By Justin Kempf Democracy Regressed Back to 1986? The recent report from the Varieties of Democracy made a stir with some of its headline findings. Perhaps the most controversial is their finding that global democracy has regressed back to the same level as 1986 for the average citizen. It raised many eyebrows, because this sets... Continue Reading →
Martin Wolf is the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. He has written many books, but his most recent is The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. I think democracy and capitalism are individually in crisis in that they're not working very well and that... Continue Reading →
By Robert C. Lieberman A Profound Disappointment For anyone who thought that Donald Trump’s electoral defeat and subsequent humiliation would diminish the extreme polarization that afflicts American politics, the opening of the 118th Congress can only have been a pretty profound disappointment. For half a century or more in the middle and late twentieth century,... Continue Reading →
By Idayat Hassan Democratic Deficiencies in Benin. The third wave of democracy in Africa took root in the republic of Benin, a small West Africa state. Its origin dates back to the constitutional reform of 1990. The reform adopted multiparty democracy and led to the dissolution of the very government that brought it into existence.... Continue Reading →
By Justin Kempf Did Voters Just Save American Democracy? Already many on the left have applauded the outcomes of the American Midterm elections because the most catastrophic outcomes did not come to fruition. Many races still remain undetermined so the final repercussions remain unknown. However, it appears the Republicans will have a slight majority in... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Originally published in Spanish by Diálogo Político on 05/10/2022 Democracy with Chinese Characteristics? Some question the notion of a 'crisis of democracy' in large part over debates about the threshold used to characterize democracy. Nonetheless, most of us can agree on some minimum baseline that includes the election of representatives combined with... Continue Reading →
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 →
The Authoritarian Appeal in Backsliding Democracies By Dean Schafer Authoritarian Appeal Why do some authoritarian leaders appear to inspire genuine popular support? In the past decade, authoritarian strongmen have won elections in countries as different as Brazil, Hungary, the Philippines, Turkey, and the United States. Electoral autocracies—countries where elections happen, but serious concerns exist about... Continue Reading →
Complications in the Defense of Democracy The Brazilian elections disappointed many advocates for democracy in the world. Many polls showed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) with a significant lead over Jair Bolsonaro. Some polls even predicted an outright victory in the first round. Lula did come close to a first round victory, however Bolsonaro... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Order Dan Slater and Joseph Wong's From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. Available for sale this week. Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. Kamala Harris Chooses Partisanship over Democracy Yesterday on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris. Like always, he asked some tough questions. But... Continue Reading →
