You hear the term “competitive authoritarianism” all the time these days. It was first introduced in the Journal of Democracy by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way in 2002 to describe a type of political regime that is neither democratic nor fully authoritarian.
Beijing is engaged in a deliberate and devastating war on Tibetan heritage, culture, and memory. And in this war, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief target is Tibetan children.
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.
The progovernment rallies that crowd Iran’s streets are no accident. They are a critical and underappreciated pillar of the regime’s strength, and they are shaping Iran’s response to the war.
In the lead up to elections, the country’s polarization deepened. But Bolivians showed how a massive civil society movement can organize to restore democracy. It’s a blueprint for nonviolent activists everywhere.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar overcame the rigged system that Orbán created and used it against him. The old playbook of disinformation and dirty tricks was no match for a disciplined campaign that gave Hungarians their voice.
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.
The opposition party leader pulled off the most stunning election upset in modern Hungarian history. Magyar did it by taking the fight to the countryside and winning over Orbán voters who were tired of corruption and poor results.
If one of the goals of the war was to decimate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it has had the opposite effect. The IRGC will come out of the conflict stronger and more embedded in Iranian politics.
As Hungary approaches a crucial election, Viktor Orbán finds himself vulnerable. These are the three most likely post-election scenarios and how civil society must respond.
A series of unforced errors, poor results, and a worthy opponent are part of the explanation. But there are wider lessons that may explain how Orbán and other illiberal leaders can be defeated.
Read why AI isn’t the autocrat’s silver bullet, how authoritarian middle powers are subverting democracy, why the global democratic recession should have come as no surprise, what we misunderstand about populism and how it affects liberal democracy, and much more.
Taiwan held its first direct presidential election thirty years ago. Today it faces relentless threats from the Chinese Communist Party. Its best defense is self-deterrence.
Nowadays some politicians cry “fraud” even before the election. Too often the accusation has nothing to do with electoral manipulation. It has become a weapon to attack institutions, justify antidemocratic measures, and reject election results.
Who does Putin trust? Russia is governed by an array of “ruling dynasties,” where kinship and personal ties matter over all else. Where corruption goes unchecked, nepotism rules.
In Africa, the race for critical minerals isn’t just about supply chains and industrial strategy. It underscores the need to build democratic institutions to govern the new mineral rush while protecting citizens’ rights.
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.
Africans don’t want military rule. They want generals to rid them of bad leaders, and then return to the barracks. But once in power, military leaders often have other ideas.
In the first contests of Germany’s “super election year,” the radical-right AfD performed well far from its strongholds. The country may soon decide it’s time to cooperate with the party rather than try to contain it.
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.
