Author Archives: DemDigest

Iran election underscores rejection of hardliners

     

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and his allies appeared Monday to have made strong gains in two national elections, the first to be held since Tehran completed a sweeping nuclear deal with… Read more »

Religious politics signal ‘Rough Times for Democratic Change’

     

  Democracy and models of social market economy are facing an unprecedented challenge worldwide, while the influence of religion on political institutions and legal systems is on the rise, says… Read more »

Honoring Nemtsov, a call for action

     

Thousands of people marched in honor of slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on February 27, one year after he was shot dead near the Kremlin. Five suspects have been charged… Read more »

Egypt’s civil society: two misperceptions

     

During a congressional hearing on the Obama administration’s FY17 budget request, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke briefly regarding the state of human rights in Egypt, expressing his concern over the… Read more »

Spreading democracy at the touch of a button

     

During recent elections across Africa, new technologies have been harnessed to help monitor elected officials, bolster democracies and liberate election information, notes Stephen Abbott Pugh, an ICFJ Knight international journalism… Read more »

Five things China’s censors cut from Fukuyama’s book

     

At the American Interest, Francis Fukuyama provides a list of cuts made to the Chinese edition of his latest book, “Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to… Read more »

Constitutional design: vital but insufficient for managing conflict

     

Institutionalized accountability is vital if constitutions are to be meaningful in preventing and mitigating conflict in Africa, says a leading analyst. African constitutions have increasingly relied on accommodative approaches (i.e…. Read more »

Obama revives anti-slavery law to target Thai seafood

     

Seafood produced by slaves in Thailand will be among goods banned from sale in the US as Barack Obama revives laws targeting industries that use forced and child labor, the… Read more »