Democrats Missed an Opportunity

Sole Strategies Director says Democrats overlooked the most impactful ways to shape the Midterms By Amani Wells-Onyioha, Sole Strategies Director An Opportunity Lost? The past decade in America has been one of massive change, upheaval, and political division. Never before in recent history has our very democracy been so challenged. Many progressive voters have been... Continue Reading →

Liberalism in an Illiberal Region

  By Justin Kempf A review of Quest for Democracy: Liberalism in the Modern Arab World by Line Khatib Liberalism in the Modern Arab World On July 25th, 2021 Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed suspended parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. It marked the collapse of the last remaining democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring.... Continue Reading →

The Fascist Reaction

By María Isabel Puerta Riera What is Fascism Over the past decade we have become more accustomed to hearing the label fascist when describing political adversaries, especially in struggling democracies. Although the displacement of liberal democracies has been on the rise, according to the Varieties of Democracy project, the use of this particular term remains subject to... Continue Reading →

A Decision for Nigeria: The 2023 Elections

by Afolabi Adekaiyaoja The Upcoming Election in Nigeria Voters in Nigeria are not much different from voters in any other country. Most voters select between two distinct strategies. The first prioritizes candidate electability. This approach veers toward established politicians such as a former vice-president or well-known national politician with years of experience. This voter wants their... Continue Reading →

Why Presidential Transitions Matter

By David Marchick, Alexander Tippett, and Valerie Smith Boyd Presidential Transitions in American History Asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had created for the new United States, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic—if you can keep it.” Franklin’s prescience became evident when, 235 years later, President Trump refused to recognize the outcome of the... Continue Reading →

Can We Define Democracy?

By Justin Kempf How Should We Define Democracy? Democracy is an elusive idea. It means many different things for many different people. The blog and the podcast often exploit the various interpretations of democracy to showcase ideas or even make arguments that might leave some readers or listeners unclear about the precise meaning of democracy... Continue Reading →

Democracy Vs Development?

Why the Debate between Development and Democracy Misses the Mark By Hong Zhang Lagos, Nigeria “When I was working in Lagos, I had to get up at 4:30 every morning to make it to work on time for five years.” A Nigerian friend recalled bitterly as he picked me up from the airport, “So don’t... Continue Reading →

The Guardrails of a Fragile Democracy

By María Isabel Puerta Riera A Fragile Democracy As we approach the midterm elections, I find myself reflecting on what almost brought the American experiment to its knees just a few years ago. First off I strongly believe historical context matters. We are simply shortsighted unless we consider the long-term causes of democracy's fragility. The... Continue Reading →

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