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

Detail from book cover

MAR 8, 2017 Podcast

Pankaj Mishra on our "Age of Anger"

"I think the reason why so many people feel angry and disaffected is that too much has been promised to them in recent decades and ...

Protest against the travel ban at Dulles International Airport in Virgina, January 28, 2017. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoliv/31769361243/">Geoff Livingston</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(CC)</a>

MAR 3, 2017 Podcast

Human Rights Narratives and Active Resistance, with Sujata Gadka-Wilcox

Gadkar-Wilcox says that when it comes to human rights, we need to ask more questions about systems and origins. This is especially important now, as ...

MAR 3, 2017 Podcast

A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order

Concerned about where the world is heading? Don't miss this measured and comprehensive overview from Richard Haas, in which he lays out the global situation ...

Alexander Görlach. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

FEB 14, 2017 Podcast

Alexander Görlach on Threats to Liberal Democracy

In this wide-ranging and lively discussion, Alexander Görlach, founder of the debate magazine "The European," tackles the rise of populism and the far right ...

Stephanie Sy and Robert Quinn. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

FEB 13, 2017 Podcast

A Conversation with Robert Quinn on Scholars at Risk

Scholars at Risk provides temporary teaching positions and advisory services to hundreds of threatened scholars around the world. Quinn describes how its caseload has doubled ...

FEB 10, 2017 Podcast

The Secret War in Laos and the Role of the CIA

Josh Kurlantzick, author of a new book on the U.S. secret war in Laos from 1961-73, notes that the war was responsible for greatly ...

FEB 8, 2017 Podcast

Former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Reflects on the Democratic Transition

What were Myanmar's major challenges during its transition to democracy--and indeed to this day? What was the U.S. role in the transition? What is ...

FEB 6, 2017 Podcast

The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics

How exactly should we define populism?  What led to its current resurgence in Europe and the United States, on both the right and the left?  ...

FEB 3, 2017 Podcast

Freedom of Expression in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Beyond

Freelance journalist Ismail Einashe sees a dangerous backsliding of democracy and free media in sub-Saharan Africa, alongside an increase in Internet access and the influence ...

JAN 27, 2017 Podcast

Europe's Last Chance: Why the European States Must Form a More Perfect Union

To avoid disaster, the EU needs to become a real federation, argues Guy Verhofstadt. "That means a small, real European government controlled by two bodies, ...