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
FEB 6, 2026 • Article
Trump and the Gaslighting of American Realism
APR 9, 2026 • Article
Realism vs. Pragmatism: Understanding America’s New Rhetorical Landscape
Amid Trump's fiery rhetoric and debates over "realism," Professor Jason Ralph writes that "pragmatism" may offer a better alternative for the American public.
SEP 11, 2025 • Video
Post-Liberal American Power
In the first event in our "Values & Interests" series, an expert panel examines the question: Has Trump 2.0 ushered in an era of post-liberal American power?
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 29, 2018 • Podcast
Anti-Pluralism: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy, with William A. Galston
Some unpleasant truths for liberals, from William Galston: The rise of anti-pluralist populist movements is caused by a combination of economic factors and migration; we ...
MAR 22, 2018 • Podcast
Piety and Public Opinion: Understanding Indonesian Islam, with Tom Pepinksy
Are there differences in political, social, and economic attitudes among Indonesians--and Indonesian Muslims in particular--based on their levels of religious piety? Intriguingly, Tom Pepinsky and ...
MAR 14, 2018 • Podcast
Fighting Threats to Philippine Democracy, with Joy Aceron
"Despite the vibrancy of civil society, political and economic power continues to be in the hands of very few people in the Philippines. In fact, ...
MAR 9, 2018 • Podcast
Motorcycles & the Art of Politics in Thailand, with Claudio Sopranzetti
Anthropologist Sopranzetti's new book discusses the surprising role of motorcycle taxi drivers in a recent coup in Thailand, and their important place in everyday Thai ...
MAR 7, 2018 • Podcast
Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations, with Amy Chua
"The United States today is starting to display destructive political dynamics much more typically associated with developing countries: ethno-nationalist movements, the erosion of trust in ...
MAR 6, 2018 • Podcast
Is Indonesia Becoming Like Pakistan? with Andreas Harsono
The maximum penalty for blasphemy in Pakistan is death, and public protest is not allowed. Indonesia is nowhere near as bad as this--yet. "Indonesia is ...
FEB 27, 2018 • Podcast
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, with Timothy Snyder
Can tyranny happen here? asks historian Timothy Snyder. His chilling answer is, "it can happen, it happens to people like us, and it is happening ...
FEB 27, 2018 • Transcript
Just a Journalist: On the Press, Life, and the Spaces Between, with Linda Greenhouse
Where is the line between the role of a citizen and that of a journalist? Should reporters be able to attend demonstrations as private citizens ...
FEB 26, 2018 • Podcast
Gandhi's Satyagraha & Social Change, with Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox
Satyagraha, one of Gandhi's most influential teachings, stresses "passive resistance" in the face of injustice. Qunnipiac's Gadkar-Wilcox saw a powerful example of this in regards ...
FEB 26, 2018 • Podcast
It's Better than It Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear, with Gregg Easterbrook
Today, many feel paralyzed by the constant stream of bad news. Yet as Gregg Easterbrook shows, statistics on crime, poverty, and longevity prove that things ...