This Giving Tuesday, you can help us inform a more just and secure world. Donate now.

Democracy & Rule of Law

Democratic Backsliding & Solutions

× Clear Filters
123 Articles

US, EU Face Higher Hurdles Now for Action Against Orbán’s Tightening Grip in Hungary

His landslide re-election and Russia's war on Ukraine makes pushback on the region's autocratization harder -- and more needed -- than ever.

Strengthening Democracy With the Global Fragility Act: Getting Political Transformation Right

US planning teams are preparing for a focus on Haiti, Libya, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and the Littoral West Africa region.

With West Africa and Priority Countries Set, Potentially Game-Changing Global Fragility Act Still Faces Hurdles

Congress and the Biden administration still must move on funding and authorities to jump start the already delayed 10-year program.
Image: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings (by video link) on the preliminary objections raised by Myanmar in the case concerning “Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” (The Gambia v. Myanmar) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, from 21 to 28 February 2022. Sessions are held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. A wide view of the members of the Court on the opening day, including Ko Ko Hlaing, the representative of Myanmar's military junta, on the opening day of the hearings. Feb. 21, 2022. UN Photo/Frank van Beek

The People of Myanmar Need to Be Heard, Not Ostracized, on the International Stage

So far, U.N. bodies have boosted the legitimacy of the Myanmar junta (at the ICJ) or denied the Burmese people the right to be represented at all (at the Human Rights Council).…

A Transitional Period Constitutional Question in Sudan

Sudan's military derailed a transition to civilian control in October. The former Minister of Justice takes a deep dive into the legal ambiguity in key founding documents that…

State and Local Solutions Are Integral to Protect Election Officials and Democracy

Four leading thinkers on U.S. democracy propose concrete steps to protect election officials.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 01: Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen (L) listens during a hearing before the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce Committee December 1, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The subcommittee held a hearing on "Holding Big Tech Accountable: Targeted Reforms to Tech's Legal Immunity." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Disinformation, Radicalization, and Algorithmic Amplification: What Steps Can Congress Take?

Ambassador (ret.) Karen Kornbluh proposes concrete steps to curb online extremist content - from requiring transparency to FTC enforcement actions.
The cap of the United States Capitol Building

Election Subversion and Electoral Count Act Reform

"Proper reform of the Electoral Count Act would do much more to address the risk of electoral subversion – at least for presidential elections – than many on Twitter and elsewhere…
A woman (R) walks past pigeons flying near a tree along a footpath in Yangon on January 27, 2022. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

From ‘8888’ to ‘2121’: A New Generation of Resistance in Myanmar

The attempted coup one year ago ushered in a new era for Myanmar. Where will it lead?
Sudanese demonstrators take part in a rally to protest last year's military coup, in the capital Khartoum, on January 30, 2022. The October 25 coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan derailed a civilian-military power-sharing deal negotiated in the wake of the 2019 ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Senate Hearing on Sudan: Is the US Ready for a Needed Reset?

US policy, including sanctions, should reflect the new reality on the ground and the Biden administration's stated commitment to democracy.

Combatting Authoritarianism: The Skills and Infrastructure Needed to Organize Across Difference

Movement-building can bring together unlikely bedfellows and allow a diversity of approaches to achieve a shared goal of upholding democracy.
Collage of images of fragile democracy, clockwise from top left: Members of Lebanon's Order of Engineers and Architects gather to elect a new president in the capital Beirut on July 18, 2021. - Aref Yassine, 58, who ran on the anti-establishment "The syndicate revolts" list, won the syndicate's Presidency. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images) LIMA, PERU - JUNE 19: Supporters of presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori wave a large Peruvian flag during a demonstration on June 19, 2021 in Lima, Peru. The two political groups of the presidential candidates Peru Libre of Pedro Castillo and Fuerza Popular of Keiko Fujimori called on protests due to uncertainty over elections. Peru's electoral board continues to check contested votes from the June 6 presidential runoff and has not yet declared the final results. (Photo by Marcos Reategui/Getty Images) MANILA, PHILIPPINES - OCTOBER 08: Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa arrives to file his certificate of candidacy for the 2022 presidential race at Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent on October 8, 2021 in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. The Philippines' election commission is accepting candidates for thousands of political posts for the May 2022 general elections until October 8. More than 18,000 political posts, from president down to municipal councillors, are up for grabs in what is expected to be a hotly contested election season. (Photo by Aaron Favila - Pool/Getty Images) Supporters of Zambian presidential candidate for the opposition party United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema celebrate his election as Zambian President in Lusaka, on August 16, 2021. - Zambia's opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was on August 16, 2021 declared winner of the hotly contested presidential election after capturing more than 2.8 million votes. (Photo by Salim DAWOOD / AFP) (Photo by SALIM DAWOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden’s Initiative for Democratic Renewal: How to Account for Conflict and Fragility

Supporting democracy requires grappling with fragility and conflict - including by choosing partners wisely, countering corruption, and taking a politically-informed approach to…
1-12 of 123 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: