The collapse of state socialism brought about social liberalization, political democratization and economic privatization, but these transformations never ran smoothly or in the same direction in all post-communist states. By… Read more »
The United States needs to make explicit that it supports Ukrainian victory and Russian defeat in terms of the Kremlin’s strategic goal of destroying the Ukrainian nation and Ukrainian identity,… Read more »
Half of the world’s democracies are in decline, undermined by such challenges as curbs on freedom of expression and distrust in the legitimacy of elections, according to a new report… Read more »
China’s vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to smother mass protests that swept the country, with police patrolling streets, checking cell phones and even calling some demonstrators to warn them… Read more »
Iran’s 6-2 loss to England in the football World Cup has prompted rebukes of the regime and further protests, Bloomberg reports. As their country’s national anthem was played prior to the… Read more »
Xi Jinping wants to reshape the world order in a way that would please autocrats. He presents China’s authoritarian model as a plausible alternative to the West, notes Roger McShane,… Read more »
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has exposed weaknesses in the Russian state, from rot in the army to the Kremlin’s authoritarian echo chamber. The war has also hastened Russia’s decline…. Read more »
Prodemocracy activists do not usually initiate or lead broad-based movements in authoritarian regimes and the success of such movements can hinge on undermining regime narratives, according to a new analysis… Read more »
The experience of post-war Europe shows that if democracy is effective and responsive, there will be little constituency for explicit antidemocratic or radical appeals, and governments and other political actors… Read more »
Does Putin really embody what Russia is about? Does a more advanced and stronger Russia always need to be a more aggressive nation against its neighbors? And would Putin’s successor… Read more »