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

Inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861. CREDIT: <a href=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_inauguration_1861.jpg>Library of Congress (CC)</a>.

MAY 8, 2020 Podcast

Democracy on the Verge: Leadership in Times of Crisis, with Ted Widmer

In this fascinating conversation with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, historian Ted Widmer looks back on 13 pivotal days in Abraham Lincoln's life in 1861--the basis ...

New York Army National Guard at a COVID-19 mobile testing center, New Rochelle, NY, March 14, 2020. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_National_Guard_(49667734346).jpg">New York National Guard (CC)</a>.

MAY 5, 2020 Podcast

COVID-19 & the Future of Health Data, with Mona Sloane

The implementation of contact tracing and the collection of health data may be necessary for life to return to "normal" in the face of the ...

APR 30, 2020 Podcast

Ethical Frontlines: Journalism & Government, with Mei Fong & Daniel Lippman

What unique ethical challenges does COVID-19 present to journalists? How might a lack of trust in media and government affect the public's response to the ...

Sheffield, UK, March 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/shefftim/49683551823/">Tim Dennell</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(CC)</a>.

APR 24, 2020 Podcast

Health Data, Privacy, & Surveillance: How Will the Lockdowns End? with Effy Vayena & Jeffrey Kahn

How should we think about privacy and government surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic? Johns Hopkins' Jeffrey Kahn and ETH Zurich's Effy Vayena discuss health data ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/48899821263/">Marco Verch</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(CC)</a>

APR 20, 2020 Podcast

Ethics, Surveillance, & the Coronavirus Pandemic, with Arthur Holland Michel

As U.S. states and European nations contemplate how to end the COVID-19 quarantine, Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel discusses all aspects of surveillance and ...

Senator Bernie Sanders in Phoenix, Arizona, March 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/49625737102/">Gage Skidmore</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC)</a>

APR 10, 2020 Article

Senator Sanders Departs . . . But What of His Foreign Policy Narrative?

Senator Bernie Sanders has ended his campaign for the 2020 presidency, but his influence will live on, writes Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev. Joe Biden has pledged ...

European Parliament in session, February 2020. CREDIT: <a href=https://flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/49524887688/in/album-72157713053981602/>European Union (CC)</a>.

APR 8, 2020 Article

COVID-19: Eroding the Ethics of Solidarity?

"Solidarity is easy when there is no perceived cost or major sacrifice entailed," writes Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev. How has the COVID-19 pandemic stress-tested the ...

USNS <i>Comfort</i> arrives in New York City, March 30, 2020. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/navymedicine/49721679586/in/photostream/">U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Adelola Tinubu (Public Domain)</a>

APR 2, 2020 Article

Narratives, Priorities, and Defense Spending

Is the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic going to have major changes in how Americans perceive foreign policy? Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev considers this question ...

Xinyi District in Taipei, Taiwan. CREDIT: <a href=https://pixabay.com/photos/taipei-taiwan-taipei-101-2057818/>Pixabay (CC)</a>.

MAR 31, 2020 Podcast

Taiwan's Digital Response to COVID-19, with Audrey Tang

Despite being close to the initial epicenter of the virus, Taiwan was able to contain its COVID-19 outbreak earlier in 2020. Audrey Tang, Taiwan's digital minister, ...

Hungary's President Orbán in Helsinki, November 2018. CREDIT: <a href=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EPP_Helsinki_Congress_in_Finland,_7-8_November_2018_(45053885904).jpg>European People's Party (CC)</a>.

MAR 31, 2020 Article

Hungary and the Values Test

In the wake of the Hungarian parliament's vote to allow the executive to rule by decree, Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev reflects on the call by ...