Framing ethical perspectives
Democracy is a form of government in which political control is given to the people, whether directly or through the election of governing officials. Currently, large numbers of people have lost faith in this form of government and some elected officials have been working to dismantle democratic institutions. Our programs, events, and experts strive to better understand this alarming development.
Featured Democracy Resources
State of global democracy, U.S. global engagement, and more
JUN 9, 2021 • Podcast
Illiberal Democracy on the Rise: Examining Brazil, Hungary, & India
APR 19, 2022 • Podcast
Why Democracy vs. Autocracy Misses the Point, with Jean-Marie Guéhenno
Senior Fellow Anja Kapsersen is joined by Professor Jean-Marie Guéhenno for a conversation about virtual communities and the advent of the age of data.
FEB 23, 2024 • Article
What Do We Mean When We Talk About "AI Democratization"?
With numerous parties calling for "AI democratization," Elizabeth Seger, director of the CASM digital policy research hub at Demos, discusses four meanings of the term.
Related Initiatives
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Explore Our Democracy Resources
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Democracy: The Keystone of our Society
South Korea has flourished as a democracy, while the North is suffering under authoritarianism. "By offering uncensored education, freedom of speech, and the unbridled agency ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Living in an "Illiberal Democracy"
"Today, virtually all countries make claim to democracy, even conspicuous dictatorships such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," writes Gergely Bérces from Hungary. "...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Democracy: Freedom with a Caveat
"As a kid living in Silicon Valley whose whole life has been in the shadow of historic advancement, I hope these will not be the ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Why Democracy is the Best We've Got
"In the face of the global decline of rule of law, freedom of the press, equal representation, separation of powers and freedom of speech, democracy ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Vote Democracy!
"Democracy's true importance lies in cost calculations of comparative worst-case scenarios," writes Claudia Meng, who grew up in Shanghai. "Populism's draw on Messianism in sole ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
What the Tunisian Revolution Taught Me about Democracy
"The rights and protections that democracy endows can be dangerous if a country is not prepared for it. If a country lacks alternative political leaders ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Democracy is What We Choose and Uphold
"Looking at both the United States and Colombia, with their different foundations and distinct problems, it seems that these political issues seem to take off ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
Democracy in Ghana
"If you think it is fair to give everyone a level playing field; if you think that human dignity and rights must be preserved at ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Article
The "Dirty War" and the History of Democracy in Argentina
"Traveling from the United States for the first time at age 17, I thought I knew the definition of democracy: a system in which the representatives ...
MAR 12, 2019 • Podcast
Global Ethics Weekly: The National Emergencies Act & Trump, with Andrew Boyle
As the debates about the Southern border continue, the Brennan Center's Andrew Boyle details the 1976 law behind Trump's February 15 emergency declaration. As he tells it, ...