Tag - democracy

 
 

DEMOCRACY

Voters line up outside a polling station during India's general election in Kairana, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on April 19.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2024
From the year of elections to the year of governance
One of the biggest election years in history has already led to significant political shifts around the world, underscoring the resilience of democratic systems.
Myanmar's then-state counselor, Aung San Suu Kyi, meets with Fumio Kishida, Japan's then-foreign minister, for talks in Tokyo in November 2016.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 27, 2024
Kishida’s failure to support democracy in Myanmar
Kishida's lack of engagement with Myanmar's pro-democracy movement shows he prioritized economic relations over democratic values.
Men use a stole to cover themselves from the sun as they wait in a line outside a polling station to cast their votes during the sixth phase of India's general election in Bhubaneswar, India, on May 25.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 16, 2024
Surviving a climate disaster isn’t likely to change how you vote
If people are in fact casting ballots based on their experiences of disasters, it appears to be a small number of them.
Bangladeshi military personnel stand guard at an empty police station in Dhaka on Aug. 9. The U.S. and Western nations have sacrificed democracy for geopolitics, evident in Bangladesh’s chaos and violence after the prime minister was recently forced from power.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 6, 2024
The Western world's stealthy assault on democracy
Elections alone — even if competitive — do not guarantee popular empowerment or adherence to constitutional rules, especially when the military holds decisive power.
Demonstrators hold a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, in May against a bill labeling organizations that receive foreign funding as spies. The passing of the so-called Russia law has been a setback for Georgia's democracy.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 29, 2024
Democracy is on tenuous ground this ‘election year’
From former Soviet countries to India and even the U.S., democracies are backsliding and authoritarianism is gaining ground, with far-reaching global implications.
A new report by international campaign group Global Witness alleges that TikTok approved adverts containing political disinformation ahead of European polls.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2024
TikTok fails 'disinformation test' before EU vote, study shows
The Chinese ByteDance-owned app said its systems correctly identified the breach, but the ads were approved due to "human error" by a moderator.
A Correctional Services vehicle arrives at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts ahead of the verdict hearing in Hong Kong on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 30, 2024
Fourteen Hong Kong democrats found guilty in landmark subversion trial
Critics say the trial could deal another blow to the city's rule of law and its reputation as a global financial hub.
To counter the rise of authoritarianism, liberals must acknowledge the importance of transcendent loyalties like faith and family, while defending liberal institutions.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2024
The authoritarians have the momentum
To counter the rise of authoritarianism, liberals must acknowledge the importance of transcendent loyalties like faith and family, while defending liberal institutions.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines (right) and Director of Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. General Jeffrey A. Kruse testify before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on worldwide threats, at Capitol Hill in Washington on May 2.
WORLD / Politics
May 16, 2024
Foreign attempts to sway U.S. elections increasing, officials warn
As the election approaches, U.S. officials are increasingly worried about the risks that AI poses to elections, including convincing "deepfakes" that trick voters.
AI-powered disinformation campaigns particularly during elections can create varied and nuanced content, making detection more challenging.
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2024
If AI wrecks democracy, we may never know
AI-powered disinformation campaigns can create varied and nuanced content, making detection more challenging.
One problem with globalization is American leaders have the power to disrupt numerous economies by severing supply chains or manipulating financial flows, but citizens of those countries have no influence over U.S. elections.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2024
Democracy and authoritarianism in a modern, globalized world
The bedrock principle of democracy is that people affected by the decisions of political leaders should have a say in selecting those leaders.
Digital platforms have been flooded with disinformation, allowing foreign countries to conduct influence operations and leading to widened social divides.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 28, 2024
How democratic states are regulating digital platforms
Some platforms have been flooded with disinformation, allowing foreign countries to conduct influence operations.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet inspects an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in late February.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 21, 2024
The threat posed by Cambodia’s new strongman
The West must use the tools at its disposal to hold Cambodia’s dynastic autocracy accountable for its abuses.
A Wisconsin resident prepares to vote in the presidential primary election in Superior, Wisconsin, on April 2.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 16, 2024
Can we trust the polls? How emerging technologies affect democracy
In a global election year, all eyes are on the ties between emerging technologies and democracy.
With the rise of populist, anti-democratic political movements and parties, many democracies are increasingly relying on the courts to uphold their constitutional order.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2024
Judgment days for democracy
Populist politics have increasingly strained many countries’ constitutional orders, leading to more instances of courts asserting themselves.
An Albanian communist hangs a banner with Enver Hoxha's image in a public cemetery in Tirana in April 2012 to mark the anniversary of the hard-line Stalinist dictator's death.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2023
When freedom does not bring about justice
From communism to capitalism, Lea Ypi's book,"Free: Coming of Age at the End of History" reflects on Albania's transition to freedom.
Demonstrators march against the Israeli government's judicial reform plan in Tel Aviv on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 28, 2023
When democracy stumbles, we all will suffer
The erosion of democratic norms and principles in one country undermines the value of those norms in others.
 Gerrymandered districts and attacks on voting rights are further threatening American democracy at the state and local levels.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 26, 2023
The local threat to American democracy
Through "preemption" measures, ballot and voting restrictions, gerrymandering and other schemes, America continues to be threatened by entrenched minority rule.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 2, 2022
Elon Musk and his not-so-hidden agenda
If the information space is destroyed, such as with Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, it will no longer be possible to marshal citizens against the powerful.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 30, 2022
Stop calling everything you disagree with ‘anti-democratic’
Democracy itself is not to blame for every wrongheaded or misguided decision made by a freely elected government.

Longform

Akira Oishi (left) and Shinichi Okanobori have taken on the responsibility of surveying the flora and fauna of Mount Tenran and Mount Tonosu in Saitama Prefecture.
Inside Japan's 100-year project to monitor its deteriorating biodiversity