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 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.

Explore Our Democracy Resources

JUN 24, 2016 Podcast

Islam and Pluralism in Indonesia

"It's going on 20 years that Indonesia has been engaged in a very important experiment, which is to create a democracy in a Muslim-majority place," explains ...

JUN 23, 2016 Podcast

Time to Wake Up

"The story of our failure on climate change is a story of our failure to understand the truly manipulative and evil effects of money in ...

MAY 20, 2016 Podcast

Chuck Hagel on U.S. Challenges in Today's "Complicated, Interconnected World"

Drawing on decades of experience, Secretary Hagel gives a masterly and frank analysis of world events. He discusses current U.S. politics--he's confident that the ...

MAY 20, 2016 Podcast

Threats and Opportunities on the Korean Peninsula

"Simply put, North Korea still needs to go a long way to achieve sophisticated levels of mid- to long-range nuclear missiles," declares Consul General Gheewan ...

An Occupy L.A. protest in 2011. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22104733@N06/6422387735/">greg lilly</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(CC)</a>

MAY 18, 2016 Podcast

Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox on Political Responsibility in India and the United States

What do citizens living in a democracy owe their country in terms of upholding its values and laws? Both Gandhi and Obama emphasize the importance ...

MAY 17, 2016 Podcast

"Religious Harmony" Regulations Creating Dissonance in Indonesia

Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch discusses the complex situation in Indonesia, including the 2006 religious harmony regulation supposed to protect religious minorities, but which in ...

MAY 13, 2016 Podcast

A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS

In this memorable conversation, "New York Times" journalists Robert Worth and Roger Cohen discuss Worth's latest book about the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Was ...

APR 25, 2016 Podcast

Islamism: What It Means for the Middle East and the World

Until the mid-19th century, Islam was the sole basis of both political legitimacy and social identity across the Middle East. Islamists--a term that doesn't ...

Devin Stewart (on left) and Michael Ignatieff (center) with student leaders and activists at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

APR 21, 2016 Article

In Search of a Global Ethic

Research in 25 cities in eight countries on five continents shows that norms across cultures may not be so different after all.

APR 19, 2016 Podcast

Eurasianism and the European Far Right: Book Launch and Update on Events in Europe

"Eurasianism and the European Far Right" is the culmination of an intensive two-year project spearheaded by the Council's U.S. Global Engagement Program. This expert ...