democracy

Commentary / World | Perspectives Apr 3, 2021

COVID-19 hits the biggest democracies the hardest. But why?

by Joshua Kurlantzick

The pandemic is thought to be further entrenching economic and social inequalities.

Commentary / World Mar 2, 2021

Putin is losing the battle for Russia’s future

Since Russians began protesting opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s imprisonment, the security forces have apparently had carte blanche to arrest demonstrators — and they have done so by the thousands. If Russians so much as honk their car horns in solidarity with the protesters, they ...

Commentary / Japan Mar 1, 2021

Japanese 'Magnitsky Law' would send strong message to Hun Sen

by Sam Rainsy

There is a global trend toward adopting Magnitsky laws, which allow countries to freeze the assets of and impose travel bans on those who violate human rights.

Commentary / World Feb 2, 2021

The Myanmar coup’s dangerous aftershocks

by Joshua Kurlantzick

Although the army has declared a state of emergency for a year, past history in Myanmar with such declarations could easily suggest that the state of emergency could go on for many years.

Commentary / World Jan 26, 2021

The eternal promise of the Arab Spring: Democracy isn’t like instant coffee

by Mohamed Elbaradei

Instead of undergoing a genuine transition to freedom and social justice, almost all Arab Spring countries have reverted to various combinations of autocracy, poverty and violence.

Commentary / World Nov 22, 2020

After 23 years of Chinese rule, Hong Kong is back to square one

by Frank Ching

Hong Kong's chief executive has created a path for the city's leadership to remove legislators at will, without involvement of the legislature itself or the judiciary.

Commentary / World Nov 4, 2020

Updating democracy: The younger generation is losing faith in the system

by David Howell

"Capitalism" and "socialism" describe the once emerging industrial world, so we need the same inventiveness to describe the digital world that has replaced it.

Commentary / World | API Post-Coronavirus Briefing Sep 6, 2020

A supersurveillance society and its impact on democracy

by Yoichi Funabashi

The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to stronger authoritarianism, populism and nationalism, threatening to harm rights-based systems.

Books / Reviews May 2, 2020

'Democracy in China: The Coming Crisis' review: Democracy is in China's best interest

by Nicolas Gattig

As the pro-democracy movement has roiled Hong Kong and people worldwide lament China’s lack of transparency surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, it seems like auspicious timing for Jiwei Ci’s new book, “Democracy in China: The Coming Crisis.”