Democracy Lab

India's Missing Ingredients

Indian growth is slowing. But there are two key reforms that will help.

BY HEMAL SHAH | JANUARY 24, 2013

The Political Afterlife of Hugo Chavez

Hugo Chávez has left a profound mark on Venezuela. But how much of his legacy will remain when he’s gone?

BY DANIEL LANSBERG-RODRIGUEZ | JANUARY 23, 2013

Seizing the Moment

The world’s leading nations are convening a meeting on the fight against corruption. Here’s what they ought to be discussing.

BY LAURENCE COCKCROFT | JANUARY 22, 2013

Crying for Argentina

From populism to liberalism and back again: Argentina's economic policy makers are still looking for a formula that works.

BY ALBERT FISHLOW | JANUARY 17, 2013

What I Learned from Gérard Depardieu

The French actor's case is the exception that proves the rule: Citizenship still matters.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | JANUARY 16, 2013

Preparing for the New Syria

Sooner or later, the war will end, and Syrians will have to sit down and talk about the future of their state. Here's a roadmap.

BY ASHRAF GHANI, CLARE LOCKHART | JANUARY 15, 2013

Avoiding War Number Two in Liberia

A war-torn country is not a broken country. How Liberia pulled off its 2005 election.

BY MICHAEL SCHARFF | JANUARY 11, 2013

Sorry, but Africa's Rise Is Real

Africa growth skeptics have got it wrong. The continent's rise is very real.

BY CHARLES ROBERTSON, MICHAEL MORAN | JANUARY 11, 2013

Daniel Ortega's Reality Check

Nicaragua’s president is the latest Latin American populist to flirt with the market. But his political risks are high.

BY ROBERT LOONEY | JANUARY 10, 2013

Indonesia: Stop Chopping, Start Learning

Indonesia has been coasting on its natural wealth for too long. Now it's time to start investing in the country's people.

BY JONATHAN PINCUS | JANUARY 9, 2013

Reinventing China, Again

China made it big by saving money. Now it needs to spend it.

BY ROBYN MEREDITH | JANUARY 7, 2013

The Year in Unfreedom

An encouraging number of the world's people voted in 2012. But voting does not a democracy make.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | JANUARY 4, 2013

The Myth of Africa's Rise

Why the rumors of Africa's explosive growth have been greatly exaggerated. 

BY RICK ROWDEN | JANUARY 4, 2013

Gorging on Investment, Choking on Red Tape

Academic economists usually air their new ideas first in working papers. Here, before the work gets dusty, a quick look at transition policy research in progress.

BY PETER PASSELL | JANUARY 4, 2013

Changing the Code on Corruption

How a Brazilian government commission tried to fight back against sleaze.

BY DEEPA IYER | JANUARY 2, 2013

Feeling the Pain in Tehran

As sanctions bite, some of Iran's leaders are signaling a willingness to come back to the negotiating table.

BY NAZILA FATHI | DECEMBER 21, 2012

The Midlife Crisis of Bangladesh

Bangladeshis want a reckoning with their bloody past. But they can do it without partisanship?

BY JOSEPH ALLCHIN | DECEMBER 21, 2012

Moving On Up

Turkey is now a solidly middle-income state. But there are still plenty of roadblocks on the path ahead.

BY HILTON L. ROOT | DECEMBER 21, 2012

In Defense of Civil Society

Civil society does exist in authoritarian countries.

BY KERRY COSBY | DECEMBER 20, 2012

What Africa Did Right in 2012

Africans are getting better at finding their own solutions to African problems.

BY JON TEMIN | DECEMBER 20, 2012

Nothing Is Written

The triumph of democracy isn't inevitable. It has to be fought for.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | DECEMBER 19, 2012

Europe's Pet Dictator

Parts of the old Soviet bloc have moved on. So why is Belarus still mired in despotism?

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | DECEMBER 13, 2012

The Star Student

Poland is the classic market economy. But it knows that its future depends on staying close to the European Union.

BY JAKUB WIŚNIEWSKI | DECEMBER 12, 2012

Born Free, But Not Indifferent

Yes the government should protect free speech. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t speak out.

BY COREY BRETTSCHNEIDER | DECEMBER 12, 2012

Yemen's Rocky Roadmap

Yemenis hope that a planned National Dialogue will save the revolution. But what abut the guys with the guns? 

BY ADAM BARON | DECEMBER 10, 2012

The Anti-Godfather

How a mayor set out to save a Sicilian city from neglect and Mafia influence.

BY LAURA BACON, RUSHDA MAJEED | DECEMBER 10, 2012

Barbarians at the Gate

Are Russia and China trying to take over the Internet? Probably. But so far they aren't having much luck.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | DECEMBER 5, 2012

Egypt's Economy: The Downside to Growth

Mubarak may be gone, but his economic policies still haunt Egyptians.

BY MAGDA KANDIL | DECEMBER 5, 2012

Don't Rush to Judgment on Georgia

The new Georgian government's arrests of oppositionists have critics crying foul. But they should let justice run its course.

BY MICHAEL CECIRE | DECEMBER 4, 2012

The Migrant Money Machine

The developed world could make a big difference to the global economy simply by helping migrants to do what comes naturally: send money home.

BY PETER PASSELL | DECEMBER 4, 2012