April 1997, Volume 8, Issue 2
Hong Kong, Singapore, and “Asian Values”: An Alternative View
Read the full essay here.
Region: Asia
October 1996, Volume 7, Issue 4
Soft Authoritarianism in Malaysia and Singapore
Read the full essay here.
July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
Grappling with Legitimacy
A review of Political Legitimacy in Southeast Asia: The Quest for Moral Authority, edited by Muthiah Alagappa.
July 1995, Volume 6, Issue 3
Departures from Communism
A review of From Reform to Revolution: The Demise of Communism in China and the Soviet Union, by Minxin Pei and Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in China: Political Reform in the Deng Xiaoping Era, by Merlec Goldman.
July 1995, Volume 6, Issue 3
Trouble in Paradise
A review of To Catch a Traitor in Lee Kuan Yew’s Prison, by Francis T. Seow.
July 1994, Volume 5, Issue 3
Updates on Japan & Italy: Rock of Sisyphus or Road to Reform?
Read the full essay here.
January 1994, Volume 5, Issue 1
The Axis Powers 50 Years Later: Japan’s New Politics
Read the full essay here.
October 1993, Volume 4, Issue 4
The Challenge of Ethnic Conflict: India—The Dilemmas of Diversity
Read the full essay here.
July 1992, Volume 3, Issue 3
India: Liberalism vs. Nationalism
A review of Democracy and Discontent: India’s Growing Crisis of Governability, by Atul Kohli and The Politics of India Since Independence, by Paul Brass.
January 1992, Volume 3, Issue 1
Burma’s Quest for Democracy: An Introduction
Read the full essay here.
Fall 1991, Volume 2, Issue 4
Political Corruption: Thailand’s Search for Accountability
Read the full essay here.
Summer 1990, Volume 1, Issue 3
Third World Communism in Crisis: Reform Runs Aground in Vietnam
Read the full essay here.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: After the Massacre
The following text is based upon remarks presented by Wuer Kaixi in Washington, D.C. on 2 August 1989 at a meeting cosponsored by the Congressional Human Rights Foundation and the National Endowment for Democracy.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: China’s Great Leap Backward
This past spring the world looked on in wonder as millions filled the streets of Beijing and 80 other Chinese cities, defying the Communist regime and demanding democracy.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: The Resurgence of Civil Society in China
The remarkable events of April and May 1989 revealed the degree to which civil society has reemerged in Communist China. The ruthless campaign of suppression that began on June 4 revealed in turn the degree to which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains unwilling and unable to accept the reality of nascent civil society in…
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: Peering Over the Great Wall
Our goal at present is the thorough modernization of China. We all have a compelling sense of the need for this. There is a widespread feeling of dissatisfaction with the status quo among people in all walks of life.
Is South Korea’s New President Good for Democracy?
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?
How South Korea’s Next Leader Should Handle Kim Jong-un
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.
Why DeepSeek Is So Dangerous
The Chinese Communist Party’s newest AI advance is making repression smarter, cheaper, and more deadly. Even worse, they aim to export it to the world.
What Happened to South Korea’s Democracy?
The quick reversal of President Yoon’s martial-law order is being celebrated as a democratic victory. But the problems run deeper than one man. What comes next?
Why Burma’s Democratic Forces Are Winning
Burma’s democratic resistance has made impressive gains against the country’s corrupt junta. But they need help from the world’s democracies if they are to succeed and create an enduring peace.
Fighting for Democracy Is a Crime in Hong Kong
A Hong Kong court just handed out heavy sentences to 45 democracy activists. The pro-Beijing government is taking a hard line against anyone who would challenge it.
Did Muhammad Yunus Sign Up for Mission Impossible?
The famed economist and Nobel laureate is charged with repairing what remains of Bangladesh’s democracy. But is someone even as accomplished as Yunus up to the task?
‘Their Control Cannot Be Flawless’
What are the true lessons from Tiananmen Square? Why does nonviolent resistance offer the best chance of challenging the CCP? Hu Ping, a leading Chinese dissident, reflects on the mistakes that were made and what it will take to succeed next time.
How Civil Society Can Confront the China Challenge — And Win
The CCP is engaged in a sprawling campaign to undermine democracy. Governments too often can be lumbering or weak in response. Look to civil society for the creativity and skill to keep the CCP on its heels.
How Taiwan Should Combat China’s Information War
Beijing assaults Taiwan with a nonstop barrage of conspiracy theories and lies to undermine people’s faith in democracy — and China’s efforts are getting more sophisticated. Taiwan must do even more to fight back.
What Mattered to You in 2022
In 2022, we began publishing shorter, exclusively online pieces. No topic mattered more to you than Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine. We also published essays from the sharpest minds on protests in China and Iran, instability in Pakistan, and more.
Consolidating Democracy in South Korea
"Well worth reading…. A high-quality comparative political science analysis of democratic consolidation in South Korea."—Mette Skak, Political Studies
Democracy in East Asia
"Asian and non-Asian authors debate the desirability of democracy in East Asia… The two editors… do an excellent job introducing the issues, ideas, and approaches of the fifteen authors."—Foreign Affairs
Emerging Market Democracies: East Asia and Latin America
"Emerging Market Democracies provides useful insights into topics that connect market economies to various nations' politics, especially efforts at democratization, and compares and contrasts two important regions of the world in their quests for modernization."—John F. Copper, Asian Affairs
Electoral Systems and Democracy
This book compares the experiences of diverse countries, from Latin America to southern Africa, from Uruguay, Japan, and Taiwan to Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The State of India’s Democracy
The essays in The State of India's Democracy focus on India's economy, society, and politics, providing illuminating insights into the past accomplishments—and continuing challenges—of Indian democracy.
How People View Democracy
No serious student of democracy can afford to be without this book. It offers an original and comprehensive view of what citizens around the world think as democracy's global "third wave" prepares to enter its fourth and perhaps most challenging decade.