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

FEB 22, 2018 Podcast

Does Fake News Matter? with Brendan Nyhan

What are the real facts about fake news? Brendan Nyhan is co-author of an important new study on fake news consumption during the 2016 U.S. ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43005015@N06/28158976819/">Peg Hunter</a>. Solidarity with Honduras rally, San Francisco, January 27, 2018   (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">CC</a>)

FEB 20, 2018 Article

Honduras: Hearing the Call for Democracy

Less than 800 miles from our shores, Hondurans protesting against a fraudulent presidential election have been clubbed, shot at, terrorized, and arbitrarily arrested by the hundreds. ...

FEB 5, 2018 Podcast

To Fight Against This Age: On Fascism and Humanism, with Rob Riemen

No more euphemisms and denials, says Rob Riemen in this frightening and inspiring talk. Call it by its name: fascism. Neither technology, nor economic growth, ...

CREDIT: <ahref="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanzim/36044325051/">Stanley Zimney</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">CC</a>)

JAN 30, 2018 Article

A Liberal Democracy Doesn't Fall from the Sky

"The West appears to face its end," writes Alexander Görlach. "After 70 years of hegemony, fundamental opposition carries the day in countless places. This opposition ...

JAN 29, 2018 Podcast

Iran: A Modern History, with Abbas Amanat

There are few countries in the world that are more misrepresented in the West than Iran. By exploring the imperial rivalries that played out there, ...

Aung San Suu Kyi, state counsellor of Myanmar. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Remise_du_Prix_Sakharov_%C3%A0_Aung_San_Suu_Kyi_Strasbourg_22_octobre_2013-08.jpg">Claude TRUONG-NGOC (CC)</a>

JAN 26, 2018 Podcast

Moral Leadership Missing in Burma, with Ambassador Derek Mitchell

Former ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell examines the complex situation there, including the roots of the ongoing Rohingya crisis and China's influence there. Aung San ...

Ian Bremmer. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

JAN 12, 2018 Podcast

Top Risks and Ethical Decisions 2018 with Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer

Probably the most dangerous geopolitical environment in decades-China, AI, Trump, end of Pax Americana--yes, it's very bad. But all these challenges energize political scientist Ian ...

DEC 14, 2017 Podcast

Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly with Safwan M. Masri

Did you know that Tunisia started championing women's rights in the eighth century, and is still far ahead of most Arab and Muslim-majority countries? Indeed ...

DEC 7, 2017 Podcast

Fractured Continent: Europe's Crises and the Fate of the West, with William Drozdiak

In some ways Europe is more fragmented than at any time in the last three decades, says Drozdiak. There's a north/south split between wealthy ...

NOV 17, 2017 Podcast

Marlene Laruelle on Europe's Far-Right Political Movements

What has led to the rise of far-right parties across Europe and how have they evolved over time? Is immigration really the main issue, or ...