Democracy & Rule of Law
Democratic Backsliding & Solutions
122 Articles
How to End the Shadow Budget and Protect Congress’s Power of the Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.
Normalizing Far-Right Ideologies in the Western Balkans: Croatia’s Role at Home and Abroad
The Croatian government appears to be embracing far-right actions at home and abroad as it undermines neighboring Bosnia's sovereignty and democracy.
Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective
Patterns of state capture in South Africa, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Guatemala offer a cautionary guide for the United States.
The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability
This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
Impunity by Design: Latin America’s Quiet Crisis of Accountability
Across Latin America, political elites are quietly passing laws that narrow definitions, shield allies, and block legal pathways to investigate corruption and organized crime.
U.N. Extension of EU Troops in Bosnia Obscures Fissures Reflected in Debate
The EU should firm up its policy to help Bosnia advance toward EU membership with democratic governance. Only in this way can long-term stability be assured.
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Putin-Backed Bosnian Serb Separatist Leader
The Trump administration's sanctions removal for Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik precedes a Russia-Led U.N. Security Council meeting.
The $550 Billion Shadow Budget: Trump’s Japan Deal and the Disappearing Appropriations Clause
The deal circumvents the Appropriations Clause and congressional safeguards designed to enforce it, creating a system answerable only to the White House.
Post-Conflict Election in the Southern Philippines Postponed for Third Time: Is Peace Unraveling?
A third postponement of elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao endangers a peace accord that ended a brutal war.
Distorted Laws on “Foreign Agents” Threaten Democracy: Mobilizing a Response
Civil society can share knowledge, boost public support, and build coalitions to resist the spread of autocratic "foreign agents" laws.
Attacks on U.S. Legal Profession Reflect Global Slide in Countries It Once Aided
Political pressures like those used to silence legal professionals and undermine rule of law in Europe and Eurasia echo patterns of the autocratic playbook.
After Another Sham Election in Georgia, the Country’s Citizens Persist
Georgians will fight for their democracy, as the ruling party now becomes one of the world's many paranoid, insecure dictatorships that know their days are numbered.