Democracy

By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | – Sudan’s political transition is in a precarious phase. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s government is facing a wide variety of challenges, including protests over the price of goods and commodities, and a resurgence of violence in the country’s Darfur region. If the situation continues to unravel, the country could […]

Democracy

Why Tunisians are still out on the streets — a decade after the Arab Spring

The Conversation

By Saerom Han, Andrea Teti, and Pamela Abbott | – It has been 10 years since nation-wide protests in Tunisia led to the ousting of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his regime. Ben Ali led Tunisia for 23 years. Tunisia’s “Dignity Revolution” marked the first time a long-standing Arab autocrat was removed […]

Elections

Will this month’s Israeli election end the Netanyahu era?

Middle East Monitor

By Ali Abu Hableh | – ( Middle East Monitor) – Due to right-wing domination, Israelis find themselves approaching the General Election this month with little real electoral choice. The various right-wing parties reflect the fragmentation on the right and the minor differences between them in terms of government priorities. Only Haredi Jews appear to […]

Corruption

Trump’s acquittal is a sign of ‘constitutional rot’ – partisanship overriding principles

The Conversation

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 […]

Democracy

Maybe now the U.S. should stop talking down to the World about “Democracy Promotion”

John Feffer

Because of the events of the last weeks, months and years, should “democracy promotion” be permanently removed from the U.S. foreign policy lexicon? ( Foreign Policy in Focus) – On Inauguration Day 2021, the nation’s capital looks like it has just experienced a coup, not successfully survived one. Streets are blocked off, barricades are up, […]

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 & […]

China

Twisting the Truth about a Beautiful Sight: Some Beijing Press is using the Capitol Insurrection to Condemn Homegrown Pro-Democracy Demonstrators

Philip J. Cunningham

Ithaca, NY (Special to Informed Comment) – Given the mutual recriminations that characterize the sorry state of US-China relations as of late, it is hardly surprising that China’s state media should pounce on the humiliating optics of US democracy under siege. Indeed, one need only retransmit US mainstream media reports about a demented US president […]