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
SEP 12, 2017 • Podcast
The Risks and Rewards of Big Data, Algorithms, and Machine Learning, with danah boyd
How do we analyze vast swaths of data and who decides what to collect? For example, big data may help us cure cancer, but the ...
SEP 6, 2017 • Podcast
Islam in Indonesia's Political Economy with Wayne Forrest
Indonesia is enjoying economic growth and the reemergence of democracy, yet it is troubling that the influence of Islam in politics is also growing. "I'm ...
SEP 5, 2017 • Podcast
The Trump Effect in Japan with Robert Dujarric
"When you have a president like Trump, you do have to ask yourself: 'What will the United States look like in five years or in ...
SEP 5, 2017 • Podcast
Making Ethics Matter in 2017
"Ethics will be found in people of good will who believe in constructive responses to hard policy challenges. Ethics will be demonstrated by those who ...
AUG 9, 2017 • Article
Community Referenda on Mining in Guatemala
Katherine Fultz spent a total of three years in Guatemala studying environmental and cultural politics. "By using referenda to make a statement about mining," she ...
AUG 3, 2017 • Podcast
Michele Wucker on when the Gray Rhino Hits Asia
Michele Wucker describes a gray rhino as the "love child of the black swan and the elephant in the room." In other words, "it's a ...
JUN 8, 2017 • Podcast
James Traub on Immigrants and Refugees
What happens when Sweden, one of the most welcoming countries on Earth for migrants, simply runs out of beds? What are the unpleasant (and politically ...
JUN 5, 2017 • Podcast
The Soul of the First Amendment
In this timely event, Floyd Abrams, a noted lawyer and award-winning legal scholar specializing in First Amendment issues, examines the degree to which American law ...
MAY 18, 2017 • Podcast
Crisis of the Liberal Order
What explains the global resurgence of populism and the rise of political actors on the right? And what are the effects on longstanding alliances, international ...
MAY 9, 2017 • Podcast
#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media
How is today's Internet driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism—and what can be done about it? Legal scholar Cass Sunstein shares the results ...