January 2002, Volume 13, Issue 1
Must countries where authoritarian regimes have fallen therefore be “in transition” to democracy? Many democracy promoters seem to think so. Yet trends on the ground in country after country are raising doubts about whether it is true or useful to think of democracy’s prospects in this way.
October 2001, Volume 12, Issue 4
In the wake of the East Asian economic crisis of 1997-98, how has the appeal to “Asian Values” fared as a rhetorical prop for undemocratic rule?
January 2001, Volume 12, Issue 1
Morocco’s new king, Mohamed VI, has two alternatives: He can invent a new “ruling bargain,” prolonging his father’s authoritarian rule in a new guise, or he can spearhead serious political reforms.
January 2001, Volume 12, Issue 1
The stunning defeat of a draft constitution backed by President Robert Mugabe and the opposition’s unexpectedly strong showing in the June 2000 parliamentary elections may have marked the beginning of the end of ruling-party hegemony in Zimbabwe.
July 2000, Volume 11, Issue 3
Democracy is spreading everywhere except in the Arab world. Arab elections are an immense masquerade. Corrupt dictatorships seek to stifle freedom of thought and to control the flow of information.
July 2000, Volume 11, Issue 3
While despotic Arab regimes may seem stable, change is brewing beneath the surface. A new era is emerging in which the state will be forced to retreat before a vibrant civil society.
July 1999, Volume 10, Issue 3
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July 1999, Volume 10, Issue 3
Review of Sultanistic Regimes, by H.E. Chehabi and Juan J. Linz, ed.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
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October 1997, Volume 8, Issue 4
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July 1997, Volume 8, Issue 3
A review of The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions, by Stephan Haggard and Robert R. Kaufman.
January 1997, Volume 8, Issue 1
A review of The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis, by Wole Soyinka.
October 1996, Volume 7, Issue 4
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July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
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July 1995, Volume 6, Issue 3
A review of To Catch a Traitor in Lee Kuan Yew’s Prison, by Francis T. Seow.
January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
Democratic consolidation in the East will face the most difficulties in the cultural sphere. Democracy’s fate will depend on how the West handles its own sociocultural problems.
January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
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January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
A review of The Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia, 1917-1991, by Martin Malia and Modern Tyrants: The Power and Prevalence of Evil in Our Age, by Daniel Chirot.
July 1994, Volume 5, Issue 3
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July 1993, Volume 4, Issue 3
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October 1992, Volume 3, Issue 4
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July 1992, Volume 3, Issue 3
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Spring 1991, Volume 2, Issue 2
A review of Hidden Nations: The People Challenge the Soviet Union, by Nadia Diuk and Adrian Karatnycky.
Fall 1990, Volume 1, Issue 4
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Summer 1990, Volume 1, Issue 3
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Summer 1990, Volume 1, Issue 3
A review of Power, Press, and the Technology of Freedom: The Coming Age of ISDN, by Leonard R. Sussman.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
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Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
A review of Anthills of the Savannah, by Chinua Achebe.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa wants to cling to power above all else, and he has launched a new effort to extend his reign. But, if they act fast, there is still time for Zimbabwe’s opposition and the international community to stop him.
The Chinese Communist Party has sought to control the Tibetan people by attacking their religious leaders. But the strategy has failed. Faith can’t be commanded or coerced.
President Erdoğan’s rule has grown more repressive as he realizes he has no democratic path to power. But we are united in our resolve and determined to make Turkey a democratic republic worthy of its people.
If democracy’s defenders want to push back against authoritarianism, they must learn to tap into patriotic language and a sense of national identity. Such emotional appeals shouldn’t be left to autocrats and demagogues.
Xi’s ongoing purge of China’s leaders — including his political allies — marks a return to Mao-style court politics. He is cementing his absolute control — and laying the groundwork for a major succession crisis.
Russia’s influence operations are more concerned with reshaping voters’ fears and anxieties than convincing them of any specific falsehood. To survive, democratic values need to be defended and mobilized.
Tibet is one of the most heavily policed regions in the world. Beijing has spent decades trying to assimilate the Tibetan people through force. It will never succeed.
La administración Trump está aumentando la presión y la dictadura insular atraviesa una crisis profunda. Pero ¿cuál es el plan para recoger los pedazos?
The Trump administration is ratcheting up the pressure, and the island dictatorship is in deep crisis. But what is the plan for picking up the pieces?
Delcy Rodríguez and her cronies aren’t going to surrender easily. They plan to adapt and undermine any attempt to restore Venezuela’s democracy. This is their strategy.
Nicolás Maduro has been removed, but the dictatorship he led remains. If this period of American tutelage drags too long, it will be a recipe for disaster for Venezuela and the United States.
Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.
Nicolás Maduro’s regime has long relied on support from China, Cuba, Russia, and other authoritarians to stay afloat. But now that the United States is stepping up the pressure, will his fellow autocrats leave him high and dry?
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.
America’s promotion of democracy has always been highly imperfect. But the superiority of democracy—and the ideas that animate it—make it essential to securing America’s future.
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.
Aspiring authoritarians share some common tactics for trying to dismantle a democracy. But recent cases also reveal lessons on how to defend against these attacks and slow the threat of democratic backsliding.
Los bosques amazónicos de Bolivia se están convirtiendo en tierra arrasada, con millones de acres perdidos cada año a causa de incendios descontrolados. Peor aún, este desastre está siendo provocado por un gobierno más interesado en obtener ganancias corruptas que en proteger a su pueblo y su fauna.
Bolivia’s Amazon forests are becoming scorched earth, with millions of acres lost each year to raging fires. Worse, this disaster is being caused by a government more interested in corrupt profits than protecting its people and wildlife.
Georgia’s opposition is facing a pivotal election. But it isn’t enough to win: They need to be prepared to move quickly, mobilize the public, and force the regime to concede.
Kais Saied is claiming a landslide election win. The truth is he was never willing to face a real competition. Just how insecure he feels will likely determine how much more repressive he will become.
The Russian dissident journalist and activist knew if he returned to Russia he would be imprisoned or worse. But he was plagued by one question that compelled him to go.
The economy is spiraling, public frustration is mounting, and the regime is becoming more repressive. The next time Egyptians come to the streets, they will be looking for more than promises and free elections.
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.
Our struggle against the Soviet Union offers vital lessons for how to confront the aggressive totalitarian threat that Beijing now represents.
Explores how authoritarian regimes are deploying “sharp power” to undermine democracies from within by weaponizing universities, institutions, media, technology, and entertainment industries.
The Russian autocrat wanted to go down in history on par with Russia’s greatest leaders. He is increasingly looking like one of its weakest.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion has exposed the fundamental instability of Putinism.
The Russian autocrat forgot an age-old truth about working with common criminals and soldiers for hire.
In the days ahead, the West must remain calm—and redouble its support for Ukraine.
The Russian autocrat’s system of control has rested on pillars that are beginning to crumble.
