A strong U.S. economy. From Dodd-Frank to the Federal Reserve, Martin Baily and Aaron Klein recap the Trump administration's year in financial regulation and preview what significant policy changes may come in 2018. For the rest of the U.S. economy, David Wessel expects more of the same positive growth to continue, but with a few familiar dark clouds on the horizon. 

A defining year for cities. In many U.S. cities, events in 2017 sparked discussions about critical issues like climate change, race relations, immigration, and even the location of Amazon’s next headquarters. Read the seven most important takeaways from the year for metropolitan America here.  

Conflict around the world. In Venezuela, North Korea, and Myanmar, 2017 was marked by a dramatic failure in conflict prevention, according to Katy Collin. Meanwhile, in another region mired in conflict, experts from the Brookings Doha Center outline the 10 issues to watch for in the Middle East and North Africa in 2018.

Trump in 2018. Will the past year of resistance to the GOP mobilize Democrats in 2018? Will voter suppression efforts intensify? What will Congress realistically achieve? These are just some of the questions posed by our politics and governance experts in a new, end-of-year series on how the Trump administration and Republicans will fare in 2018.

The year in education. Whether it was school choice, free college, or pre-K, education issues frequently made headlines this year. Explore the 10 most-read articles on education in America and catch up on some of the major trends in global education research.

Our greatest hits. As we round out 2017, we’re taking a look back at the 10 pieces of research and commentary most popular with readers like you. Looking for something a little more visual? Browse a selection of our best infographics and interactive tools or hit play on our most-watched videos of the year.