Sharp power central to China’s ‘superpower plans’
As the U.S. retreats, Beijing is talking more boldly about how it wants to change the global order and assert its own values and interests, according to Elizabeth Economy, the… Read more »
Failure to forge liberal middle way still haunts Zimbabwe
Pity Zimbabwe. For more than 30 years its people have endured deepening poverty, rampant corruption and systematic human rights abuses, notes Michael Holman, a former Africa editor for the FT:… Read more »
Russia fuels rise of illiberal civil society in the former Soviet Union
Disinformation is one of several tools in the Kremlin toolbox as Russia plays a leading role in promoting illiberal, anti-Western and socially conservative civil society groups, popular movements and political… Read more »
China’s surveillance state: ‘totalitarian ploy’ redux
The idea of constant monitoring is not unprecedented in China. Indeed, the name of the government’s 2020 project — xueliang, or “sharp eyes” — is a throwback to a Communist party… Read more »
Democratizing Ethiopia?
Ethiopia is experiencing a sense of optimism over prospects for a democratic opening. Since becoming Prime Minister on April 2, Abiy Ahmed has promised, and in some cases taken steps… Read more »
Supporting democracy in challenging times
When it comes to advancing democracy, the current period is very different, and we know its core features very well, the National Endowment for Democracy’s President Carl Gershman told a… Read more »
Great power competition requires standing up for democratic values
In its 2018 National Defense Strategy, released in January, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump correctly identified great–power competition as the United States’ central security challenge. In recent years, rival states… Read more »
Ideological fragility undermines China’s sharp power
If the China Model is so robust and the regime so confident, why does the ruling Communist Party fear the challenge of competing ideas? An independent think tank that was… Read more »
Democracy Digest Updates
Democracy Digest blog posts will be light over the next week due to staff vacation. But check out the Digest’s Facebook page for regular updates. emailTwitterFacebookTumblrLinkedinPrint
RFP: anti-censorship technologies
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for long-term, core support for proven anti-censorship… Read more »