The fearful era in which we live is not conducive to defending democratic standards or extending democracy’s reach, according to the latest edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index…. Read more »
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party opened an eight-day congress Thursday to name the country’s new set of leaders, who will determine the pace of critical economic reforms, the fight against corruption… Read more »
Is a pessimist simply a well-informed optimist? Francis Fukuyama, author of the famous 1989 essay, “The End of History,” offers his thoughts about the importance of optimism and how so… Read more »
After the end of the Cold War, experts who closely studied trends in democratization believed that democracy was destined to sweep the globe. But predictions of democratic triumph did… Read more »
Once admired by authoritarian governments elsewhere, not to mention some commentators in the West, for its canny balancing of free markets and party control, China’s style of leadership may be… Read more »
Aung San Suu Kyi’s last-minute decision to join Myanmar peace talks she had previously criticized could boost the chances of progress with rebel groups who have so far resisted joining… Read more »
Cambodia won’t hold a general election for another two years. But look at Prime Minister Hun Sen (left), its long-ruling and mercurial strongman, and you’d think one was imminent, Reuters… Read more »
Chinese authorities have formally arrested China‘s most prominent woman human rights lawyer, Wang Yu, accusing her of subversion, as part of a crackdown on activists who have helped people fight… Read more »
As 2016 begins, an historic contest is underway, largely hidden from public view, over competing Chinese and Western strategies to promote economic growth, notes Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow… Read more »
Authorities have arrested four labor activists who were helping campaign for workers’ legal rights, Reuters reports. The number of known strikes in China surged to a record 2,774 in 2015–double… Read more »