Democratic Backsliding & Solutions

Georgia’s police reform reduced corruption and modernized policing, but it left law enforcement vulnerable to executive control, raising deeper concerns about autonomy.

Quscondy Abdulshafi joins host Viola Gienger to discuss how Sudan got to this point, how the international community has responded, and where to go next. 

The Trump administration invokes “fraud” to justify freezing Medicaid, SNAP, and family aid, sidestepping legal safeguards and turning vital programs into political weapons.

This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.

The safeguards emerging from Taiwan's effort to address information manipulation risks offer democracies a platform governance roadmap.

Hungary's parliamentary election will test Prime Minister Viktor Orban's strength, as well as whether a change could successfully undo 16 years of autocratic rule.

A South Korean judge on how the South Korean judicial system served as a bulwark of democratic resilience in the face of a constitutional crisis.

CSW emphasized that women are at the forefront of combating global backsliding, and preserving their rights remains central to protecting rule of law and global stability.

The 2026 midterms is a critical test​ for whether election outcomes are determined by the will of the voters or by who controls the machinery of elections.

While federal rhetoric and policy have shifted sharply in a punitive direction, state governments continue to serve as the primary engines of criminal justice reform.

Armenia's election is an opportunity for the country to chart a course for peace and democracy. But Russia is trying to thwart that path, and U.S. and EU help is needed.

A year ago, the Trump administration seized the U.S. Institute of Peace and began to dismantle it, gutting a key capability to reduce and prevent violent conflict.