Democracy Lab

Stop Talking About Civil Society

Using terms like "civil society" is a distraction from the real problems in authoritarian countries. 

BY SARAH KENDZIOR | DECEMBER 3, 2012

Heroes of Retreat, Revisited

We love to celebrate heroic crusaders for human rights. But what about the dictator who decides to surrender his powers?

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | NOVEMBER 30, 2012

How to Cope with Windfall Wealth

Mongolia has been doing a remarkable job of managing a natural-resource bonanza. But dangers still lie ahead.

BY PETER MURRELL, CHULUUNBAT NARANTUYA | NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Georgian Dream Shows Its Dark Side

Georgia's president-elect is putting the country in strong danger of losing its hard won democracy.

BY JAMES KIRCHICK | NOVEMBER 29, 2012

The Dicey Democrat

How a pillar of the old regime in Burma is working to prove his democratic credentials.

BY WILLIAM LLOYD-GEORGE | NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Who Shot A.A.?

Mauritanians are still wondering who fired a gun at their country’s president. What the latest whodunit tells us about the state of democracy in a strategic corner of West Africa.

BY ALEX THURSTON | NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Beware of Mirages

The Obama Administration is pursuing closer ties with the military in Burma -- a policy that could undermine efforts to build democracy.

BY ELLEN BORK | NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Can You Save Diplomacy From Itself?

Carne Ross's quixotic crusade to help emerging nations get their seat at the table.

BY CRISTINA ODONE | NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Turkey's Weakest Export

Turkey says it wants to be a model for democracy in the Middle East. But so far its actions lag behind its achievements.

BY GAMZE COŞKUN | NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Southeast Asia’s Economic Poster Child Is Stalling

How the Communist Party is fiddling while Vietnam burns.

BY BEN BLAND | NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Dreams of Their Fathers

Cambodia's people want freedom. Can Obama deliver?

BY KAREN J. COATES | NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Words Are Weapons of Mass Destruction

Why Hamas should watch its language.

BY DAVID KEYES | NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Zombie Versus Frankenstein

Now the beleaguered Syrian opposition has two umbrella groups vying for funds and recognition. Is that really going to help?

BY MALIK AL-ABDEH | NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Is Bashar al-Assad Syria’s Abraham Lincoln?

The Syrian president's fans are comparing him with the hero of America's Civil War. Here's why they're wrong.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | NOVEMBER 14, 2012

The Orangutan in a Tuxedo

The good news: Colombia is stable. The bad news: Colombia is stable.

BY JAMES A. ROBINSON | NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Coming Apart at the Seams

Burma’s ruling party is under stress. Democrats should be careful what they wish for.

BY LARRY JAGAN | NOVEMBER 12, 2012

The Corruption Pandemic

Why corruption is set to become one of the defining political issues of the 21st century.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | NOVEMBER 8, 2012

The Inconvenient Revolution

An interview with a leading human rights activist from Bahrain

BY AZZURRA MERINGOLO | NOVEMBER 7, 2012

Nightmare Squared

Longing for the days of Kim Jong Il? Maybe it's time to transfer your affections to the delusional dictator of Equatorial Guinea.

BY PEDRO PIZANO | NOVEMBER 6, 2012

It's the Brazilians, Stupid

Meet Brazil's James Carville -- and the other political consultants who are shaking up Latin America's electoral landscape.

BY MAC MARGOLIS | NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Breaking the Grip of the Oligarchs

How a tragic twist of fate is fueling a revolt against Armenia’s overweening tycoons.

BY LIANA AGHAJANIAN | NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Prosperity Isn't Just a Matter of Wealth

Man does not live by GDP alone. An introduction to the Legatum Institute's latest Prosperity Index.

BY PETER PASSELL | NOVEMBER 2, 2012

What Tunisia Did Right

Strong legislatures are a key ingredient in successful democratic transitions -- and Tunisia is showing the way.

BY M. STEVEN FISH, KATHERINE E. MICHEL | NOVEMBER 2, 2012

The Collaborator's Song

We often ask why some people choose to resist authoritarian regimes. But the better question might be why so many decide to cooperate.

BY ANNE APPLEBAUM | OCTOBER 31, 2012

The Secret of Islamist Success

Islamist political parties aren't succeeding in the Middle East because they stand for Islam. It's because they have a well-established political brand.

BY DALIBOR ROHAC | OCTOBER 31, 2012

Georgia Versus the Forces of Chaos

In the wake of this month’s watershed election in Georgia, a new prime minister and an incumbent president are figuring out how to keep their personal enmity from breaking into open warfare.

BY MOLLY CORSO | OCTOBER 26, 2012

Beware the Tyranny of the Mob

The growing insecurity of religious and ethnic minorities is one of the biggest problems arising from the Arab Spring. But much can be done to protect them.

BY JAMSHEED CHOKSY, EDEN NABY | OCTOBER 26, 2012

In Praise of Apathy

It's time to stop deriding the Americans who refuse to vote. They're trying to tell us something.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | OCTOBER 24, 2012

The Man Who Brought the Black Flag to Timbuktu

A new Islamist strongman has taken the stage in North Africa. His rising power is giving him a lot of bad ideas.

BY WILLIAM LLOYD-GEORGE | OCTOBER 22, 2012

Where the Arab Spring Has Not Yet Sprung

The spirit of rebellion continues to simmer in the Middle East and North Africa. But you won’t see much about it in the headlines.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | OCTOBER 17, 2012