Inside Pakistan’s Deeply Flawed Election
The country’s polls were marred by delayed results and charges of rigging. Worse, they might plunge Pakistan into an even deeper political crisis.
2032 Results
Miami Times Black Wall Street March 11 2025 article opening quote
Is India Still a Democracy?
Democratic institutions, norms, and practices have been under threat in India. Should the country’s democracy fail, it will affect not only the lives of 1.4 billion Indians, but also democracy movements around the world.
The Man Who Would Oust a Dynasty
A few years ago Anura Kumara Dissanayake led a struggling political party with bleak prospects. Now he is Sri Lanka’s newly elected president. The hardest work may still lie ahead.
6 More Days to Read the July Issue for Free
The latest issue of the Journal of Democracy covers important and alarming global trends, including political polarization and rising illiberalism, as well the struggle between autocrats and democrats in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and beyond. Read it before it goes behind a paywall.
Letter from Burundi
Deo Pondu Maheshe, director of the Centre d'Etudes et d'Encadrement pour la Participation au Developpement Endogene, comments on David Peterson's essay, "Burundi's Transition: A Beacon for Central Africa," which appeared in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Democracy.
January 30, 2006
Competitive Authoritarianism: A Conversation with Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way
On 23 January 2020, Journal of Democracy editorial board co-chairs Lucan Way and Steven Levitsky sat down with the Journal’s Brent Kallmer to discuss the new competitive authoritarianism that has emerged in some countries with relatively strong democratic traditions and institutions.
February 11, 2020
Has Liberalism Failed?
Our rising levels of inequality have put its ideals in crisis. These are the simple principles that can help bring it back from the edge.
Why Militaries Support Presidential Coups
If you want to understand why generals support a presidential power grab, then you need to understand the logic that motivates them. Why they leave the barracks — and what we must do to get them to stand down.
How One Small Change to the Way We Vote Could Do a World of Good
The world’s liberal democracies are deeply polarized. Here’s how we could help rebuild the political center.
Why Taiwan’s Voters Defied Beijing—Again
Taiwan’s voters rewarded the ruling party with an unprecedented third consecutive term, despite the mainland’s attempts to intimidate. Expect Beijing to find new ways to threaten the democracy off its coast.
“I Have No Doubts That Navalny Was Killed on Putin’s Orders.”
Alexei Navalny was one of the bravest and most influential political leaders of our time. His assassination should be a wake-up call for Western democracies.
The Man Who Dared to Change the World
Mikhail Gorbachev risked everything. Neither Russia nor the West could live up to his vision.
Election Results—August and September 2024
Reports on elections in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Kiribati, Sint Maarten, and Sri Lanka.
Drowning Democracy
Afghanistan taught us that a firehose of unaccountable aid can destroy a country’s democratic future. In Ukraine, we are making the same mistake all over again.
Constitution-Making, Electoral Design, and the Arab Spring
Drawing on their essays in the October 2011 and January 2012 issues of the Journal of Democracy, Andrew Reynolds and John Carey discussed the constitutional and electoral designs chosen by Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.
March 29, 2012
Exchange on Nicaragua
Commentary on Leslie Anderson and Larry Dodd's July 2009 essay on Nicaragua's 2008 municipal elections.
January 1, 2010