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 →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Biden In a Crossfire The Biden administration has been under fire since reports in early March suggested a change in the direction of the foreign policy toward Venezuela, including exploring the possibility of sanctions relief if the Nicolás Maduro regime agreed to certain conditions. The breakthrough came amid the global response to... 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 →
Brazil is on Edge: The Two Most Important Civil Society Groups in the Brazilian Presidential Election by Dr Valesca Lima What Happened in the Brazilian Election The world's eyes are on Brazil now, as South America's largest democracy went into a polarized general election on October 1. After an election campaign marked by strong speeches and... Continue Reading →
Latin America’s Pendulum by María Isabel Puerta Riera María is a Political Scientist teaching U. S. Government in Florida. Interested in U. S. and Latin American Politics. Latin America’s Pendulum Over the past decade Latin America has faced significant challenges to governance from critical episodes that have led to the impeachment of Brazil's president to the incarceration of a former... 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! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. The Evolving Latino Voter by María Isabel Puerta Riera María is a Political Scientist teaching U. S. Government in Florida. Interested in U. S. and Latin American Politics. The Evolving Latino Voter The 2020 Presidential election brought into the spotlight an unexpected power player: the Venezuelan... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. Authored by Valerio Alfonso Bruno Giorgia Meloni’s Victory In an election that witnessed a record level of abstentionism among voters (only about 64% went to vote), Fratelli d'Italia, with 26% of electoral preferences (Chamber of Deputies), undoubtedly cashed in a fine victory (in 2018 it... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Order your copy of Democracy in Hard Places today! Strategies Against Aspiring Autocrats The Hungarian opposition pursued a complicated electoral strategy against Viktor Orbán and Fidesz in the 2022 Hungarian parliamentary elections. They tried to unify the opposition into a single political party to overtake Fidesz in single member district competitions. The problem... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Colombia's Presidential Election Yesterday Gustavo Petro won Colombia's presidential election. Many journalists and commentators have already written extensively about the electoral campaign. Perhaps the most common narrative is Gustavo Petro as Columbia's first leftist president. For readers in the United States or Europe this may come across as surprising. However, Colombia's leftwing... Continue Reading →
