History and Public Policy Program

When facing a insurgent uprising in Iraq in 2003, US officials looked to the past for a solution. Seeking to emulate the successes in democratizing El Salvador during its brutal civil war, they chose to follow the "Salvadoran Option." But was this policy of counter-insurgency as successful as they claimed it to be?

Cold War

Close Ties in Counterterrorism

Hostagetakers board aircraft at Schiphol

History

Why Some Nuclear Programs Fail and Others Succeed

Is Beijing Bound to Defend North Korea during War?

Kim Il Sung and Zhou Enlai mark the signing of the 1961 Sino-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance

North Korea, the Smuggler State

Avoiding the Translation Trap

Giving Up on the Bomb: Revisiting Libya’s Decision to Dismantle its Nuclear Program

Nuclear Proliferation/Non-proliferation

Trump’s Asia Visit and North Korea Fever

Bringing Seoul into the Non-Proliferation Regime

Bringing Seoul into the Non-Proliferation Regime

By: Se Young Jang

PDD-25 and the Genocide in Rwanda: Why Not a Task for the United States?

The History and Public Policy Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center focuses on the relationship between history and policy making and seeks to foster open, informed and non-partisan dialogue on historically relevant issues. The Program is a hub for a wide network of scholars, journalists, policy makers, archivists, and teachers focused on the uses and lessons of history in decision making. Through informed dialogue, the Program seeks to explore the advantages as well as the dangers of using historical lessons in making current policy decisions. // Read more

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NPIHP Working Papers

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NPIHP Research Updates

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NPIHP Issue Briefs

NPIHP Issue Briefs offer useful insights and perspectives on contemporary nuclear policy issues from international nuclear historians.
NKIDP Working Papers

The NKIDP Working Paper Series is designed to provide a speedy outlet for historians who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources and would like to share their results.
NKIDP e-Dossiers

The NKIDP e-Dossier Series is designed to highlight new and important additions to the Digital Archive by pairing key documents with insightful analysis by renowned historians from NKIDP's global network of scholars.

Exporting the "Salvadoran Option" to Iraq and Beyond

Close Ties in Counterterrorism

Why Some Nuclear Programs Fail and Others Succeed

Is Beijing Bound to Defend North Korea during War?

North Korea, the Smuggler State

Avoiding the Translation Trap

Giving Up on the Bomb: Revisiting Libya’s Decision to Dismantle its Nuclear Program

Trump’s Asia Visit and North Korea Fever

Bringing Seoul into the Non-Proliferation Regime

Bringing Seoul into the Non-Proliferation Regime

PDD-25 and the Genocide in Rwanda: Why Not a Task for the United States?

Digital Archive

Washington History Seminar

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HAPP Publications

Experts & Staff

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HAPP Publications

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$50 for 50 years! Your anniversary contribution is critical to our work.