Democracy

Four Arab Democrats and A Constitutional Scholar Walk Into a Bar

Some free advice for my MENA friends.

BY DANIEL LANSBERG-RODRIGUEZ | MAY 6, 2013

Outfoxing the Oligarchs in Latvia

How a tiny Baltic republic succeeded in taking its oligarchs down a peg.

BY GABRIEL KURIS | MAY 6, 2013

How Syria Ruined the Arab Spring

Hopes for peaceful change have been replaced by sectarian animosity and unending bloodshed.

BY MARC LYNCH | MAY 3, 2013

Ghostbusters

Malaysia’s pro-democracy activists might not win Sunday’s election. But they could win the battle against electoral fraud.

BY DEBORAH LOH | APRIL 30, 2013

8 Myths About India's Growth

On closer inspection, the Indian miracle turns out to be pretty ordinary after all.

BY DANIEL ALTMAN | APRIL 29, 2013

The End of the Gandhis

Can Rahul Gandhi run India? Can anybody?

BY JAMES TRAUB | MAY/JUNE 2013

Hacktivism: A Short History

How self-absorbed computer nerds became a powerful force for freedom. 

BY TY MCCORMICK | MAY/JUNE 2013

You Can't Go Home Again

An exiled journalist returns to a changed Burma.

BY MIN ZIN | MAY/JUNE 2013

Freedom's March

History might not be ending, but democracy is still gaining ground.

MAY/JUNE 2013

Why the Sheikhs Will Fall

The Gulf monarchies were once thought immune to the uprisings sweeping the Arab world. Not anymore.

BY CHRISTOPHER M. DAVIDSON | APRIL 26, 2013

Well, This Is Awkward

How Pervez Musharraf's foolish return to Pakistan is creating problems for the United States.

BY DANIEL MARKEY | APRIL 25, 2013

YaLa Young Leaders

How a Facebook organization could transform the Middle East.

BY AARON DAVID MILLER | APRIL 24, 2013

Weren't Buddhists Supposed to Be Pacifists?

Their religion may stress peace, but some Buddhists are showing that they’re entirely capable of violence in the name of faith.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | APRIL 23, 2013

How to Understand China's Foreign Policy

China can become a beacon for the world -- if it trades in its conservative foreign policy for one that emphasizes universal values.

BY DENG YUWEN | APRIL 23, 2013

The Stories You Missed

What happened around the world while the world was watching Boston.

BY J. DANA STUSTER | APRIL 19, 2013

Musharraf’s Great Folly Tests the Army

Pakistan's former dictator returned home to what he thought would be a hero's welcome. Instead, a court ordered his arrest -- and put the military in an awkward spot.

BY ARIF RAFIQ | APRIL 18, 2013

The Middle East's Kings of Cowardice

Why are the Gulf's leaders so afraid of a few jokes?

BY MARC LYNCH | APRIL 18, 2013

Why I'm Flying Back to Malaysia to Vote

When absentee voting just isn’t good enough.

BY HUI MEI LIEW KAISER | APRIL 18, 2013

Cramming for That Next Big Test in Democracy

In Burma, members of the pro-democracy opposition are struggling to school themselves in the ins and outs of a liberal society. But so far it's an uphill battle.

BY ERIC RANDOLPH | APRIL 16, 2013

Why Bart Simpson Drives the Venezuelan Authorities Nuts

Venezuela's leaders give new meaning to the phrase “¡Ay, Caramba!”

BY THOR HALVORSSEN , GARRY KASPAROV | APRIL 12, 2013

Russia's Olympic City

Russia is pushing ahead with its projects for the 2014 Winter Olympics. But not everyone is happy.

BY ANNA NEMTSOVA | APRIL 11, 2013

The Gilded Cage of Asia

Why is the dictatorship of Kazakhstan getting such good PR?

BY JOSHUA FOUST | APRIL 11, 2013

Did We Get the Muslim Brotherhood Wrong?

Nope. But it's time to revise our assessments.

BY MARC LYNCH | APRIL 10, 2013

Bahrain's Continuing War on Doctors

The Bahraini government needs to stop targeting medical professionals who dare to treat injured protesters. 

BY RULA AL-SAFFAR | APRIL 10, 2013

The Princess of Reform

Why the daughter of Malaysia’s opposition leader embodies the hopes of the democratic reform movement.

BY DEBORAH LOH | APRIL 10, 2013

Thatcher's Foreign Policy 'Failure'

She wanted Gorbachev to stop the reunification of Germany.

BY TOM BLANTON, SVETLANA SAVRANSKAYA | APRIL 9, 2013

Why Dictators Don’t Like Jokes

Pro-democracy activists around the world are discovering that humor is one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against authoritarianism.

BY SRDJA POPOVIC, MLADEN JOKSIC | APRIL 5, 2013

Make Way for the Hybrids

Yes, institutions are important. But institutions that actually work are even better.

BY MATT ANDREWS | APRIL 2, 2013

The Chechen Boss

Chechnya’s president is building power in Russia. And his thugs aren't listening to the FSB.

BY ANNA NEMTSOVA | APRIL 1, 2013

The Dead Man's Trial

The posthumous trial of an anti-corruption crusader.

BY ANNA NEMTSOVA | MARCH 22, 2013