On Labor Day: Workers, Unions, and Democracy
Essays that highlight the role of labor in the fight for democracy and good government across the globe — from Africa and the Americas to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
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Putin’s War of Recolonization
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t just another land grab. It’s an attempt to recolonize lost empire, and threatens to return us to the age of conquest.
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.
Nobel Peace Prize honors Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” activists
The Journal of Democracy has covered the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement since the protests first erupted. Following is a selection of essays on the protests in Iran and the key role women play in securing democracy and freedom across the globe.
Why Russians Are Souring on Putin’s War
Monday, February 24, marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands have been wounded or killed, Ukrainian arsenals are drained, and Western allies are divided. Even so, Putin’s effort to stir support for his war has fallen flat. New evidence shows that the Russian people don’t support the fight.
Why Bolivia’s Election Is a Turning Point
In Bolivia’s presidential runoff on Sunday, center-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira defeated right-wing former interim president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga.
How Dictators Use Financial Repression Against Their Opponents
Economic freedom is one of a tyrant’s first targets. My family and I have experienced this firsthand. But tools like Bitcoin offer a lifeline for activists fighting repressive states.
Why Election Observers Are Human-Rights Defenders
Election observers are the first line of defense for democratic rights and freedoms, and they work in some of the most challenging places. They deserve the same protections as human-rights defenders.
Why Germans Are Rallying Against the Far Right
Hundreds of thousands of Germans are taking to the streets in protest against the country’s far-right parties. Will it shift the tide or leave Germany further divided?
Mexico’s Democratic Disaster
The country’s outgoing president is determined to bulldoze Mexico’s judicial system. His attack on the rule of law is even worse than most people realize.
Is Ukraine Too Corrupt to Join the EU?
Despite the country’s steady progress fighting corruption, even in wartime, skeptics warn it’s not enough. But this is just an excuse. Their real concern is how Putin’s Russia would respond.
Why Putin Must Be Defeated
The more determined democracies are to avoid war, the greater the risk that autocracies will wage it.
This Is Not the End of Putin’s Troubles
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion has exposed the fundamental instability of Putinism.
Election Results—February 2024
Reports on elections in Comoros, El Salvador, Senegal, and Tuvalu.
The Perils of Kenya’s New Power-Sharing Deal
The Journal of Democracy essays below, free for a limited time, chart the trials and triumphs of Kenya’s democracy over the last two decades — plus key essays on the theory and practice of political power sharing.
The Man Who Stood Up to Vladimir Putin
It is almost a year since the death of Alexei Navalny. The Russian opposition leader sought to channel Russian nationalism as a challenge to Putin’s autocracy. He gave everything in the fight.
Election Results—October 2024
Reports on elections in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Tunisia.
Will Egypt Follow Syria?
What might the sudden collapse of Syria’s dictatorship mean for Egypt? As Shady ElGhazaly Harb explains in a new Journal of Democracy online exclusive, the military — long Sisi’s strongest backer — may now be more tempted to turn against the autocrat.
Election Results—January 2024
Reports on elections in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Serbia, Sint Maarten, and Taiwan.
The Son Also Rises
Many feared Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s election would spell the end of Philippine democracy. But the dictator’s son has surprised nearly everyone, playing the role of a reformer while moving fast to sideline his populist rivals.