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
MAY 2, 2017 • Podcast
The Coming War with China? The Ethics of Confrontation in the Pacific
Are the United States and China on the brink of war? Can the two nations avoid miscalculation and instead find common ground? Find out what ...
APR 26, 2017 • Podcast
Democracy and the Deep State in Myanmar
In this fascinating interview, Maureen Aung-Thwin, founder of the Burma Project at Open Society Foundations, describes how the Project helped Burma's transition to democracy starting ...
APR 19, 2017 • Podcast
A Conversation on Statelessness with Kristy A. Belton
There are over 10 million stateless people around the world, says researcher Kristy A. Belton, with, often, limited access to banking, education, health care, and countless ...
APR 18, 2017 • Podcast
Easternization: Asia's Rise and America's Decline from Obama to Trump and Beyond
"Financial Times" chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman says, "We've reached the point where the West's grip on world affairs begins to loosen." China's economic ...
APR 13, 2017 • Podcast
Local Politics and Criminal Justice Reform with Mohammed Alam
With his roles at Center for Court Innovation, focusing on criminal justice reform, and with the Young Democrats, working to find the next generation of ...
APR 12, 2017 • Podcast
Toward Democracy: The Struggle for Self-Rule in European and American Thought
"Democracy begins in bloodshed and it comes to life only through conflict," says Harvard's James T. Kloppenberg in this masterful talk. How have the French ...
APR 11, 2017 • Podcast
"In Cambodia, 'democracy' is just a term . . ."
Phnom Penh-based human rights lawyer Sophorn Sek discusses the state of his nation's governance in this eye-opening interview. From corruption and nepotism to suspicious murders ...
APR 5, 2017 • Podcast
A Question of Order: India, Turkey, and the Return of Strongmen
Journalist Basharat Peer recounts the rise of two strongmen: Erdogan in Turkey and Modi in India. What they have in common "is a lack of ...
MAR 21, 2017 • Podcast
Orville Schell on China's Role in the World
Orville Schell has been reporting on China since 1970. In this wide-ranging and insightful conversation he looks at China and the U.S. exit from TPP; ...
MAR 13, 2017 • Podcast
Trump and the Intelligence Community: The View from a Former CIA Analyst
Eisenstat spent most of her government career in the background, but Trump's unorthodox CIA address convinced her to add to the public discourse in "a ...