Just a few months short of the presidential election in Brazil, one would find few political analysts, if any, willing to go on the record with a prediction for the…
In 1958 Hannah Arendt published her philosophical masterpiece, The Human Condition. In it, she posits that the “Vita Activa,” a life actively engaged in public political debate and political action, offers…
Autocrats are making a comeback. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent reelection, and the preceding repression of journalists and dissenters, is a prime example of this resurgence and sheds…
The first decades of the 21st century have seen, at the global level, two alarming socio-political trends within democratic countries: the increasing level of economic inequality and citizens’ strong dissatisfaction…
China is pursuing one of the most significant projects in modern history: establishing itself as a preeminent global power. Four key pillars form this project: “waging great struggles, building…
Russia’s lack of a free press imperils the ability of domestic actors to protect human rights in the country, undermines the legitimacy of the political system, and makes it hard to…
On February 14, 2018, Jacob Zuma resigned as president of South Africa, much to the joy and relief of the opposition, civil society, and even many in his own party…
Thirteen mass shootings in 18 years, 112 victims shot dead. While this may seem to describe contemporary America, it actually describes a late 20th-century period in Australia. The country’s final…
Certain characteristics and values have the power to make or break a democracy. The supremacy of law, for instance, is the foundation on which democracy is built; it is the…
In mid-October, Australia was elected for the first time to the UN Human Rights Council. Australia, of course, is no stranger to working in the UN, having previously served on…
