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.
Extremist violence by Jewish Israelis in the West Bank is surging. But if you can’t articulate the threat you can’t combat it. Start with a basic principle: Name the ideology, not the demographic.
Mali’s spiraling security crisis puts its entire region at risk. A return to democracy will be key to preventing the country from becoming a terrorist safe haven in West Africa.
The Chinese Communist Party has sought to control the Tibetan people by attacking their religious leaders. But the strategy has failed. Faith can’t be commanded or coerced.
Viktor Orbán election defeat last month stunned many people. But in truth it’s not uncommon for would-be autocrats to lose at the ballot box. It’s a more hopeful picture than many people realize.
Ethiopia’s elections are more like performative rituals than democratic contests. But these hollow exercises are becoming more dangerous as the country stares down a series of looming threats.
When democracies pass laws against hate speech and extremism, they are giving autocrats the cover they need for their own crackdowns. We shouldn’t let democratic norms become a blueprint for repression.
Beijing is engaged in a deliberate and devastating war on Tibetan heritage, culture, and memory. And in this war, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief target is Tibetan children.
President Erdoğan’s rule has grown more repressive as he realizes he has no democratic path to power. But we are united in our resolve and determined to make Turkey a democratic republic worthy of its people.
The progovernment rallies that crowd Iran’s streets are no accident. They are a critical and underappreciated pillar of the regime’s strength, and they are shaping Iran’s response to the war.
In the lead up to elections, the country’s polarization deepened. But Bolivians showed how a massive civil society movement can organize to restore democracy. It’s a blueprint for nonviolent activists everywhere.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar overcame the rigged system that Orbán created and used it against him. The old playbook of disinformation and dirty tricks was no match for a disciplined campaign that gave Hungarians their voice.
If democracy’s defenders want to push back against authoritarianism, they must learn to tap into patriotic language and a sense of national identity. Such emotional appeals shouldn’t be left to autocrats and demagogues.
The opposition party leader pulled off the most stunning election upset in modern Hungarian history. Magyar did it by taking the fight to the countryside and winning over Orbán voters who were tired of corruption and poor results.
If one of the goals of the war was to decimate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it has had the opposite effect. The IRGC will come out of the conflict stronger and more embedded in Iranian politics.
As Hungary approaches a crucial election, Viktor Orbán finds himself vulnerable. These are the three most likely post-election scenarios and how civil society must respond.
A series of unforced errors, poor results, and a worthy opponent are part of the explanation. But there are wider lessons that may explain how Orbán and other illiberal leaders can be defeated.
Taiwan held its first direct presidential election thirty years ago. Today it faces relentless threats from the Chinese Communist Party. Its best defense is self-deterrence.
Nowadays some politicians cry “fraud” even before the election. Too often the accusation has nothing to do with electoral manipulation. It has become a weapon to attack institutions, justify antidemocratic measures, and reject election results.
Who does Putin trust? Russia is governed by an array of “ruling dynasties,” where kinship and personal ties matter over all else. Where corruption goes unchecked, nepotism rules.
In Africa, the race for critical minerals isn’t just about supply chains and industrial strategy. It underscores the need to build democratic institutions to govern the new mineral rush while protecting citizens’ rights.
Xi’s ongoing purge of China’s leaders — including his political allies — marks a return to Mao-style court politics. He is cementing his absolute control — and laying the groundwork for a major succession crisis.
Africans don’t want military rule. They want generals to rid them of bad leaders, and then return to the barracks. But once in power, military leaders often have other ideas.
In the first contests of Germany’s “super election year,” the radical-right AfD performed well far from its strongholds. The country may soon decide it’s time to cooperate with the party rather than try to contain it.
Russia’s influence operations are more concerned with reshaping voters’ fears and anxieties than convincing them of any specific falsehood. To survive, democratic values need to be defended and mobilized.
If the war ends with the dismantling of the regime’s repressive apparatus, the Iranian people will have a rare, if fraught, opportunity. The totalitarian mindset often survives totalitarian regimes.
After January’s mass protests, Iran seemed on the verge of revolutionary upheaval. How is it weathering the U.S.-Israeli assault?
When people think their political system violates the moral rules they live by, they lose faith in their leaders and democracy itself. Some withdraw from politics. Others turn to anyone who promises to “clean things up.”
If Plato had a Substack, it would be overlooked. The old system of gatekeeping was replaced with one that rewards engagement over truth. We need to protect the ideas an algorithm can’t measure.
Tibet is one of the most heavily policed regions in the world. Beijing has spent decades trying to assimilate the Tibetan people through force. It will never succeed.
The country’s civil society is reemerging, opposition leaders are returning, and activists are taking to the streets. Even more, Washington has the leverage to bring about real change. Will it seize the moment?
