Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Organizing “People Power” in the Philippines
Read the full essay here.
2927 Results
strategies in selecting and organizing information
October 2024, Volume 35, Issue 4
The Return of Dictatorship
Alongside democratic backsliding is another, more pernicious phenomenon: dictatorial drift, where “soft” authoritarian regimes are opting to become highly repressive dictatorships. The West must develop new strategies to defend democracy across the globe.
January 2019, Volume 30, Issue 1
Cambodia’s Transition to Hegemonic Authoritarianism
A crackdown on the opposition, followed by sham parliamentary elections in July 2018, has deepened and extended the decades-long personalist dictatorship of Hun Sen.
April 2009, Volume 20, Issue 2
Reading Russia: The Rules of Survival
The image of Putin’s Russia as an authoritarian oil state attracts many Western analysts because it seems to carry a promise that falling oil prices will bring regime change. Thus, many were convinced that a major economic crisis would force the Kremlin either to open up the system and allow more pluralism and competition, or…
January 2020, Volume 31, Issue 1
The Cutting Edge of Sharp Power
Democratic societies must address the spread of technology developed in authoritarian settings while continuing to uphold democratic norms.
The Viktor Orbán Show
Don’t let the Hungarian prime minister’s globe-trotting and grandstanding fool you. Behind the posturing and attempts to steal the spotlight is a strongman who feels his position slipping.
July 1993, Volume 4, Issue 3
Documents on Democracy
Excerpts from: speeches from the three recipients of the National Endowment for Democracy’s biennial Democracy Award; the inaugural address of the New Civic Forum, an Egyptian NGO; “Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Principle of Periodic and Genuine Elections”, a UN resolution; the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Moscow communiqué.
July 2000, Volume 11, Issue 3
Promoting Democracy: The Mandela-Mbeki Doctrine
The promotion of democracy in Africa has become the dominant theme of South Africa’s foreign policy. Yet the dilemmas this policy has confronted in practice have forced the government to alter its approach.
October 2008, Volume 19, Issue 4
Documents on Democracy
Excerpts from: a statement issued by a leading group of Russian democrats on the conflict over South Ossetia; a joint declaration condemning Russian military actions against Georgia; the African Democracy Forum’s statement condemning the military coup d’état in Mauritania.
April 2018, Volume 29, Issue 2
China in Xi’s “New Era”: New Zealand and the CCP’s “Magic Weapons”
The Chinese Communist Party has been using New Zealand as a testing ground for its strategy of building influence through “united front work.”
What It Takes to Win the New Cold War with China
Our struggle against the Soviet Union offers vital lessons for how to confront the aggressive totalitarian threat that Beijing now represents. | Carl Gershman
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? | Agathe Demarais
January 2019, Volume 30, Issue 1
The Road to Digital Unfreedom: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Repression
Democracies must grapple not only with the proliferation of AI to authoritarian and illiberal regimes, but also with the temptation that AI poses for democratic governments themselves.
January 2021, Volume 32, Issue 1
Thieves’ Paradise
A review of Kleptopia: How Dirty Money Is Conquering the World, by Tom Burgis.
October 2023, Volume 34, Issue 4
The Rise of Theocratic Democracy
Theocratic democracy, the de facto grand bargain between religious groups and political leaders, offers key insights into the relationship between faith, freedom, and the global democratic recession.
Why Vladimir Putin’s Luck Ran Out
For twenty years, the Russian autocrat enjoyed a string of good fortune in coming to power and cementing his rule. He had raised Russia’s standing in the world. Then he invaded Ukraine. | Michael McFaul
October 2019, Volume 30, Issue 4
Documents on Democracy
Excerpts from: a statement by the Sudanese Forces for Freedom and Change; a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; a speech by journalist Maria Ressa; a speech by Hong Kong democracy activist and musician Denise Ho; a speech by Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa; a statement by Konstantin Kotov.
January 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1
How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement
The record shows that movements using “dilemma actions”—creative protests that make a regime look foolish—are often more effective at undermining authoritarians. Activists should add such tactics to their toolkit.
October 2017, Volume 28, Issue 4
Liu Xiaobo (1955–2017)
A tribute in remembrance of Liu Xiaobo (1955–2017).
July 2024, Volume 35, Issue 3
Why Mexico Is Not on the Brink
Claudia Sheinbaum won Mexico’s presidency in a landslide, but celebration of her election as the country’s first female president was blunted by a deeper concern: Mexico’s deteriorating democracy. In truth, the country’s democratic institutions are highly resilient, and there is reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.