Support civil society not regime change to advance democracy

     

In the wake of the assassination of Qassim Suleimani, it’s imperative to note that “Iran’s capacity and inclination to cause problems for America also reflect our regional presence, posture and… Read more »

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Why the West is losing the fight for democracy

     

The “politics of imitation” is a phrase that recurs innumerable times in The Light That Failed: Why the West Is Losing the Fight for Democracy by Ivan Krastev (above) and Stephen Holmes,… Read more »

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Russia’s ‘Internyet’: Beginning of the end of the open era?

     

The United States “needs to be prepared for retaliation in the hard cyber space and soft information space” after killing Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, says a top expert at the… Read more »

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Taiwan: The ‘most consequential election of 2020’?

     

The most consequential election of 2020 might not come at the end of the year, when US President Donald Trump seeks a second term in the White House, but much… Read more »

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Ukraine poised for a strong 2020: Is Zelensky succeeding?

     

Despite the fact that he took office as an utter political neophyte in one of Europe’s most dysfunctional nations, Volodymyr Zelensky’s government so far has been an extraordinary — and,… Read more »

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China’s ‘sprint for soft power’ provokes backlash

     

Xi Jinping promotes the view that China’s system presents an alternative to free-market democracy. And yet Beijing’s sprint for soft power* has been less successful than one might assume, The New… Read more »

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Kremlin running scared? Russia’s regions ‘in revolt’

     

While Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates 20 years in the Kremlin and poses as a powerful world leader, his Russian Federation is showing increasing signs of fracture, according to Janusz Bugajski, a senior… Read more »

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Back to the future: Another populist, volatile ‘roaring twenties’?

     

The populist test to liberal democracy will remain robust throughout the 2020s,  argues Yasmeen Serhan, a London-based staff writer at The Atlantic: Across Europe, populist leaders have displayed their willingness to… Read more »

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Democracy embattled: How bad is the crisis?

     

Around the world, democracies are getting weaker and elected politicians are becoming more unpopular. Are they serving the people—or themselves? The Economist asks (see below). The Crisis of Democracy and… Read more »

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