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Christopher Featherstone

Associate Lecturer, Department of Politics, University of York
My research focuses on US and UK foreign policy, and foreign policy decision-making. In my teaching at the University of York, I teach on Policy-making and US Foreign Policy.

My PhD was on the US and UK decision-making processes that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. While international factors contributed to the decision to invade Iraq, to truly understand how these two governments made it, it is necessary to examine the individuals who made the decision. Theoretically, this research responds to the challenges laid down for FPA: to establish links between theoretical models, to compare national contexts, and to speak to policy practitioners. Empirically, this research contributes a rich analysis of both decision-making processes that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, using recently declassified documentary materials and interviews with decision-makers involved. This research forms the basis for a book proposal that is under review with Manchester University Press.

I have also co-authored two academic articles on the Trump administration's foreign policy, conceptualizing and explaining President Trump's leadership style in his foreign policy-making. In the first article, co-authored with Asaf Siniver, we argued that Trump’s plutocratic worldview means that he is transactional and money-first in his approach. Whilst this is a significant break from previous US Presidents, it provides much of the consistency within the Trump presidency. In the second article with Oz Hassan, we argue that whilst many think the Trump doctrine is a doctrine of unpredictability, Trump is in fact predictable in the light of his leadership style. These can be found at:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23340460.2020.1734953?journalCode=rgaf20
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09557571.2020.1853054?journalCode=ccam20

Trump 2.0: what we learned from the 47th US president’s first day in office

Jan 22, 2025 05:07 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Donald Trump said hed be a dictator for a day when he returned to the Oval Office for a second term. And he certainly hit the ground running, signing scores of executive orders within hours of being inaugurated. One of the...

With Biden gone, Trump will need a new attack plan for the younger Kamala Harris

Jul 23, 2024 05:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential election race he changed the nature of the campaign. In the three weeks following the notorious presidential debate, Bidens withdrawal came to be seen as a matter of when, not...

The UK’s new prime minister Keir Starmer – hoping for a Democrat in the White House, preparing for Trump

Jul 08, 2024 09:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Keir Starmer, the UKs new prime minister, was quiet on the question of relations with the US prior to his election, choosing to avoid, in particular, talk of how he would manage a second Donald Trump presidency. Starmer...

Jill Biden: the woman with the US president’s ear as he doubles down on staying in the race

Jul 03, 2024 14:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The overwhelming majority of people who watched the first US presidential debate between incumbent Joe Biden and challengers Donald Trump concluded that it was a disastrous night for the 46th US president. Bidens voice was...

Economy

Bank of Japan Unveils New Inflation Gauge to Support Case for Future Rate Hikes

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) introduced a new core consumer price index (CPI) on Thursday, revealing that inflation rose 2.2% in February when adjusted to exclude special institutional factors. This new measure, released...

ECB Eyes Rate Hike Amid Iran Conflict-Driven Energy Price Surge

The European Central Bank (ECB) is weighing potential interest rate hikes as escalating conflict in Iran sends energy prices soaring, triggering fresh inflationary concerns across the eurozone. Market participants are now...

WTO Reform Talks Begin in Cameroon Amid Global Trade Tensions

Trade ministers from around the world convened Thursday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for a critical four-day summit focused on reforming the World Trade Organization. The high-stakes gathering comes at a turbulent moment...

Japan Eyes Oil Futures Intervention to Stabilize Yen Amid Middle East Crisis

Japan is exploring an unconventional strategy to halt the yens ongoing decline directly intervening in global crude oil futures markets. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, signals Tokyos growing frustration as...

Asian Currencies Stay Muted as Dollar Holds Firm Amid Iran Uncertainty

Asian currencies remained largely subdued on Thursday as the U.S. dollar maintained its strength, with investors navigating mixed signals surrounding ongoing Middle East peace efforts. The U.S. Dollar Index held steady...

Politics

Maduro Faces Rare Narcoterrorism Charges in U.S. Court

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a U.S. federal court Thursday, facing serious criminal charges that include narcoterrorism a rarely prosecuted statute with a complicated legal history....

Russia-Iran Military Alliance Deepens With Drone Shipments Amid Middle East Tensions

Moscow is moving closer to completing a multi-phase transfer of lethal drones, medicine, and food supplies to Tehran, according to Western intelligence sources cited by the Financial Times. The deliveries are designed to...

Trump Seeks Quick End to U.S.-Iran Conflict Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

President Donald Trump has privately told close advisers that he wants to avoid a drawn-out war with Iran and is pushing for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report published...

Iran-U.S. Negotiations: Tehran Reviews American Peace Proposal Amid Ongoing Gulf Conflict

Irans foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that Tehran is examining a United States peace proposal aimed at ending the escalating Gulf war, though officials stressed this falls short of direct negotiations between the two...

FEMA Reinstates $1 Billion Disaster Prevention Grant Program After Court Order

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the resumption of a key disaster prevention initiative after facing legal challenges that forced the reversal of its earlier cancellation. The agency is once again...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...