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
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...