Elections

By John E. Finn | – The Senate’s decision to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial may have been a victory for Trump, but it is a clear sign that democracy in the U.S. is in poor health. As a constitutional scholar, I believe the United States – the world’s first […]

Democracy

America’s Transition Away from Democracy and the World’s Wave of De-Democratization

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The twentieth century was in the eyes of some observers an uneven but steady march to democracy. Those who study transitions from authoritarian governments to democracy have defined a successful transition as characterized by two elections in a row, where all parties agree on the rules of the game, and […]

Democracy

Preventing Future Election Violence: Peacebuilding to avoid becoming a failed state

OtherWords

By Kerri Kennedy | – ( Otherwords.org ) – I have spent my entire career working to end election-related conflicts, mostly overseas. Unfortunately, this experience is now increasingly relevant at home. Ahead of the Capitol insurrection, the U.S. met several criteria that increased the likelihood of election violence: pay-to-pay politics, weak electoral management bodies, ongoing […]

Arab Spring

10 Years ago Young Tunisians deposed a Dictator and founded the Arab World’s most Vigorous Democracy

Middle East Monitor

By Jehan Alfarra | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – The Tunisian uprising spread like wildfire and millions in neighbouring Arab countries revolted against their long-time dictators, giving birth to what became known as the Arab Spring January 14, 2021 at 1:55 pm | Published in: Africa, On this day, Opinion, Tunisia, Videos & […]

Climate Crisis

COVID-19, the US Election and our Desperate Need for Clean Air, Green Energy

Middle East Monitor

By Elif Selin Calik | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – One of the enduring images of 2020, the year of the pandemic, has been the sight of people connected to ventilators in hospitals. It is an image that helped us realise the importance of being able to breathe. Many have died because they […]

Elections

Israel enters a New Election between the Right and the Far Right

Middle East Monitor

By Antoine Shalhat | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Israel is heading towards a fourth general election in less than two years, coinciding with another confirmed fact that the competition in this election will be between the components of the Israeli right-wing. The elections will be held against a single backdrop: the opposition […]

Democracy

Blue Arizona: Pandemic, Trump and racism drove Decisive voter turnout in some American-Indian tribal communities

Cronkite News Arizona PBS

By Anthony J. Wallace ( Cronkite News) – PHOENIX – Enthusiasm across Arizona was higher this election than in the 2016 presidential contest, and final results show the contrast was even more stark in Indian Country, where voters said they were especially motivated because of the COVID-19 pandemic and issues of race. A census analysis […]

Bill of Rights

Trump Presses Georgia to overturn Election, but he should Remember what happened when Algeria, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and the other Georgia did That

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Kristen Holmes and Victoria Stracqualursi at CNN report that Trump called up Georgia governor Brian Kemp and asked him to call a special session of the Republican-dominated state legislature and have them elect an alternative slate of electors for the Electoral College, so as to overturn the results of the […]

Bill of Rights

How did Conservatives successfully smear “Liberal” (Respect for Liberty and Rights of Others) as Mule Word?

Bahman Fozouni

Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment) – The 2020 elections are over, but once again it proved that Liberal-bashing remains a favorite pastime of the Republican party and conservative politicians. Verbal assault on “liberal” politicians and the media, “liberalism,” and the root-word “liberal” by the political right (and occasionally by the hard left) has remained a […]