Modern communications, higher voter education and the power of the internet are colliding with outdated methods of voting and participation to produce a system badly in need of reform. The result is a democracy that is veering off course, increasingly reflecting the will of powerful activist groups and the political extremes, and not of the […]
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Extras: Libya and Democracy
Posted April 13th, 2016 at 4:58 pm (UTC-5)
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Little by little, Libya’s local municipalities are building democratic institutions five years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime
The Most Pragmatic Way to Fix American Democracy
Posted January 29th, 2016 at 1:01 pm (UTC-5)
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Inequality has reached levels last seen in the era of the “robber barons” in the 1890s. The only truly pragmatic way of reversing this state of affairs is through a “political revolution” that mobilizes millions of Americans.
The Unsexy Truth About Why the Arab Spring Failed
Posted January 28th, 2016 at 10:01 am (UTC-5)
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The truth is that … the real story of the Arab Spring wasn’t one about individual people being heroic or wicked. Rather, it was a less cinematic — but far more important — story about the dangers of brittle dictatorships and weak state institutions.
Rwanda’s Leader Must Step Down
Posted December 18th, 2015 at 10:11 am (UTC-5)
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With this vote, Rwanda must decide whether it will create a political space in which contentious issues can be resolved peacefully, or continue the cycle of autocracy, repression and conflict in which it has been trapped since independence in 1962.
Demagoguery or Democracy? Trump’s Take on Muslims
Posted December 9th, 2015 at 3:58 pm (UTC-5)
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“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These famed words, written by American poet Emma Lazarus and inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, have greeted immigrants arriving on the shores of New York since 1903. They are the essence of these United States, the foundation of its democracy. So, when Republican hopeful Donald Trump proposed barring all Muslims from entering America in response to the San Bernadino terror attack is he practicing democratic principle of free speech? Or, are these the words of a demagogue?
Support Tunisia, the Arab Spring’s Sole Success Story
Posted November 19th, 2015 at 2:53 pm (UTC-5)
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At a dangerous and unstable time for North Africa and the Middle East, we should not squander any chance to reinforce the foundations of a fledgling democracy that needs support to sustain itself and grow. U.S. aid allows Tunisia to continue to provide greater security for its people…
Formal Restoration of Diplomatic Ties With Cuba Is Just a Beginning
Posted July 21st, 2015 at 7:28 am (UTC-5)
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It would be naïve to expect that the Cuban government, a dynastic police state, will take big steps in the near future to liberalize its centrally planned economy, encourage private enterprise or embrace pluralistic political reforms.
Why Turkey Voted Against Authoritarianism
Posted June 11th, 2015 at 9:18 am (UTC-5)
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In a turnout of more than 86 percent, voters denied President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the majority he wanted to rewrite the constitution and give himself more executive authority. The result affirmed the stabilizing power of democracy and the wisdom of an informed electorate.
Where is China 26 Years After Tiananmen?
Posted June 4th, 2015 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
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“To this day, the Communist Party does not dare admit the truth of 1989.” The words of exiled Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng sum up what much of the world believes about the country’s current trajectory: Beijing’s grip on the public is as iron-like as it was 26 years ago.
Business Values are Democratic Values
This battle for democratic values is also a battle for business values. The concepts that underpin a free society are fundamental to free markets, too: values like transparency, open competition, and the rule of law.