Is Turkey Ready for the Post-Erdoğan Era?

By Serhun Al Roadblocks to a Democratic Transition Almost a century ago, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey, abolished the Ottoman caliphate and monarchy declaring a secular Republic with a European outlook. A century later, President Erdoğan has established a sultanistic regime over his twenty-year rule where many of his supporters embrace... Continue Reading →

What is a Fifth Column?

Become a Patron! What is a Fifth Column? During World War II, the United States incarcerated 120,000 people of Japanese descent in internment camps. Somewhere around two-thirds were American citizens. At the time, Americans in government and civil society feared the presence of a fifth column who would work against the war effort. A fifth... Continue Reading →

Can Diverse Democracies Succeed?

The Great Experiment Americans, according to John Jay, were  “a people descended from the same ancestors speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs.” He believed American commonalities made self-governance possible. The sentiment was a bit of a stretch even in... Continue Reading →

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