Civil society–led efforts to expose domestic and foreign state capture practices are the most effective check on potentially corrosive capital inflows—and their adverse knock-on effects, according to a new report…. Read more »
In 1911, Robert Michels (1876-1936), an Italian political sociologist, published “Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy,” postulating the “iron law of oligarchy.” Michels, who… Read more »
Illiberal regimes like those in China and Russia use capital as a foreign policy tool and often as a form of strategic corruption to bolster authoritarianism as a globally competitive… Read more »
China’s economic success undermines the West’s claim that there is a necessary link between capitalism and liberal democracy, argues Branko Milanovic, a Senior Scholar at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality… Read more »
China’s economic and political investments in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe have a disturbing ability to influence governance institutions, Prague-based sinologist Martin Hala, the founder… Read more »
Extremism is enabled by the belief that existing indignities and suffering are the direct result of poor, undemocratic, or predatory governance, notes a new analysis. This sense of injustice aligns… Read more »
President Muhammadu Buhari won the last three presidential elections but he was “rigged out of victory,” according to a former US Ambassador. ”I arrived at that conclusion by talking to people… Read more »
Foreign direct investment and government-to-government economic development assistance are critical for emerging economies, the Center for International Private Enterprise observes. Foreign direct investment also signifies a vote of confidence in… Read more »
Malign outside influence in the Western Balkans, in particular by Russia, is of increasing concern. The lack of a strong legal framework makes countries in the region especially vulnerable to… Read more »
A huge leak of financial documents revealed by a group of about 100 media organizations on Sunday provided deep insights into some of the mechanisms used by top politicians and celebrities… Read more »