Democracy

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 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.

Explore Our Democracy Resources

L to R: Neil Gibson, Katrina Godfrey, Deirdre Garvey, Aideen McGinley. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni.

OCT 22, 2018 Transcript

The Northern Ireland We Want--the Opportunities

In this session of the International Seminar on Wellbeing in Northern Ireland, economist Neil Gibson of Ernst & Young, Katrina Godfrey, Department of Infrastructure, Northern Ireland, ...

OCT 19, 2018 Podcast

Fight for Liberty, with Max Boot, Philip Bobbitt, Garry Kasparov, & Bret Stephens

We live in a time when liberal democracy is on the defensive, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Yet these speakers, ...

OCT 18, 2018 Podcast

Global Ethics Weekly: Science Fiction, Micro-democracy, & Information, with Malka Older

Malka Older has spent time as an aid worker in Darfur, Indonesia, and Japan, as was discussed in last week's podcast, but she also has ...

OCT 16, 2018 Podcast

The Nationalist Revival: Trade, Immigration, and the Revolt Against Globalization, with John B. Judis

Why has nationalism suddenly returned with a vengeance around the world? Why are nationalists so angry about free trade and immigration? Why has globalization become ...

Vladmiri Putin & Xi Jinping in Beijing, May 2017. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Vladimir_Putin_with_President_of_China_Xi_Jinping.jpg">The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office (CC)</a>

OCT 9, 2018 Podcast

Chinese and Russian "Political Warfare" with Tom Mahnken and Toshi Yoshihara

Tom Mahnken and Toshi Yoshihara of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) discuss China and Russia's "authoritarian political warfare." "Not only do they ...

SEP 25, 2018 Podcast

Making Foreign Policy Relevant Again, with Asha Castleberry & Ali Wyne

Has a gap opened up between the U.S. national security community and the general public over foreign policy? If so, why? How can we ...

SEP 24, 2018 Article

The Ethics of the "Doorstep"

The "doorstep test" requires policymakers to be able to articulate how, and to what degree, something happening in the world connects to the day-to-day experience, ...

SEP 24, 2018 Podcast

Malaysian & Indonesian Elections, with Meredith Weiss & Jeremy Menchik

This fascinating conversation begins with a discussion of the critical importance of Southeast Asia, including the rise of China and its ambitions in the region. ...

Samsung headquarters in Seoul. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/39610980@N05/3651368549">Oskar Alexanderson</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC)</a>

SEP 20, 2018 Podcast

Korea & the "Republic of Samsung" with Geoffrey Cain

Korea expert Geoffrey Cain talks about his forthcoming book, "The Republic of Samsung," which reveals how the Samsung dynasty (father and son) are beyond the ...

SEP 17, 2018 Podcast

Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, with Francis Fukuyama

The rise of global populism is the greatest threat to global democracy, and it's mainly driven not by economics, but by people's demand for public ...