Why Slovakia Is Rising Up in Protest

  • John Chin
The people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against corruption and Prime Minister Robert Fico’s pro-Moscow policies. Once again, Slovaks see their future in Europe, not Russia.
January 2025, Volume 36, Issue 1

Why Ukraine Shouldn’t Negotiate with Putin

  • Robert Person
Many pundits cry for a negotiated settlement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But they misunderstand Vladimir Putin’s motives. The only just end to the war will be in the trenches, not at the bargaining table.
January 2025, Volume 36, Issue 1

When Should the Majority Rule?

  • Steven Levitsky
  • Daniel Ziblatt
With illiberal forces ascendant across the globe, protecting individual liberties and the democratic process is crucial. But when institutions empower minority groups over the majority, can democracy survive?
January 2025, Volume 36, Issue 1

Resisting the Authoritarian Temptation

  • Nomi Claire Lazar
  • Jeremy Wallace
Democracy’s unique, flexible, and substantial resources make it better than authoritarianism at confronting climate change.

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January 2025, Volume 36, Issue 1

The Return of Politics in Bangladesh

The student movement that toppled Bangladesh’s longtime autocratic ruler wants more than a return to the old order. These young revolutionaries are seizing a chance to start anew. How and by whom will the country’s future be decided?

January 2025, Volume 36, Issue 1

How Maduro Stole Venezuela’s Vote

Nicolás Maduro brazenly stole Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, despite a free, fair, and transparent ballot count that showed a clear opposition victory. Why would an autocrat want to maintain one of the world’s best voting systems?

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The Man Who Stood Up to Vladimir Putin | Lucian Kim
It is almost a year since the death of Alexei Navalny. The Russian opposition leader sought to channel Russian nationalism as a challenge to Putin’s autocracy. He gave everything in the fight.

The Pitfalls of Power Sharing | Alexander Noyes
People are calling for a so-called unity government to stem the violence in Mozambique. But there is a better way to set the country on the right course.

Botswana’s Misunderstood “Miracle” | Samuel Anim
The country’s 2024 presidential contest was a big surprise, as voters elected a new party for the first time. Despite decades of dominant-party rule, a strong democratic culture has long been ingrained in Botswana.

News & Updates

Last chance: Read our January issue for free!

January 2025

The war in Ukraine, stolen elections, student revolutions, and the climate crisis: The latest issue of the Journal of Democracy offers incisive analysis and illuminating debates on some of today’s biggest challenges.


Another Sham Election in Belarus

January 2025

Belarusians headed to the polls this past Sunday to vote for president, but the outcome is a foregone conclusion: Long-reigning autocrat Alyaksandr Lukashenka has rigged the playing field to guarantee a seventh term.


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The Rise of Political Violence in the United States

In a deeply polarized United States, ordinary people now consume and espouse once-radical ideas and are primed to commit violence.

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Why India’s Democracy Is Dying

Under Narendra Modi, India is maintaining the trappings of democracy while it increasingly harasses the opposition, attacks minorities, and stifles dissent. It can still reverse course, but the damage is mounting.

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What Putin Fears Most

Forget his excuses. Russia’s autocrat doesn’t worry about NATO. What terrifies him is the prospect of a flourishing Ukrainian democracy.

Is Mexico at the Gates of Authoritarianism?

The country’s outgoing president relentlessly attacked Mexico’s democratic institutions, taking it to the brink of authoritarianism. His successor is poised to push its democracy over the edge.