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

Arctic ice near the North Pole. Photo by <br><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kenyai/54090518/">Tunde Pecsvari</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en-us">CC</a>).

AUG 17, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Russia's Arctic Resource Race

The space race may be over, but the war for control of vast Arctic energy resources got a little colder this month when a Russian ...

Mist over Dongtan Marsh. China plans to <br>build a model eco-city in the area. Photo <br>by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/oohoo/140648874/">laughterwym</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en-us">CC</a>).

AUG 15, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: China's Eco-Entrepreneurs

Although China's civil society is stifled, the Chinese environmental movement has taken great strides and made great progress in combating the harms of rapid development.

AUG 13, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Negotiating a New Social Contract

Devin Stewart interviews Grant Aldonas, former Bush Administration Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, on his recent study on the policy response to globalization. ...

CREDIT: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nihaoblog/75877575/" target=_blank>blogger-china</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en-us">CC</a>).

JUL 31, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: The Blogger's Democratic Revolution

Thanks to the human love of commentary and information, blogs have created more connections among people and helped propel citizen journalism and democratic change. As ...

Constitutions reflect the role of political <br>power because they provide a balance <br>between competing interests, writes Lang.

JUL 16, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Rules for Globalization's Unruliness

Globalization provides a unique opportunity to rethink the rules of the international system. One way to combine the need for rules with the need for ...

Protest in Cairo. CREDIT: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/zarwan/153534199/">E. Zarwan</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" target=_blank>CC</a>).

MAY 9, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Realist Democracy Promotion

Democracy's positive contributions to quality of life have caused some to elevate it to the status of a universal value. But universal value does not ...

The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India

MAY 3, 2007 Podcast

The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India's Future

The Hindu right poses a threat to India's secular democracy, says Martha Nussbaum, and this example of the impact of religious nationalism is relevant to ...

Anti-corruption billboard in Nigeria. Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/blyth/141520433/" target=_blank>Mike Blyth</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target=_blank>CC</a>).

APR 30, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Fragile Democracy in Resource-rich Nigeria

Presidential elections were held in Nigeria in April amid electoral chaos and mild violence. For the first time since the nation's independence in 1960, power was ...

Coal power plant. Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davipt/164341428/" target=_blank>Bruno D. Rodrigues</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target=_blank>CC</a>).

FEB 21, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Central versus Local

More than any other countries, China and the U.S. hold the key to whether humanity can put the brakes on its greenhouse gas emissions ...

FEB 12, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Fairness as Antidote to Religious Fundamentalism

National development strategies are insufficient for overcoming the problems in poor countries. Cooperation at the regional and world level is needed to solve the problems ...