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 4, 2008 • Podcast
Torture and Democracy
In his exhaustive study, Rejali traces the history of torture through the ages. "It's not so much that torture never works," he says. "The point ...
MAR 18, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Watching the Government Watch You
A growing movement is using the Internet to expose government problems and protect rights and privacy.
MAR 12, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Waging Peace through Commerce
Prosperity has the potential to strengthen democracies and enhance security, but only in a global atmosphere of nonaggression.
MAR 3, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: A League of Democracies
John McCain introduced the idea of global democracy during his 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign. The idea is worth exploring, and perhaps further than McCain ...
MAR 3, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Let's Make a New Deal
Have the Democratic candidates pandered to voter perceptions with their calls to renegotiate NAFTA?
FEB 26, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Genuine Power Sharing
In states such as Kenya with a tenuous concept of nationhood, institutions need to distribute resources equitably if they are to foster stability and growth.
FEB 15, 2008 • Podcast
Freedom in Retreat
Freedom House representatives and Larry Diamond discuss the findings of the FH annual survey, "Freedom in the World 2008," which shines a light on the decline ...
FEB 13, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: In Pursuit of a Carbon-Free Economy
The climate crisis requires better tools to compare the true environmental value of greenhouse gas reduction versus sequestration, so that we know whether to invest ...
JAN 23, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Partisanship and U.S. Trade Policy
U.S. trade policy has become increasingly partisan, but progress on trade issues during an election year is unlikely.
JAN 9, 2008 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Pakistan's Simmering Unrest
Since taking power in a 1999 military coup, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has struggled with the same question as his predecessors: How to keep a tangled ...