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 →
Finding Home
By Kevin Frazier "Go Home" “Go Home." More than one commentator provided that bit of feedback to my recent piece in the San Francisco Chronicle. In that article, I attempted to describe why Californians (including myself) were increasingly fleeing the Golden State and traveling on the "Zoom Trail" to states like Montana and South Dakota... Continue Reading →
Transnational Repression
Become a Patron! Transnational Repression Freedom House recently published a report on transnational repression called Defending Democracy in Exile. It's recommended reading for anyone concerned about democracy and human rights. Transnational repression occurs at the intersection between immigration, foreign policy, and authoritarian despots. People who live in free countries naively believe authoritarian governance is contained within... Continue Reading →
Joseph Wright and Abel Escribà-Folch on Migration’s Potential to Topple Dictatorships
Joseph Wright is a professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University. Abel Escribà-Folch is an associate professor of political science at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. They cowrote the book Migration and Democracy: How Remittances Undermine Dictatorships along with Covadonga Meseguer. This is money that flows between individuals and families and largely circumvents governments and that's... Continue Reading →
Can Migration Facilitate Democratization?
Migration and Democracy Those who say immigration has become a prominent political issue likely understate its importance. Its difficulty involves multiple dimensions surrounding economic, political, and cultural concerns. However, most consider it purely as a domestic political issue. Americans consider its effects on America. Australians consider its effects on Australia. In the rare moments when... Continue Reading →