Abigail McGowan

CFR Staff

Abigail McGowan

Research Associate, Southeast Asia and U.S. Foreign Policy

Abi McGowan is a research associate for Southeast Asia and U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Before joining CFR, she served as an AmeriCorps member and interned with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the House of Commons of Canada. She received her BA from the Ohio State University and an MA in Global Security and Borders from Queen's University Belfast, where she was a Hillary Rodham Clinton Scholar.

United Kingdom

UK Elections: What to Know

The United Kingdom appears poised for a political shift in response to deep economic concerns, but its foreign policy priorities are likely to remain consistent.

In Brief by Abigail McGowan June 27, 2024
Myanmar

How Myanmar Became a Global Center for Cyber Scams

Organized crime groups in Southeast Asia have seized on Myanmar’s instability amid civil war to establish a string of scam centers engaged in global online fraud operations.

In Brief by Clara Fong and Abigail McGowan May 31, 2024
Southeast Asia

The Specter of Transnational Repression

A recent report by Freedom House demonstrates the widespread normalization of transnational repression.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan December 27, 2023 Asia Unbound
China

Review of Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World

According to a new book by Axios reporter Bethany Allen, China has developed an authoritarian economic statecraft to reshape the global order.

Blog Post by Abigail McGowan November 14, 2023 Asia Unbound
China

Prized Panda Diplomats Return to Beijing

The National Zoo’s giant pandas will return to China by mid-November.

Blog Post by Michelle Kurilla and Abigail McGowan October 27, 2023 Asia Unbound
Territorial Disputes

Azerbaijan’s Pressure on Nagorno-Karabakh: What to Know

Azerbaijan appears to have eased a blockade that had cut off food and medical supplies to the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, but there are still heightened concerns about conditions facing more than one hundred thousand civilians there.

In Brief by Abigail McGowan September 14, 2023
Vietnam

Assessing the Bolstered U.S.-Vietnam Relationship

President Biden's historic trip to Hanoi symbolizes growing shared interests between the United States and Vietnam.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan September 11, 2023 Asia Unbound
Thailand

Thailand's Summer of Political Uncertainty

Despite strong support for democratic change in Thailand's national elections, the ruling establishment has maneuvered to preserve power.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan August 31, 2023 Asia Unbound
Singapore

Is Singapore's Stability Unraveling—And What Will it Mean for the PAP?

A series of scandals have upset Singapore's typically stable politics.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan August 17, 2023 Asia Unbound
Cambodia

Cambodia's Unfree Election and Potential Succession Crisis

Cambodia's recent election exposes its looming succession crisis.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan July 26, 2023 Asia Unbound
Thailand

The Thai Establishment Plays with Fire

The ruling Thai establishment risks violence if it prevents the democratic opposition from taking power.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan July 19, 2023 Asia Unbound
Thailand

Thailand's Political Negotiations: The Current State of Play

The nomination of a compromise candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives demonstrates the pro-democracy coalition's pragmatism, but its chances of forming a new government are still uncertain.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan July 5, 2023 Asia Unbound
European Union

Why Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland Deal Will Fail

with Abigail McGowan via Foreign Policy April 4, 2023
Immigration and Migration

Mediterranean Tragedy: The Deadly Path to Europe’s Shores

with Abigail McGowan via Think Global Health December 1, 2023
Mediterranean Tragedy: The Deadly Path to Europe’s Shores

with Abigail McGowan via Think Global Health December 1, 2023

Olympics

The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games

The costs of hosting the Olympics have skyrocketed, while the economic benefits are far from clear. The 2024 Paris Olympics could be a test of whether reforms to the process have made hosting a better deal.

Backgrounder by James McBride, Noah Berman and Melissa Manno July 8, 2024

Lebanon

What Is Hezbollah?

Military experience gained from fighting in Syria’s civil war and decades of clashes with Israel have strengthened the Iran-backed group, but politically, its clout among Lebanon’s populace may be waning.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson July 2, 2024

Energy and Environment

Global Energy Tracker

As the effects of climate change mount, high-carbon energy sources continue to provide most of the world’s power. On average, 84 percent of tracker countries’ energy comes from high-carbon sources such as oil, whereas 16 percent comes from solar and other renewables. Low-carbon sources, however, are on the rise, particularly in developed countries.

Tracker by Benn Steil July 1, 2024 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

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