Pondering pandemic’s political potency
The world’s leading democracies will not be judged by how they initially responded to Covid-19, but by their success in post-crisis reconstruction, according to a leading analyst. We always knew… Read more »
Category: Zimbabwe
Why post-Mugabe Zimbabwe ‘remains mired in misery’
Zimbabwe’s state security agencies are suspected to have been involved in incidents that have targeted scores of opposition supporters, rights activists and even comedians who poke fun at political leaders…. Read more »
Can new social contract restore faith in democracy?
Labor unions have played a critical role in democratic transitions, in sustaining democracy and as civil society groups advancing pluralism and democratic norms. So the latest annual Global Rights Index from the… Read more »
Nigeria’s flawed poll, corruption, state capture… Africa’s uneven democratic performance
Africa’s citizens demand democracy but do not think they are getting it, observers suggest. Afrobarometer [a partner of the National Endowment for Democracy] describes this sub-category as “dissatisfied democrats.” According… Read more »
Polarization a key factor in democracy’s ‘alarming’ decline
The latest Freedom in the World report – compiled by more than 100 experts and drawing on data from 209 countries – describes an “ominous” global erosion of democratic values… Read more »
African democracy in retreat: autocratic threat growing
African democracy is in for a bumpy 2019, with the continent’s political trajectory moving in the wrong direction, according to analysts Nic Cheeseman and Jeffrey Smith. In Tanzania, President John Magufuli has clamped down on… Read more »
Aiding autocrats: China’s ‘sharp power’ at work
Chinese telecommunications company ZTE has been helping Venezuela’s autocratic government construct an advanced citizen surveillance program, Slate’s Mia Armstrong reports. A Reuters investigation published Wednesday provides a detailed look into the development… Read more »
Zimbabwe: eight steps to full democracy
It is beyond dispute that the massive voter turnout for Zimbabwe’s July 30 presidential election demonstrated that Zimbabweans want a transition away from the divisions, brutality and economic ruin of… Read more »
Africa’s democratization since 1990: continuity in change?
A wave of democratization swept over the African continent in the 1990s. Has it made a difference in the welfare of individuals in sub-Saharan African nations? And why hasn’t the… Read more »
Zimbabweans disillusioned by post-poll crackdown
The jury remains out as to whether Zimbabwe’s recent election had achieved the promised clean break with the past of the Mugabe era, says Freedom House’s Michael Abramowitz. Any… Read more »