Authoritarianism

States have constitutional protections against commandeering and coercion — but face a new challenge when the federal government sidelines states completely.

State and local governments have constitutional and legal powers that can be harnessed to challenge repressive federal actions and to advance meaningful freedom and equality.

Domestic policy experts offer principles for reinvention meant to inform the work of policymakers, advocates, and governance rebuilders as they redesign federal institutions.

Georgian Dream is crushing Georgia's civil society, courts, and opposition to entrench one-party rule and Russian influence; only targeted U.S. and EU sanctions can stop it.

Research shows that, more than military strikes or sanctions, authoritarians fear support for independent media, anti-censorship tech, and civil society.

The Trump administration's threats to First Amendment rights have inspired a broad front defending free speech, freedom of the press, protest rights and more.

Crackdowns on writers, culture, and free expression during war emerged as a key trend in PEN America's 2025 data for the latest annual Freedom to Write Index.

The once-lauded Zambian president's nixing of a major digital rights conference shows the risks of lionizing individual leaders without a backup plan.

China's intrusive military, economic, and diplomatic aid to Russia, Iran, and others spreads autocratic practices such as secrecy, censorship, surveillance, and corruption.

Poland’s recovery from democratic backsliding shows how hard the process can be -- and why U.S. reformers should start planning now for lawful, durable renewal.

Peter Magyar's election defeat of Viktor Orban in Hungary is easing relations with the EU and Ukraine. The course correction could even reverberate in the U.S.

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