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 30, 2014 • Podcast
Ukraine Update: The Presidential Elections and Beyond
David Speedie discusses the election of new Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko with University of Rhode Island's Nicolai Petro and University of Kent's Richard Sakwa, both ...
MAY 30, 2014 • Podcast
A Conversation with Ezekiel Emanuel on Health Care Reform
A doctor, a former advisor to the Obama administration, and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Emanuel has spent a generation advocating on health ...
MAY 30, 2014 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: A Dangerous Dance in Modern Iran
Any stirring of excitement about change in Iran needs to be tempered by the reality that change will never come from the current leadership.
MAY 20, 2014 • Podcast
Now I Know Who My Comrades Are: Voices from the Internet Underground
Authoritarian governments try to isolate individuals from one another, but in the age of social media this is impossible to do. Online, people discover that ...
MAY 14, 2014 • Podcast
Moral Imagination
David Bromwich draws upon thinkers such as Burke, Lincoln, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. to show that it is moral imagination which allows us ...
MAY 14, 2014 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Islamophobia Is Not Just a Western Problem
The success of nationalists in India's election shows how easily an intricate social fabric can be rent for political purposes.
MAY 13, 2014 • Podcast
Attacks on the Press: Journalism on the Front Lines
Journalists have always faced attacks on their freedom to report stories and often on their physical safety as well. Now they face a new threat: ...
MAY 13, 2014 • Podcast
The Rise of the New Far Right in Europe and Implications for European Parliament Elections
This panel gives an excellent overview of the complexities of the rise of right-wing populism across Europe, focusing in particular on France, the UK, and ...
MAY 9, 2014 • Podcast
Ukraine Update: Report from Odessa
With the deadly conflict in Ukraine spreading to this hitherto calm southern city, David Speedie speaks again with Dr. Nicolai Petro, professor of international relations ...
APR 24, 2014 • Podcast
Ukraine and U.S.-Russian Relations
With balance and objectivity, seasoned Russian policy expert Tom Graham tackles the thorny question of Ukraine and the wider scope of U.S.-Russia relations ...