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

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken &  Vice President Joe Biden in Honolulu, July 2016. CREDIT: <a href="https://dod.defense.gov/OIR/gallery/igphoto/2001574265/">Staff Sgt. Chris Hubenthal/U.S.Department of Defense</a>/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/">Public Domain</a>

NOV 23, 2020 Article

Competing Ethics in the Biden Administration?

In this blog post responding to Thomas Wright's recent article in "The Atlantic," Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev outlines the three different "camps" vying for influence ...

NOV 20, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: The U.S. & Latin America under Joe Biden, with Wilson Center's Cynthia Arnson

What will a Biden administration mean for Latin America? In this week's "Doorstep," hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev are joined by the Wilson Center's ...

Protesters stage a sit-in at Seattle City Hall, June 3, 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Floyd_protests_in_Seattle_-_June_3,_2020_-_Sit-in_at_Seattle_City_Hall_02.jpg">SounderBruce (CC)</a>.

NOV 16, 2020 Podcast

Protests in Perspective: Civil Disobedience & Activism Today, with Erica Chenoweth & Deva Woodly

Civil disobedience is a storied political tradition. Can it empower today's activists? How should we understand the connection between protest and democracy? Citing movements from ...

Washington, DC, November 7, 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/50578004282/">Ted Eytan</a> <a href=https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/>(CC)</a>

NOV 9, 2020 Article

Are the Narratives Going to Matter?

Building on recent episodes of "The Doorstep" podcast, host Nikolas Gvosdev reflects on competing narratives and policy preferences in light of Vice President Joe Biden's ...

NOV 5, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: The World Waits for the Next U.S. President, with Professor Tom Nichols

As America waits for counts to come in from the last handful of swing states and the Trump campaign files lawsuits, leaders around the world ...

OCT 23, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: America in the Middle East & the "Caliphate" Controversy, with NYU's Mohamad Bazzi

On this week's "Doorstep," hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev are joined by NYU's Professor Mohamad Bazzi, an expert on the Middle East. The discussion ...

Senator Robert Menendez in 2013. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/8814153077">World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(CC)</a>.

OCT 21, 2020 Article

Senator Menendez & the Narratives

Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev discusses a recent report on Trump's foreign policy from the Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Senator ...

OCT 15, 2020 Podcast

The Democratic Community: A Path for U.S. Engagement? with Ash Jain

Polling data suggests that the American public is not in favor of isolationism, but wants to adjust the terms of U.S. engagement. In this ...

OCT 9, 2020 Podcast

The Doorstep: Spy Games & Trump's Health, Pence vs. Harris, & Europe's Refugee Crisis, with Politico's Nahal Toosi

In the second episode of "The Doorstep" hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev discuss the counterintelligence aspect of President Trump's health crisis, the main street ...

OCT 5, 2020 Podcast

Protests in Perspective: Lessons from the Past, with Michael Canham & Adom Getachew

In this "Protests in Perspective" webinar, moderated by Williams University's Professor Neil Roberts, South African government official Michael Canham, and University of Chicago's Professor Adom ...