Wendy Hunter is a Professor of Government at the University of Texas Austin. Recently, she cowrote an article with Timothy Power in the Journal of Democracy called “Lula’s Second Act.” Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. I do want to underscore this should not be read as a victory of... Continue Reading →
By Daniela Donno How Autocrats Instrumentalize Women’s Rights In October 2018, Abiy Ahmed’s new government in Ethiopia announced a gender-balanced cabinet, in a move met with fanfare in the international media. Many examples hint at the reputational boost that autocrats enjoy when they advance women’s rights, as when Kuwait allowed women to vote in 2005; Morocco... Continue Reading →
By Justin Kempf A Tragic Anniversary One year ago today Russia invaded Ukraine. It's difficult to adequately describe what has happened. Some call it the War in Ukraine. But this description absolves Russia of its role in starting the conflict. Serhii Plokhy has a new book called The Russo-Ukrainian War. This sounds like a fairer description.... Continue Reading →
By Thomas P. Vartanian Financial Stability in a Digital Economy I was invited to the White House in March 2017 to discuss being nominated as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve Board. Based on my five decades of experience as a bank regulator and financial services lawyer, I suggested that the regulatory system badly needed... Continue Reading →
By David Cortright War in Iraq Twenty years ago this month, millions of people in Europe, the United States and on every continent took to the streets to oppose the dangers and likely human cost of invading Iraq. It was the largest antiwar movement in history. Former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft warned that war... Continue Reading →
Jennifer Piscopo is an associate professor of politics at Occidental College. Recently, she coauthored a paper with Peter Siavelis in the Journal of Democracy called “Chile’s Constitutional Chaos.” Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. I think voters right now, remember the circus of the convention over the substance of what... Continue Reading →
By Noe Hinck Challenges to Stability in South Sudan Pope Francis’ recent visit to South Sudan brought the global news spotlight back onto the world’s youngest democracy and highlighted the worsening needs of a population that is only slowly recovering from a protracted state of conflict. Although the civil war officially lasted from 2013 –... Continue Reading →
By Randell Yi Aiding National Defense in Fragile Democracies Just as the United States appeared to have disengaged from large scale nation building, it massively doubled down on providing economic and military assistance to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion. While total military aid flows to all recipients increased from $7.34 billion in 2000 to... Continue Reading →
By Amelia C. Arsenault Democracy and Our Digital Future in the Age of AI The last several years have seen significant advancements in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies, spurring staggering rates of global investment and discourse espousing the promises of the ‘AI era’. As states have rushed to develop or acquire... Continue Reading →
By Gerardo L. Munck Poor Quality Democracies Democracy has become the norm for the first time in the entire history of Latin America. Competitive elections based on universal suffrage for top political offices are held as a matter of routine. The peaceful alternation in power between incumbents and the opposition has become a common feature –... Continue Reading →
