Stop Trying to “Defeat” Russia and China

Moscow and China pose a great danger to the democratic world. But they pose threats that need to be managed, not won. Every great foreign-policy battle doesn’t end with a decisive victory. | By Ali Wyne and Liana Fix

AI and Catastrophic Risk

AI with superhuman abilities could emerge within the next few years. We must act now to protect democracy, human rights, and our very existence. | Yoshua Bengio

Why He May Soon Be Remembered as “Putin the Weak”

  • Michael McFaul
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.
July 2023, Volume 34, Issue 3

Why India’s Democracy Is Dying

  • Maya Tudor
Under Narendra Modi, India is maintaining the trappings of democracy while it increasingly harasses the opposition, attacks minorities, and stifles dissent. It can still reverse course, but the damage is mounting.

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October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

The Politics of Enemies

Democracy’s meaning has always been contested. Letting that struggle become a battle between existential foes risks upending the whole democratic project.

Latest Online Exclusives

A Shock to Guatemala’s System | Will Freeman and Lucas Perelló
Almost no one thought that an underdog political reformer could defeat Guatemala’s corrupt political machine, but Bernardo Arévalo did just that. Now comes the hard part.

Why the Defenders of Liberal Democracy Need to Stand Up | Ghia Nodia
If liberal norms and institutions are to prevail, they need to be defended from the left and the right.

Why Ukraine is Critical to Rebuilding Our Democratic Consensus | Marc F. Plattner
The case for liberal democracy remains powerful. It may get its biggest boost in the near term from success on the battlefields of Ukraine.

News & Updates

Is Zelensky the Right Leader at the Right Time?

September 2023

President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to rally support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s unprovoked invasion. As the war’s second year grinds on, the Ukrainian people are looking for Zelensky to help their country succeed, not just survive. Will Zelensky be able to shepherd Ukraine to victory?


Is Latin America Stuck in the Middle?

September 2023

Latin American voters are aggrieved, impatient, and eager to elect candidates who offer a break with the past—sometimes whatever that break may be. This factor, combined with high crime and middling economic growth, has led to wild swings and shrinking political rights. But can the region get itself unstuck?


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The Rise of Political Violence in the United States

In a deeply polarized United States, ordinary people now consume and espouse once-radical ideas and are primed to commit violence.

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How Viktor Orbán Wins

The case of Hungary shows how autocrats can rig elections legally, using legislative majorities to change the law and neutralize the opposition at every turn, no matter what strategy they adopt.

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How Zelensky Has Changed Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky is far more than a brave wartime leader. He began changing the tenor and direction of Ukrainian politics long before the people made him their president.