How Drug Wars Destroy 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.
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The Clock Is Ticking on the July Issue!
Don’t miss your chance to read the Journal of Democracy’s July issue for free through the 31.
Essential Summer Reads from the JoD
From the early days of this journal to our most recent issue, the JoD editors have compiled ten essays we think you should not miss this summer.
How Zambia’s Cyber Laws Rebrand Repression
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.
Last Chance: Read the July Issue for Free!
The latest issue of the Journal of Democracy answers some of today’s most pressing questions about democracy, and features essays on Iran, Turkey, Tanzania, the Philippines, and more. But it all goes behind a paywall after July 31. Don’t miss your chance to read the entire issue for free!
What Is Autocratic Reform-Washing?
After years of increasingly authoritarian rule, Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan was hailed as a democratic reformer. But as Dan Paget and Aikande Clement Kwayu write in the July issue of the JoD, the president is more performer than reformer, relying on theatrics to delay real reform while sharpening her tools of repression.
Why Young People Matter for Democracy
On International Youth Day 2025, the Journal of Democracy celebrates the creativity, determination, and courage of young people across the world fighting for democracy.
How Serbian Students Created the Largest Protest Movement in Decades
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.
Can Democracy Survive?
Democracy’s very survival is at the top of our readers’ minds this month. Democratic backsliding is a major concern, but democratic resilience appears shaky at best. Can anything be done? Read this month’s top ten essays to find out.
International Day of Democracy: Recommitting to Democracy
On this International Day of Democracy, we reflect on democracy’s inherent value, try to understand why faith in self-rule is waning, and consider what we can do to strengthen the cause, sharing a selection of milestone essays to aid in this effort.
How Venezuela Became a Gangster State
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.
Fighting a Gangster-Style Autocracy
The newly aggressive U.S. policy toward Nicolás Maduro and his autocratic regime, including the recent sinking of alleged Venezuelan drug boats, did not come out of nowhere.
Why Polarization Is Powerful
The list of democratic countries suffering from polarized politics is long and growing. The Czech Republic — one of postcommunist Europe’s strongest democracies — is the latest to join.
October Issue Free for One More Week!
When democracies are clearly outperforming autocracies in so many ways, why the widespread disenchantment with democratic government? Why are democracy and human-rights activists across the globe turning to Bitcoin?
Why Bolivia Voted for Change—And Continuity
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.
Women Are Leading Venezuela’s Fight for Democracy
When María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, she made sure to emphasize that her accomplishments were not hers alone — they were shared with countless other activists agitating for democracy in Venezuela.
Cuba Wants You to Think It’s the Victim
Last week, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution condemning the United States’ “commercial and financial embargo” against Cuba. The outcome came as no surprise.
Why Democracies Bounce Back
With democracy in trouble across the globe, it’s easy to forget how and why a steady succession of dictatorships fell in the last half of the twentieth century. Democracy’s strengths, and its record, should give cause for hope at a moment when autocracy appears ascendent.
Has Tanzania Reached Its Breaking Point?
President Hassan promised Tanzanians freedom, transparency, and reform. Instead, she has delivered repression, violence, and arrests as she bars anyone who dares challenge her.
Cameroon’s Election Casts a Long Shadow
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.