The slide from democracy to authoritarianism is often subtle, gradual, and driven from within. The newly launched Tyranny Tracker is a sophisticated tool for classifying political regimes across the spectrum.
Newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai was just sentenced to twenty years in prison. His persecution offers a window into how freedom has been undone in Hong Kong. It should be a warning to us all.
Bangladeshis resoundingly voted for constitutional reform, but executing on this promise will be no small task. The hardest work for this newly restored democracy lies ahead.
It certainly should be. But the reality is that Europe’s newfound autonomy isn’t producing the stalwart defense of democracy that the world now requires.
Nicaragua is a corrupt, dictatorial outpost. But it didn’t have to be the case. And its path offers valuable lessons for how to achieve a successful democratic transition in Venezuela today.
La administración Trump está aumentando la presión y la dictadura insular atraviesa una crisis profunda. Pero ¿cuál es el plan para recoger los pedazos?
The Trump administration is ratcheting up the pressure, and the island dictatorship is in deep crisis. But what is the plan for picking up the pieces?
El país suramericano puede estar a punto de un cambio real. Pero no va a terminar en un caos de guerra civil como el de Libia. Será difícil, imperfecto y mucho mejor que lo que los venezolanos han tenido que aguantar.
Que la captura de Nicolás Maduro conduzca a la democracia depende de Donald Trump — y de la capacidad de María Corina Machado para hacer que un futuro democrático sea su única opción atractiva.
The South Asian country is holding an election that will not only set it on a new political path but also reestablish its constitutional order. It’s intricate and carefully designed. But will it work?
Nicolás Maduro ha sido removido, pero la dictadura que él encabezó permanece. Si este período de tutela estadounidense se prolonga demasiado, será una receta para el desastre para Venezuela como para Estados Unidos.
U.S. counterterrorism strategy across West Africa is quietly increasing coup risk—here’s how Washington can both better fight terrorism and prevent coups.
Iran’s hardline government responded to nationwide protests with horrific violence, killing thousands of Iranians in a matter of days. There is nothing the regime can offer its people to regain their support.
Delcy Rodríguez y sus compinches no se van a rendir así nomás. Piensan adaptarse y sabotear cualquier intento de restaurar la democracia en Venezuela. Esta es su estrategia.
Delcy Rodríguez and her cronies aren’t going to surrender easily. They plan to adapt and undermine any attempt to restore Venezuela’s democracy. This is their strategy.
Whether the capture of Nicolás Maduro leads to democracy depends on Donald Trump — and María Corina Machado’s ability to make a democratic future the only attractive choice.
Nicolás Maduro has been removed, but the dictatorship he led remains. If this period of American tutelage drags too long, it will be a recipe for disaster for Venezuela and the United States.
Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.
Days after the election and no one knows who the next president will be. Even worse, none of the likely winners offer much hope for the country’s democracy.
The South American country may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.
Last month Rio’s police conducted the deadliest police operation in Brazil’s history, killing 117 people. It is one episode in a long history of state violence. Not only are such iron-fisted methods ineffective, they pose a danger for democracy itself.
Faith in democracy is fading, as citizens increasingly find self-rule slow, tired, and opaque. It’s time for democratic institutions to lean into the tech revolution. Digital governance isn’t a gadget; it’s democracy’s lifeline.
Nicolás Maduro’s regime has long relied on support from China, Cuba, Russia, and other authoritarians to stay afloat. But now that the United States is stepping up the pressure, will his fellow autocrats leave him high and dry?
Cameroonians just reelected the 92-year-old Paul Biya in an election that voters rightly view with suspicion. The tensions under the surface don’t bode well for the country or its people.
President Hassan promised Tanzanians freedom, transparency, and reform. Instead, she has delivered repression, violence, and arrests as she bars anyone who dares challenge her.
America’s promotion of democracy has always been highly imperfect. But the superiority of democracy—and the ideas that animate it—make it essential to securing America’s future.
The Cuban regime has created a narrative of victimhood as a smoke screen for its gross incompetence and corruption. I should know. I once believed it, too.
María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize has made her the face of the struggle for democracy in Venezuela. But throughout the opposition, women are the backbone of the fight against Nicolás Maduro’s corrupt authoritarian regime.
It’s impossible to make peace with someone who doesn’t want it. But if there is any chance of stopping the killing in Ukraine, this is the path forward.
The election of Rodrigo Paz Pereira as Bolivia’s new president signals the end of the MAS era. But it is more than an end to Evo Morales’s leftist party. It showcases how Indigenous political power has transformed the country’s political landscape.
Nicolás Maduro is a mafia boss, not a president, and the Venezuelan government is now a criminal enterprise with the power of a state. It poses a threat to democracies everywhere.
