Spring 1991, Volume 2, Issue 2
Shortcuts to Liberty
A review of To Craft Democracies: An Essay on Democratic Transitions, by Giuseppe Di Palma.
Articles
Spring 1991, Volume 2, Issue 2
The Nations of the USSR
A review of Hidden Nations: The People Challenge the Soviet Union, by Nadia Diuk and Adrian Karatnycky.
Winter 1991, Volume 2, Issue 1
After Leninism: Why Democracy Can Work in Eastern Europe
Read the full essay here.
Winter 1991, Volume 2, Issue 1
The First Democracy
A review of Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy, by Donald Kagan.
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Why Gen-Z Is Rising
Young people from Peru to Madagascar to Nepal—furious with political elites reaping the spoils of privilege and corruption—are rising up to demand change. But what happens when their movements succeed?
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
How to Bring Authoritarians to Justice
Brazil did something that few democracies achieve: It convicted a former president of attempting a coup. How did the country’s courts hold would-be autocrat Jair Bolsonaro accountable when so many other coup plotters go unpunished?
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
The AI Democracy Dilemma
A revolution in political participation is underway: Political players and advocacy groups are using AI to draft ballot initiatives, gather signatures, and persuade voters—undermining democratic legitimacy in the process.
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Why Populists Hollow Out Their States
Elected leaders across the globe are intentionally undermining their governments’ ability to govern. How and why do these leaders seek to dismantle the states they lead?
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Three Mistakes Ukraine Must Avoid
Ukraine must win its war against Russian aggression. But it is also true that the decisions it makes now will determine what kind of state it will be when the war is over.
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Inside Modi’s Assault on Academic Freedom
Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP have developed the textbook attack on India’s universities and centers of free thought. It offers a vital warning for other countries where higher education is in danger.
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Uganda After Museveni
The reelection of Uganda’s octogenarian president Yoweri Museveni may be a foregone conclusion, but the country is wracked with unease. His highly personalized regime is passing, and there is no clear view of what will follow.
January 2026, Volume 1, Issue 37
Tanzania Will Never Be the Same
As Tanzania’s October 2025 sham election got underway, protests broke out across the country, sparking a brutal regime crackdown. That brief reign of terror marks a turning point for both the ruling party and the Tanzanian people. There is no going back.