Category: Civic space

Iran ‘a powder keg’: Protests ‘strike at heart of regime’s legitimacy’

     

  The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened the U.S. and its allies Monday as he addressed a pro-government demonstration attended by tens of thousands of people denouncing last week’s… Read more »

Populist regimes ‘losing legitimacy’: New social contract can renew democracy

     

The new president of the European People’s Party on Thursday denounced Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s “illiberal” policies and said the status of Orban’s populist party within the influential group… Read more »

Despotic Data: Autocrats winning online fight of open vs. closed societies?

     

A critical differentiator between traditional media and social media is how ‘targetcasting‘ is available only to a specific audience. Such secret targeting tears at the fabric of democracy, says Tom Wheeler, a… Read more »

Dreamocracy? Six ideas for rejuvenating democracy

     

In recent years some European states have suffered dramatic regression, while others have experienced more subtle forms of democratic erosion. In response to this challenge, new European Commission President Ursula… Read more »

Democracy Playbook’s strategy to reverse backsliding, counter autocrats, foster resilience

     

Despite the severity and duration of the authoritarian resurgence and illiberal populist backlash, supporters of liberal democracy can draw on strategies and tactics to strengthen democratic resilience, reverse regression, and… Read more »

Defending civic space: A strategic imperative for the international community

     

Civic space—the fundamental liberties that allow people to gather, communicate, and collectively engage in groups to influence society and politics—is the bedrock of any democracy. But it is increasingly vulnerable,… Read more »