The government of Nepal has become the third South Asian government to collapse amid mass protests in three years. It will take more than elections to restore stability. Young protesters want to see real change.
It has long been a stalwart defender of democracy. But in this election season, the Czech Republic’s growing polarization is bringing illiberal political parties to the fore.
Ecuador’s presidents have a history of asking the public to back their initiatives rather than building political coalitions to accomplish their goals. The country’s current president is no different — and it comes at a high cost.
Aspiring authoritarians share some common tactics for trying to dismantle a democracy. But recent cases also reveal lessons on how to defend against these attacks and slow the threat of democratic backsliding.
Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska underscored how they see the world in the same way, while highlighting the deepening divisions that are weakening the Western democratic alliance.
The world increasingly appears afflicted by “us-them” divides that breed anger, resentment, and violence. But across the globe small local groups are mounting a thoughtful resistance against polarization and hate.
They have been smart, creative, leaderless, and transparent. And they aren’t targeting any one politician or party. They aim to change the entire system.
The small South American country has become a strategic foothold for authoritarian powers. Its election is hugely important for the future of democracy across the region.
The hope was that President Hakainde Hichilema would bring much-needed reform and openness. Instead, he has ushered in new laws that are silencing dissent and free expression.
In the shadow of Gaza’s destruction, the Jordanian regime has quietly repressed one of the main sources of the country’s political activism.
The drama of the country’s divided government just played out in a failed, high-stakes vote to recall two-dozen opposition legislators. How both sides respond could determine the fate of Taiwan’s democracy.
A year ago Nicolás Maduro stole Venezuela’s election and entrenched his power by jailing and killing those who opposed him. But the world’s democracies don’t need to sit on the sidelines. Here is how they can raise the costs for Maduro.
Thailand’s current crisis may finally end the cycle of populism and polarization that has crippled its democratic aspirations. But it is also revealing that there are far worse forces undermining Thai democracy.
The country’s young people are no longer willing to accept politics without accountability, and the government’s repressive crackdown is only fueling their movement. Gen Z is reshaping the future of Kenyan democracy.
Colombia’s drug war has ravaged the country — leaving tens of thousands dead, disappeared, or displaced and entire communities broken. Democracy is among the casualties.
The ruling party is growing more repressive as it draws from Vladimir Putin’s playbook. If the opposition is to push back successfully, they must first unify.
We have long assumed democracy and liberalism went hand in hand. But in truth there have always been tensions between them, and the rise of illiberal democracy cannot be ignored.
Cuba’s dictatorship has kept student movements under its thumb for decades. But the regime’s repressive tactics have inadvertently breathed new life into a new generation of student activists. These young people are willing to fight for the island’s freedom.
The Kremlin works hard to indoctrinate Russia’s youth to support Putin’s war in Ukraine. But a strong percentage support an immediate ceasefire and don’t think it’s a cause worth dying for.
Strongman nostalgia, conspiracy theories, and lies. It’s a powerful blend that keeps populists in power. In the Philippines, political clans have weaponized these messages against each other.
Political blunders, distrust of elites, and Donald Tusk’s inability to deliver on his promises helped make an unknown, far-right former bodyguard the country’s next president. Worse, it will be far harder now to safeguard Polish democracy.
Los bosques amazónicos de Bolivia se están convirtiendo en tierra arrasada, con millones de acres perdidos cada año a causa de incendios descontrolados. Peor aún, este desastre está siendo provocado por un gobierno más interesado en obtener ganancias corruptas que en proteger a su pueblo y su fauna.
South Koreans have elected Lee Jae-myung president. Will he be a pragmatic democratic reformer? Or will he continue the polarizing political warfare of recent South Korean leaders?
So, why don’t they want to fix it?
South Korea is about to elect a new president. North Korea has changed in recent years. Seoul’s approach to the Kim regime must change to reflect new risks — and Korea’s democratic strength.
Romania’s democracy just survived a near-death experience, but it may be more vulnerable going forward. How far can leaders go in defending democracy without compromising their claim to represent the people?
Bolivia’s Amazon forests are becoming scorched earth, with millions of acres lost each year to raging fires. Worse, this disaster is being caused by a government more interested in corrupt profits than protecting its people and wildlife.
The Chinese Communist Party is attempting to rename the Tibetan people’s homeland, part of a wider effort to eradicate Tibet’s cultural identity. For Tibet, it’s more than just a name.
Authoritarians are developing new tools to project their malign influence across the globe. The world of sports can teach us a lot about the games they play.
It may be the best weapon we have for holding autocrats accountable for their crimes, and the world’s democracies are beginning to rally behind it.
