combat Climate Change? Reading	In this free resource, explore seven ways countries are responding to a changing environment, from cap and trade policies to clean energy standards.
How Climate Change Worsens Inequality Reading	Climate Change is bad for everyone, but it’s worse for some.
How Are International Agreements Helping Fight Global Warming? Reading	Explore the challenges facing international cooperation and the major treaties where the world has agreed to work together.
What Is Climate Change? Video	In this educational video, learn why the climate is changing, how it affects us, and what we can do about it.
How Climate Change Threatens National Security Reading	The effects of global warming are creating various security threats. Governments can take certain measures to adapt to those increasing risks.
How Can AI Combat Climate Change? Reading	In this free climate change resource, learn how AI is helping countries reduce carbon emissions, but some innovations could ultimately contribute to a warming planet.
How Electrification Can Reduce Emissions Reading	Electrifying the economy may play a crucial role in the fight against climate change.
What Is Geoengineering? Reading	Learn more about the promises and perils of artificially manipulating the environment to combat climate change.
Who Is Responsible for Climate Change? Video	Why do developed and developing countries disagree about who is responsible for climate change? Explore the history of industrialization and its impacts on climate in this video.
How to Address the Economic Costs of Climate Change Reading	Climate change–related weather events will destroy bridges, roads, homes, and even power plants—unless those structures become more resilient.
The Inflation Reduction Act Reading	What is the IRA? In this free resource, learn what the United States' largest-ever climate change legislation does.
Why Electric Grids Need to Be More Resilient Reading	Severe weather is causing costly disruptions. To protect the energy grid, countries need a smarter plan.
How to Lower Agriculture and Land-Use Emissions Reading	Agriculture is warming the planet. Changing how we farm and manage land can decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Who Releases the Most Greenhouse Gases? Reading	Learn how the world measures greenhouse gas emissions and how different approaches imply different levels of responsibility.
Protecting Global Food and Water Supplies in a Warming World Reading	Discover how climate change is diminishing global food and water security, and how the world can adapt to those vital resource challenges.
Solar Geoengineering Mini Simulation	Should the United States consider the use of solar geoengineering to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
Why Energy Storage is Essential for a Green Transition Reading	Learn how energy storage can provide reliable renewable energy.
How to Lower Buildings-Sector Emissions Reading	The buildings we live in cause emissions. Changing our edifices can set up a more sustainable future.
Why Scientists Are Watching Greenland Reading	In this free climate change resource, learn why melting ice in Greenland is causing global sea level rise.
How Renewables Can Boost a Country's Energy Security Video	Climate change poses energy security challenges, but building more renewable sources and taking other steps can help strengthen supply and lower risks.
Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon Mini Simulation	Should the United States take action to stop deforestation in the Amazon to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
How To Lower Energy-Sector Emissions Reading	Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy can help mitigate climate change.
The Paris Agreement Reading	What is the Paris Agreement? In this free resource, learn what actions countries are taking to address the global threat of climate change.
How the Paris Agreement Helps Stop Climate Change Video	The Paris Agreement offers the world a pathway for addressing climate change, but challenges persist.
U.S. Arctic Policy Mini Simulation	Should the United States launch a new Arctic policy in response to climate change and investments from countries like China and Russia in the region? Explore this simulation.
How to Lower Transportation-Sector Emissions Reading	The ways we move around the world are making it hotter. Electric vehicles and other innovations offer climate change solutions.
The Greenhouse Effect Reading	How do greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming? Learn why the world is getting warmer in this free climate change resource.
How Climate Change is a Collective Action Problem Video	The world can work together in the fight against climate change, but there are challenges to international cooperation.
Global Climate Change Policy (NSC) Simulation
How to Lower Industry-Sector Emissions Reading	Industrial emissions pose big challenges for the climate. Innovative industrial solutions can make a difference.
Sources of Energy: A Comparison Reading	Learn how turning toward cleaner energy sources means factoring in economic and energy needs alongside environmental ones.
What Is Climate Finance? Reading	Learn how the public and private sectors can collaborate to fund climate solutions.
Global Climate Change Policy (UNSC) Simulation
What Are Market-Based Solutions for Mitigating Climate Change? Reading	Learn how policymakers can design incentives to motivate climate action.

HL Extension: Poverty

Solar Geoengineering Mini Simulation	Should the United States consider the use of solar geoengineering to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon Mini Simulation	Should the United States take action to stop deforestation in the Amazon to combat climate change? Explore this simulation.
Global Climate Change Policy (NSC) Simulation
Global Climate Change Policy (UNSC) Simulation

HL Extension: Health

Preparing for and Managing the Next Pandemic

Mini Simulation

What should the United States do to secure global health preparedness before the next pandemic? Explore this simulation.

HL Extension: Borders

Asylum Seekers at the U.S. Southern Border in 2019 (NSC)

Simulation

HL Extension: Security

Russia and NATO in the Baltics in 2016 (NSC) Simulation
Strategic Ambiguity Toward Taiwan Mini Simulation	Should the United States maintain its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan? Explore this simulation.
North Korean Nuclear Threat (UNSC) Simulation
North Korean Nuclear Threat (NSC) Simulation
NATO Enlargement in 1994 (NSC) Simulation