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
APR 17, 2012 • Podcast
Human Rights Watch World Report 2012
How have governments responded to the recent events in Libya, Syria, Egypt, and other countries such as Bahrain? Ken Roth of Human Rights Watch gives ...
APR 9, 2012 • Podcast
No One's World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn
How do we manage a world where no one power is dominant, and emerging powers have their own views about how to organize political, social, ...
MAR 19, 2012 • Podcast
Power, Inc.: The Epic Rivalry Between Big Business and Government--and the Reckoning That Lies Ahead
David Rothkopf issues a wake-up call to Americans: We have to drop our knee-jerk, partisan attitudes and ask, "What will produce the kind of society ...
MAR 12, 2012 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: Do World Bank Country Classifications Hurt the Poor?
The incoming World Bank president should create a more sophisticated system for classifying countries as low or middle income, using broad development indicators.
MAR 12, 2012 • Podcast
The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations
According to Michael Ross, it's no coincidence that major oil-producing countries have less democracy, fewer opportunities for women, more frequent civil wars, and more volatile ...
MAR 9, 2012 • Article
Russia Bulletin (2012): Russia Bulletin, Issue 4
What's the real deal on the elections? What of Kremlin attacks on election monitors and protestors? How will the United States and the West best ...
FEB 29, 2012 • Podcast
Redeemers: Ideas and Power in Latin America
Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Gabriel Marcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, and many more: Krauze discusses Latin America's intellectual, literary, and political figures who were inspired by ...
FEB 24, 2012 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: China on the Rise: Is China's Political Model Superior?
With economic malaise and political stalemates commonplace across the U.S. and Europe, some are beginning to look to China for answers. Is democracy, with ...
FEB 8, 2012 • Article
The Varieties of Protest Experience: How Accountability Gaps Link the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street
Can the recent eruption of protests be interpreted as a single phenomenon, even though spread out across great distances and separated by barriers of language ...
FEB 3, 2012 • Podcast
Global Ethics Corner: The Arab Spring Turns One Year Old: What Next?
As the Arab Spring celebrates its one-year anniversary, the West is cautiously awaiting the next step. Will democracy flourish in the Middle East and North ...