Two Summits, Two Wests

  • Jarosław Kuisz
  • Karolina Wigura
Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska underscored how they see the world in the same way, while highlighting the deepening divisions that are weakening the Western democratic alliance.

How to Fight Polarization

  • Cherian George
The world increasingly appears afflicted by “us-them” divides that breed anger, resentment, and violence. But across the globe small local groups are mounting a thoughtful resistance against polarization and hate.

How Serbian Students Created the Largest Protest Movement in Decades

  • Breza Race Maksimovic
  • Srdja Popovic
They have been smart, creative, leaderless, and transparent. And they aren’t targeting any one politician or party. They aim to change the entire system.
April 2025, Volume 36, Issue 2

Delivering for Democracy: Why Results Matter

  • Francis Fukuyama
  • Chris Dann
  • Beatriz Magaloni
Voters around the world are losing faith in democracy’s ability to deliver and increasingly turning toward more authoritarian alternatives. To restore citizens’ confidence, democracies must show they can make progress without sacrificing accountability.

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October 2023, Volume 34, Issue 4

How AI Threatens Democracy

Generative AI can flood the media, internet, and even personal correspondence, sowing confusion for voters and government officials alike. If we fail to act, mounting mistrust will polarize our societies and tear at our institutions.

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July 2025, Volume 36, Issue 3

The Islamic Republic’s War on Iranians

Iran’s theocracy has waged a brutal campaign against its own citizens for years. Now that the Woman, Life, Freedom movement has stripped the regime of any legitimacy, the mullahs have had no response but to sharpen their instruments of repression.

Latest Online Exclusives

How Zambia’s Cyber Laws Rebrand Repression | Wiriranai Brilliant Masara
The hope was that President Hakainde Hichilema would bring much-needed reform and openness. Instead, he has ushered in new laws that are silencing dissent and free expression.

Why Bolivia’s Election Matters So Much | Jhanisse Vaca Daza
The small South American country has become a strategic foothold for authoritarian powers. Its election is hugely important for the future of democracy across the region.

The Quiet Demise of Jordan’s Political Space | Elizabeth Parker-Magyar
In the shadow of Gaza’s destruction, the Jordanian regime has quietly repressed one of the main sources of the country’s political activism.

News & Updates


How to Build a Movement

August 2025

Steadfast, nonviolent movements are often the most effective way to counter an authoritarian. These essays explain how to start, sharpen, and sustain a movement.


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Why Ukraine Shouldn’t Negotiate with Putin

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.

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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.

Why Russians Are Souring on Putin’s War

Vladimir Putin wants to stir patriotic fervor for his war in Ukraine. But most Russians don’t think the war is worth the cost, and it’s putting the Kremlin in a bind.

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Misunderstanding Democratic Backsliding

If democracies did a better job “delivering” for their citizens, so the thinking goes, people would not be so ready to embrace antidemocratic alternatives. Not so. This conventional wisdom about democratic backsliding is seldom true and often not accurate at…

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How AI Threatens Democracy

Generative AI can flood the media, internet, and even personal correspondence, sowing confusion for voters and government officials alike. If we fail to act, mounting mistrust will polarize our societies and tear at our institutions.