China: Struggle at the Top
If democracy has an advantage over authoritarianism, it is that the struggles of interest, power, and ego that are the unavoidable stuff of human life take place in the open,… Read more »
Jordan poll reveals pessimism, anxiety over economy and refugees
There has been a sharp uptick in the number of Jordanians who are pessimistic about the country’s trajectory, and increased support for closing the borders to Syrian refugees, according to… Read more »
Eclipse of the West’s soft power?
While the resurgent authoritarians of Russia and China are investing in the expansion of soft power, that of the Western democracies is dwindling, analysts suggest. The European Union’s approach to… Read more »
‘Hegemonic transition’? China stakes claim for globalism without liberalism
Hun Sen, Cambodia’s prime minister of 32 years’ standing, has experienced the benevolent embrace of both the west and China. But there is no doubt over Mr Hun Sen’s preferred… Read more »
Russia’s new generation warfare ‘made a mockery of West’s soft power
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is furious at a decision to let Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin mouthpiece launch a blistering attack on Britain from inside the House of Commons, Russian spin doctor… Read more »
Is technological change fueling populism?
In recent years, technology has become a source of work-related uncertainty, rather than reducing it, as tech-driven industries undermine old ones. Concern about jobs and security has fueled the angrier… Read more »
Foreign Kleptocracy: Problems and Solutions
Middle Eastern countries have seen a “drastic” rise in their perceived level of corruption in the past year, according to analysis by Transparency International, The Financial Times reports: Qatar, Kuwait,… Read more »
How constitutional democracy decays
There are two paths of democratic decay – authoritarian reversion and constitutional retrogression, according to the University of Chicago’s Aziz Huq and Tom Ginsburg: A reversion is a rapid and… Read more »
Veteran Polish dissident braced for fresh battle
After years in jail as a dissident under communism, Adam Michnik took part in the groundbreaking 1989 Round Table talks that brought semi-free elections to Poland and helped bring down… Read more »
Why are so many Tunisians joining Islamic State?
Unlike neighboring Arab Spring states that have been consumed by violent extremism, civil war and resurgent authoritarianism, Tunisia actually managed to build a vibrant democracy. A new poll from the International Republican… Read more »