For the first time since the party’s founding in 2013, the “firewall” that has kept the far right out of German government is trembling. Can it hold? And what does the AfD’s breakthrough reveal about the health of democracy across Europe?
The far-right German party is surging on the heels of a historic victory. The so-called Blue Storm is no longer a force on the horizon. It has arrived, and Germany’s political center is falling fast.
Autocratic middle powers are exploiting the rifts and divisions in the world order to reap newfound deals and influence.
Five years of repressive Taliban rule has not extinguished Afghans’ determination to shape a freer future.
Democratic politics depends on the messy, sometimes bitter competition of parties and ideas — opposition is how citizens hold power to account. But in democracies around the world, healthy rivalry is hardening into something more corrosive: the tendency to see political opponents as enemies, not rivals.
Democratic government — ideally — provides channels for resolving conflict among competing groups and interests, defusing hostilities before they explode into physical violence. It has never worked perfectly.
China is an atheist state, so why does it promote Buddhism? That’s because the CCP thinks it can be a tool for political control. But the strategy actually exposes Beijing’s deepest fears.
With news of a rogue AI jumping developers’ guardrails, authoritarian governments harnessing its power to ramp up repression, and companies laying off scores of workers, it might be tempting to dismiss the good this technology can do. That would be a mistake, according to Alex Gladstein.
Readers come to the Journal of Democracy seeking a deeper understanding of what democracy is and how it works best, insights and analysis on the latest democratic developments around the world, and a lens through which to interpret events in their own backyard.
Vladimir Putin has signed a new “civic death” law that targets Kremlin’s critics everywhere. The goal is to intimidate Russian citizens from speaking up about Putin’s crimes. The world’s democracies must counter this new repressive tool.
Calling for accountability against corrupt officials is a powerful message for building a movement. But it can make it harder to encourage defections from your opponent’s camp. Here’s how to handle the dilemma.
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
There are no heroes coming to save our democracy. If we are to mount a defense, it must begin with students learning the necessary skills in the classroom.
It’s happening in plain sight—and no one’s even trying to hide it.
From state officials taking selfies amid the rubble to soldiers looting, Venezuela’s earthquake response reveals why corrupt authoritarian governments fail so badly when disasters strike.
Peruvians just narrowly elected Keiko Fujimori their next president. But the country’s political fragmentation combined with the manipulation of illiberal incumbents has left the majority of the country feeling unrepresented.
On the anniversary of America’s independence, it is a good moment to consider the state of this unprecedented experiment.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa wants to cling to power above all else, and he has launched a new effort to extend his reign. But, if they act fast, there is still time for Zimbabwe’s opposition and the international community to stop him.
With global democracy threatened by China, Russia, and their fellow autocrats, how can America help secure a democratic future? The world’s liberal democracies must pursue a strategy of “defensive liberalism” to defend the freedoms we value most.
Since winning Turkey’s 2023 national election, President Erdoğan and the ruling AK Party have seen their popularity plummet. In response, they’ve ramped up their repression of the main opposition party — most notably, jailing its presidential candidate, Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and removing party leader Özgür Özel.
