Category: Democratic Transitions

Countering Political Polarization: What Has Been Tried? What Works?

     

  By Thomas Carothers and Andrew O’Donohue* Severe political polarization is tearing at the seams of democracies around the world, from Brazil, India, and Kenya to Poland, Turkey, and the… Read more »

Can Tunisia survive foreign efforts to derail its democracy?

     

Tunisia’s second presidential elections since the Arab Spring symbolize another step in the country’s promising democratic transition, The New Arab reports. The first round took place on September 15, and… Read more »

Ukraine’s ‘Invisible Battalion’

     

On paper, she was officially enlisted as a seamstress due to restrictions on women’s military employment, the National Democratic Institute notes. In reality, Andriana Susak served as an assault trooper… Read more »

Tunisia’s democracy hangs in the balance

     

Tunisia’s moderate Islamist Ennahda party will seek to govern alone or in partnership with “the forces of the revolution”, its leader said on Friday, hinting at an end to five… Read more »

Tunisia’s democratic project ‘in jeopardy’ or ‘not at risk’?

     

  The birthplace of the “Arab Spring”, Tunisia is the only country to achieve a peaceful transition to democracy following the 2011 popular revolts that swept autocrats from power across… Read more »

China Model promotes ‘authoritarian modernism’ in East Asia?

     

Over the past decade, democracy has regressed in much of Asia, though there are notable exceptions including Malaysia and Taiwan. Southeast Asia has witnessed a reversal in Thailand, weakening institutions… Read more »

Tunisia’s ‘Berlusconi’ seeks presidency in Arab world’s only ‘resilient’ democracy

     

Tunisia’s transition to democracy has proved more resilient than some expected. The largely peaceful run-up to the polls has raised hopes the country will achieve its first handover of the… Read more »

Defending pro-democracy forces is important to national security – and who we are

     

Without the support of the U.S. government, pro-democracy forces around the world will wither as authoritarianism gains ground, argues Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and… Read more »

Tunisia’s Islamists, secularists vie for power in world’s youngest democracy

     

On September 15, Tunisians will cast ballots in their country’s second free and democratic presidential election since the 2011 revolution, the Project on Middle East Democracy reports. The highly competitive… Read more »

Labor movement ‘winning the war of ideas’ for democracy?

     

Organized labor came out in solidarity with Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners this week, as the International Trade Union Confederation called on the European Union to lead the way in ensuring… Read more »