How Serbia’s Students Defeated a Regime
The world saw Serbia’s crowds. Few saw the strategy behind our protests—the organization, the outreach, the arrests—that turned national grief into electoral victory.
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Counting Palestinian Votes Without Letting Them Count
Israel’s Arab citizens voted in record numbers, winning their largest Knesset bloc ever. But when will those votes equal a seat at the table?
America’s Islamist Future?
The election of Abdul El-Sayed and other Muslim officeholders has stirred fears of an Islamist takeover. But their records tell a different story. Our democracy can survive any group’s participation.
How Did Lula Pull Off the Biggest Political Upset in Modern Brazilian History?
Most people thought it was the end of the road for the progressive champion. But Lula’s team deployed an innovative last-minute strategy for mobilizing support that should be studied for years.
Why Latin America’s Losers Won’t Concede
Flávio Bolsonaro lost Brazil’s presidential election and then did a predictable thing: He claimed it was stolen. Why are the region’s runners-up constantly crying foul when they lose free and fair elections?
A New Day for Democracy
We have just witnessed a series of stunning democratic gains in a single day. We may look back to see October 25, 2026 as the beginning of the end of the democratic recession.
Yes, Protest Still Works. Serbia Just Proved It.
Serbia’s student movement just peacefully ousted the country’s corrupt leader by turning their protests into political power. They did it by marrying creativity to strategy, organization, and outreach.
Is Egypt’s Sisi Really Stepping Down in 2030?
Or is this just another ruse? Either way, the fine print in Sisi’s statements suggests even greater military control of Egypt’s elections and political life.
Inside Modi’s “Cockroach” Crackdown
The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party has scored important wins against Modi. But they need to keep learning if they are going to turn public outrage into real change.
Cubans Are Leading from the Inside
The Cuban people urgently want change, and their courage is rising. This is how civil society stands up as a corrupt system begins to collapse.
Israel’s Slide into Competitive Authoritarianism
Under Netanyahu, Israel has become a competitive authoritarian regime. The country’s upcoming elections are its best chance to halt Israel’s democratic backsliding before it’s too late.
Democratic Resistance in Eroding Democracies
Today the chief threat to democracy comes not from generals in the streets but from elected leaders dismantling it from within.
Zambia’s Authoritarian Turn
Hakainde Hichilema came to power five years ago promising to restore Zambia’s democracy. But his government now commits the very abuses he once railed against.
Why Germany’s Mainstream Parties Have Lost Their Way
The country’s far right is connecting with voters where they live. Germany’s mainstream parties need to borrow from that playbook and become a presence in the communities they hope to lead.
What “Leaderless” Actually Means
Gen Z protests are about more than a generation. Uprisings like the one we helped lead in Kenya are rewriting how movements organize, and how states fight back.
Is Germany Falling for the Far Right?
For the first time since the party’s founding in 2013, the “firewall” that has kept the far right out of German government is trembling. Can it hold? And what does the AfD’s breakthrough reveal about the health of democracy across Europe?
The Alternative for Germany Is Triumphant
The far-right German party is surging on the heels of a historic victory. The so-called Blue Storm is no longer a force on the horizon. It has arrived, and Germany’s political center is falling fast.
Why Today’s Global Disorder Rewards Authoritarians
Autocratic middle powers are exploiting the rifts and divisions in the world order to reap newfound deals and influence.
The Future the Taliban Cannot Control
Five years of repressive Taliban rule has not extinguished Afghans’ determination to shape a freer future.
Why Political Polarization Is Rising, and How to Reverse It
Democratic politics depends on the messy, sometimes bitter competition of parties and ideas — opposition is how citizens hold power to account. But in democracies around the world, healthy rivalry is hardening into something more corrosive: the tendency to see political opponents as enemies, not rivals.