Why Sanctions Don’t Work Against Dictatorships
From Putin’s invasion to Kim’s nuclear saber rattling, the West has punished the world’s worst regimes. But have sanctions missed their targets?
2855 Results
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Election Results—February 2024
Reports on elections in Comoros, El Salvador, Senegal, and Tuvalu.
Is Democracy Surviving the “Year of Elections”?
Millions of voters are casting ballots in a string of elections across the globe this year. At the midyear point, how well is democracy holding up?
Why Georgia’s Democracy Is Collapsing
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.
Viktor Orbán’s Newest Tool for Crushing Dissent
He has created a new office with massive investigatory powers that are vaguely defined and leave everyone on edge. In other words, it’s classic Orbán.
How to Dismantle an Illiberal Democracy
There is no clear roadmap. But Poland may be setting out on its first steps in stamping out populism and holding accountable those responsible for the worst violations of the rule of law.
“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 Quiet Demise of Jordan’s Political Space
In the shadow of Gaza’s destruction, the Jordanian regime has quietly repressed one of the main sources of the country’s political activism.
Why Slovakia Is Rising Up in Protest
The people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against corruption and Prime Minister Robert Fico’s pro-Moscow policies. Once again, Slovaks see their future in Europe, not Russia.
Michael McFaul’s Greatest Hits
Ten of the former ambassador’s best JoD essays spanning the last thirty years.
Is Pakistan’s Crisis Finally Here?
Thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) took to Islamabad’s streets this week to demand the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. A crisis of governability is coming and might finally be here.
The Far Right Almost Killed Romania’s Democracy. Will They Succeed Next Time?
Romania is the latest example of rising far-right populism across Europe. The essays below examine the forces driving these illiberal political movements.
Breaking Out of Xi’s Great Prison
Chinese citizens from Urumqi to Shanghai took to the streets, blank sheets of white paper in hand, to denounce the CCP and call for change. Xi Jinping’s repression and zero-covid lockdowns has united the public in empathy and anger.
The Return of Robert Fico
The perennial Slovak politician practices a hardnosed, vengeful form of politics. It is also bad news for the future of Slovakian democracy.
Is the “Third Wave” Obsolete?
In the 1991 classic, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Samuel P. Huntington offered a new way of understanding democracy’s global trajectory. Amid rising global populism and increasingly aggressive authoritarian leaders, has Huntington’s framework outlived its usefulness?
The JoD’s 10 Most-Read Essays
The Journal of Democracy strives to keep you up to date on the latest developments in global democracy and autocracy. Here are our ten most-read essays over the past month.
The Empty Promise of Iran’s New President
Masoud Pezeshkian won’t be a “reformer” in any genuine sense. Like all Iranian presidents, he has pledged his loyalty to Iran’s supreme leader. What he really offers is a softer version of Iran’s grim repression.
Botswana’s Misunderstood “Miracle”
The country’s 2024 presidential contest was a big surprise, as voters elected a new party for the first time. Despite decades of dominant-party rule, a strong democratic culture has long been ingrained in Botswana.
How Dictators Use Sports to Win Friends and Influence People
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.