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

APR 20, 2006 Podcast

Decade of Nightmares: The End of the Sixties and the Making of Eighties America

In a wide-ranging talk, Professor Philip Jenkins argues that the mid-to-late 1970s were a crucial turning point in religious and political landscapes around the world.

American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Levy

JAN 27, 2006 Podcast

American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville

In his entertaining and sometimes provocative book, celebrated French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy takes a fascinating new look at the country that Americans think they ...

JUL 7, 2005 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Beyond the G8: From Debt Relief to Democracy and Development

Mountains of debt, in some cases accrued under past dictatorships, represent a stranglehold on many developing countries. These debts soak up a large percentage of ...

Squandered Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq by Larry Diamond

JUN 14, 2005 Podcast

Squandered Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq

After a recent visit to Iraq, Larry Diamond reflects sadly on how we have allowed the situation "to slip into a state of severe insecurity, ...

MAY 31, 2005 Article

SPECIAL REPORT: The Spread of Democracy

Not long ago democracy was seen as a luxury, a system feasible only under certain economic and cultural conditions. The explosion of democratic movements ...

MAY 13, 2005 Transcript

Democracy and Armed Intervention: Conversation with David Rieff

David Rieff talks about how his views have changed on intervention.

MAY 13, 2005 Podcast

Democracy and Armed Intervention: Conversation with David Rieff

David Rieff talks about how his views have changed on intervention.

At the Point of a Gun: Democratic Dreams and Armed Intervention by David Rieff

MAY 4, 2005 Transcript

At the Point of a Gun: Democratic Dreams and Armed Intervention

David Rieff tries to bridge the gap between our democratic dreams and the means we use to achieve them in tricky wars of humanitarian purpose.

APR 28, 2005 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Democratizing Globalization

Over 50 intellectual, political, and civil society leaders convened at Carnegie Council to debate the links between poverty, democracy, security and globalization. Participants explored the role ...

Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs To Do to Recover It by Alan Wolfe

APR 19, 2005 Podcast

Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs to Do to Recover It

In a candid discussion of American politics and ideals, Alan Wolfe looks to the future and how the U.S. can keep liberty and equality ...