Category: Democratic institutions

A realist case for advancing Arab democracy

     

Despite the reportedly path-breaking retreat from even the rhetoric of promoting democracy and human rights, there is a robust realist argument for advancing freedom in the Middle East, according to Elliott… Read more »

Clash of Narratives: disinformation vital to eight phases of Russia’s hybrid warfare

     

Ever since the Kremlin’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Western capitals have been alarmed at Russia’s hybrid warfare campaigns, notes analyst Kaan Sahin. Germany in particular had already… Read more »

Weaponizing kleptocracy: the four circles of ‘Russia’s Crony Capitalism’

     

Russia’s political shift to an authoritarian kleptocracy started with Vladimir Putin’s prosecution and jailing of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, according to Bill Browder, CEO, Hermitage Capital, and author of “Red Notice: A… Read more »

Reforming and Reorganizing U.S. Foreign Assistance: bolstering democratic governance essential

     

Democracy, human rights, and governance should be integrated into foreign assistance programs, according to a report by a bipartisan Task Force on Reforming and Reorganizing U.S. Foreign Assistance. A new Bureau… Read more »

How to solve a problem like North Korea

     

North Koreans are becoming more independent of the ruling Kim regime, with the vast majority of households earning their living through markets rather than relying on the state, according to… Read more »

Lessons from Europe’s fight against Russian disinformation

     

In most of Europe, where hoax news stories and Web sites with bogus articles are muddying the digital pipeline of reliable information, political leaders have publicly reaffirmed their faith in… Read more »

Advancing or undermining democracy? No moral equivalence

     

Vladimir Putin denies meddling in U.S. politics, but he has charged that the U.S. government interfered “aggressively” in Russia’s 2012 presidential vote, notes Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights… Read more »

Poland’s drift ‘backwards and to the East’ a denial of European values

     

Poland’s prime minister has made a televised speech defending the ruling party’s controversial reorganization of the country’s legal system that includes giving politicians influence over the judiciary, including the country’s… Read more »

Rethinking Political Islam?

     

  The Qatar quarrel may seem like a tempest in an Arabian teapot, The Washington Post’s David Ignatius writes. But at its heart is the question that has vexed the… Read more »

‘A sickness beyond borders’ – understanding and combatting media capture

     

Recent developments in South Africa have highlighted how state capture has emerged as an increasingly dangerous threat to democratic governance and to prospects for democratic transition. According to a definition… Read more »