July 2005, Volume 16, Issue 3
The Quintessential Dissident
A review of The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror by Natan Sharansky
October 2006, Volume 17, Issue 4
Belarus: Learning From Defeat
The Belarusian presidential election of March 2006 appeared to be an exercise in meaninglessness, while the protests against manipulation by the Lukashenka regime seemed a study in futility. But appearances can deceive.
October 2005, Volume 16, Issue 4
Preempting Democracy: The Case of Belarus
Having drawn lessons from the downfall of some of his fellow autocrats, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is preventing the emergence of an effective democratic movement in Belarus.
April 2009, Volume 20, Issue 2
Reading Russia: Tools of Autocracy
Arguably a flawed democracy in the 1990s, Russia took a distinctly authoritarian turn under President Vladimir Putin from 2000 to 2008. The country now lives under a façade democracy that barely conceals the political and administrative dominance of a self-interested bureaucratic corporation. The regime manufactures consent by means of three tools: information and propaganda campaigns…
January 2009, Volume 20, Issue 1
Debating the Color Revolutions: What Are We Trying to Explain?
Change may be caused more by the frailty of the regime than the strength of the opposition, but in such cases the outcome is often less democratic.
Debates on Democratization
If democracy means anything, it means robust debates. Debates on Democratization is a collection of essays that explores the questions and controversies that surround contemporary democratization.