In The News

Democracy Will Survive Pandemic: Atlantic

Tom McTague May 14, 2020
With the Covid-19 pandemic democratic and authoritarian governments alike shut down economies and cracked down on public activities. To protect public health, large majorities in democracies acquiesce on surveillance and other controls that were once unthinkable. “Immunity certificates, mass testing, government surveillance, and a volunteer army of contract-tracing officials are no longer the...

Authoritarianism Going Viral: Project Syndicate

Patrick Gaspard April 20, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has created the opportunity for leaders with authoritarian tendencies to consolidate power and reduce human rights. Many governments have used the pandemic to discriminate against strongholds of political opponents as well as ethnic, religious or racial minorities. After the virus emerged in China, the government applied coverup efforts and punished whistle-blowers. India’s...

Virus Outbreak Tests EU: New York Times

Steven Erlanger March 19, 2020
The abrupt coronavirus outbreak poses a tough test for the EU’s solidarity and democracy as well as its US alliance. Italy, where the outbreak is most severe, asked for aid from fellow EU members without success. Germany and France restricted the export of healthcare goods while Austria and the Czech Republic banned travelers from Italy. On the other hand, China immediately sent medical experts...

This Is How Democracy Dies: Atlantic

Yascha Mounk and Roberto Stefan Foa February 7, 2020
Democracy requires hard work, patience, compromise and trust. Citizens may be dissatisfied with a leader but must stay informed and engaged in politics. Yet support for democracy around the world is in decline. The University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Future of Democracy analyzed data from more than 154 countries, 3,500 surveys covering more than 4 million respondents, and social-science...

No Winner in Iowa Yet: Des Moines Register

Brianne Pfannenstiel February 4, 2020
Iowa has long been defensive about its caucus system for selecting presidential candidates: Voters gather in meeting places, review their choices and then physically gather in groups for a final count. The state’s caucuses represent the first chance for US voters to reveal their preferences and attract world attention. Officials released no official results as of 9 am and immediately attracted...

A Hong Kong Generation Criminalized: CNN

James Griffiths and Jessie Yeung December 24, 2019
More than 6,000 people have been arrested for protesting in Hong Kong. That number could climb as authorities review surveillance recordings. The protests began in June over a bill allowing extradition of accused to China. “The early demonstrations were legally-approved marches, however, almost everyone who has attended protests in recent months has been at an event deemed unlawful,” reports CNN...

41 Percent of World’s People Under Age 24: Guardian

Simon Tisdall November 30, 2019
More than 40 percent of the world’s population is under age 24, and many hold concerns about globalization, rising inequality, corruption, fewer democratic protections and a warming climate. So the young, like so many from history hungry for change, are protesting. “Yet while younger people, in any era, are predisposed to shake up the established order, extreme demographic, social and political...