The last president of apartheid South Africa is feeling a lot better about his country’s prospects. The scandal-tainted reign of Jacob Zuma that dragged the rainbow nation’s reputation and economy into the… Read more »
Disturbing global trends, such as populism and authoritarianism, are imperiling the basic tenets of liberal democracy, according to the Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI), an effort to reinvigorate democracy and combat… Read more »
Most Western observers have long believed that democracy and capitalism go hand in hand, that economic liberalization both requires and propels political liberalization, notes Yuen Yuen Ang, Associate Professor of… Read more »
Independent media are facing a “perfect storm” of challenges, from capture by oligarchs to the emergence of “post-truth” politics, says Mark Nelson, director of the Center for International Media Assistance… Read more »
The lives of Russian kleptocrats in Britain are suddenly fraught with new anxieties, the Washington Post reports: Critics in London of Russian President Vladimir Putin are reevaluating their need for… Read more »
Democracy should be coaxed, not rushed, Bloomberg suggests, citing a new report which argues that developed nations trying to help fragile states have been doing it wrong: They have pushed… Read more »
When Iraq’s national elections open on May 12, they will mark a shift away from the large ethnic and sectarian blocs seen on previous ballots, with candidates more attuned to… Read more »
Tunisia has continued to make progress on democracy, including a Constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights, but there is still a lot to do, says a UN expert. “Tunisia still faces numerous… Read more »
How do democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) fit in to the USAID’s new redesign? Brookings analyst George Ingram asks. The DRG center would be located in the new Bureau… Read more »
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is one of a crop of present-day political leaders who value the respectability an ostensibly democratic election confers but don’t want to risk actually losing the vote, the… Read more »