Articles

January 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1

Lula’s Second Act

Brazil’s charismatic former president is back, but there will be no honeymoon for the left. He won by a sliver, and his opponents on the right were empowered by the same election.

January 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1

Shell Game

Trillions of dollars are stashed in the world’s secret financial system, where they are keeping autocratic regimes afloat and fueling democracy’s decline.

January 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1

Friend of the Devil

McKinsey’s work is bankrolled by major corporations and governments around the world. How should the famous consulting firm choose the clients it represents and the projects it takes on?

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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.

October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

Why Ukrainians Are Rallying Around Democracy

The share of Ukrainians who endorse democracy as the best form of government has risen fast in short order, standing now at more than three-quarters. New data reveal a surprising explanation behind this remarkable shift.

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October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

How to Compete in Unfair Elections

Opposition movements often boycott rigged polls rather than risk legitimizing an autocrat. It is usually a mistake. Here is the playbook for how one opposition seized the advantage.

October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

Rising to the Sharp Power Challenge

While a handful of democracies have responded effectively to this corrosive form of authoritarian influence, most societies are dangerously underequipped. New strategies are urgently needed.

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October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

Debate: Why Democracies Survive

Democracies are under stress, but they are not about to buckle. The erosion of norms and other woes do not spell democratic collapse. With incredibly few exceptions, affluent democracies will endure, no matter the schemes of would-be autocrats.

October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

Debate: The Danger Is Real

Analysis that subtly defines away problems is not going to help democracies survive the threats they now face. The fear is warranted.

October 2022, Volume 33, Issue 4

Debate: Questioning Backsliding

It is no easy feat to agree on how democratic backsliding should be measured. No surprise scholars are coming up with strikingly different results.