China and East Asian Democracy: The Coming Wave
If there is going to be a great advance of democracy in this decade, it is most likely going to emanate from East Asia.
January 2012
Volume 23, Issue 1
China and East Asian Democracy
China and East Asian Democracy: The Patterns of History
The legitimacy and appeal of democracy in East Asia will depend on how democratic countries in the region stack up against China.
China and East Asian Democracy: Is CCP Rule Fragile or Resilient?
Is “authoritarian resilience” in China a passing phenomenon, or is it something more durable?
China and East Asian Democracy: The Taiwan Factor
If the PRC moves toward democracy, it is likely to be in some part due to the influence of Taiwan.
Morocco: Outfoxing the Opposition
Morocco was not immune to the 2011 upheavals in the Arab world, but the country’s monarchy deftly managed the crisis through cosmetic constitutional reform.
Indonesia: The Benefits of Civic Engagement
Indonesia, a populous, poor, predominantly Muslim society, has been able to maintain democracy thanks to a vibrant associational life.
Turkey Under the AKP
Turkey Under the AKP: The Era of Dominant-Party Politics
The AKP’s 2011 election victory confirmed its status as the dominant force in Turkish politics, but also sparked fears that its unchecked power might threaten civil liberties. Now it must face the challenges of adopting a new constitution and dealing with the Kurdish question.
Turkey Under the AKP: Civil-Military Relations Transformed
Read the full essay here. Recent years have seen a transformation in Turkish civil-military relations—away from the traditional picture of weak elected officials overseen by a strong military, to one of a strengthened civilian government and a military with decreased influence. This article explores the questions of how this transformation has occurred, whether it will…
Turkey Under the AKP: Are Civil Liberties Safe?
Read the full essay here. In the West, Turkey is considered a model for a secular democracy in the Muslim world, yet the country finds itself mired in a crisis of civil rights and liberties under a third term of the pro-Islamic AKP government. Ironically, while the government maintains a discourse on political reform—including constitutional…
Turkey Under the AKP: The Kurdish Question
Read the full essay here. Turkish state policy toward the Kurds, the Republic of Turkey’s largest ethnic minority, has evolved from denial and mandatory assimilation to cultural recognition to acknowledgment of the Kurds’ contested status as a political problem demanding political solutions. The election of 36 Kurdish-nationalist lawmakers, most of whom now sit in parliament…
Democracy Assistance: What Recipients Think
A groundbreaking new survey shows that democracy assistance is highly valued by its recipients but that there remains room for improvement.
Corruption in India
Corruption in India: An Enduring Threat
Social activist Anna Hazare’s hunger strike has helped to turn the world’s attention to India’s rampant corruption.
Corruption in India: Can the Right to Information Help?
India’s Right to Information Act discourages corruption by giving every citizen the right to access information from any public authority.
Debating Electoral Systems
Debating Electoral Systems: Getting Majoritarianism Right
Contrary to popular wisdom, emerging democracies might be better off with a majoritarian electoral system rather than one based on proportional representation.
Debating Electoral Systems: Getting Elections Wrong
Evidence from waves of democratization shows proportional election systems, however imperfect, to be the better option in most contexts.
Between Authoritarianism and Democracy
A review of Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War by Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way.
Election Watch
Reports on elections in Argentina, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cameroon, The Gambia, Guatemala, Guyana, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Poland, Russia, Tunisia, Zambia.
Documents on Democracy
Excerpts from: the concession speech of former Zambian president Rupiah Banda; the inauguration speech of Zambian president Michael Sata; the “Russia Development Index 2010–2011” report.