Commentary
Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.
Elina Noor
Book
Power and Purpose
Published on Jan 1, 2003
Source: Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2003
About the Authors
Micheal McFaul is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and associate professor of political science at Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is the author of Between Dictatorship and Democracy: Russian Post-Communist Political Reform and Russia's Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin.
James M. Goldgeier is director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at George Washington University, where he is associate professor of political science and international affairs.
Advance Praise
"Power and Purpose is likely to be the definitive work on U.S. policy toward Russia for some time. What is more, the authors have produced a valuable book that underscores an often overlooked reality, namely, that few foreign policy outcomes are inevitable and that people—in some cases, only a handful—are critical to what happens."—Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations
About the Authors
Michael McFaul
Former Senior Associate
In addition to his role at Carnegie, McFaul is Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and associate professor of political science at Stanford University.
James M. Goldgeier
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie China
- Malaysia’s Year as ASEAN Chair: Managing Disorder
- When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly NonpartisanCommentary
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
- Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with ChinaCommentary
In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.
Nguyễn Khắc Giang
- Today’s Rare Earths Conflict Echoes the 1973 Oil Crisis — But It’s Not the SameCommentary
Regulation, not embargo, allows Beijing to shape how other countries and firms adapt to its terms.
Alvin Camba
- China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast AsiaCommentary
The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.
Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat
