Just as ‘The God That Failed’ generation of former Communists became some of the most articulate and effective opponents of Soviet totalitarianism, some former radical Islamists are emerging as champions… Read more »
Governance is one of the most important foreign policy challenges—and among the most difficult, notes Brookings analyst Dan Byman: Poor governance is linked to civil wars, corruption and a lack of economic… Read more »
With the high-profile, headline-grabbing ISIS “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria mostly dismantled, it’s tempting to think that a good deal of steam has gone out of the terrorist movement, notes… Read more »
Citizens in authoritarian states know what they can read or publish, see or hear. In places such as China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt, semi-free private discussion and small-circulation publishing… Read more »
By banning NGOs from receiving foreign funding, the Russian government has forced them to seek financial support at home. But state grants undermine civil society’s independence, notes Andrey Kalikh, a… Read more »
Does the U.S. administration’s decision to restrict visas for Cambodians engaged in “undermining democracy” in the Southeast Asian nation validate the Economist’s observation that it’s not necessary “to have clear… Read more »
Claims by groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda to have theological backing for their brands of violent extremism are going virtually unchallenged by mainstream Islamic scholars, according to a… Read more »
When it comes to advancing democracy, autonomous organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy benefit from the organizational flexibility and political credibility that governments lack, says NED president Carl Gershman…. Read more »
What is the state of democracy around the world? asks Mélida Jiménez, a program officer in International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment, Analysis and Advisory unit. Many observers have been sounding alarms… Read more »
The debate about American foreign policy has always divided along two dimensions. How close in or far out should America protect its security? And for what moral or political purpose… Read more »