Journal of Democracy
@jodemocracy.bsky.social
The Journal of Democracy: The smartest analysis on democracy and authoritarianism around the world. Reposts ≠ Endorsement. https://linkin.bio/jodemocracy
"Less than one penny of every charitable dollar defends the conditions that make all other charitable work possible," including freedom, democracy, and civil liberties combined.
The Power of Freedom Philanthropy | Journal of Democracy
Less than one percent of philanthropy is directed to democratic freedoms. Yet freedom is essential for everything—health, education, climate—philanthropy tries to accomplish. It is the most…
journalofdemocracy.org
From state officials taking selfies amid the rubble to soldiers looting, Venezuela’s earthquake response reveals why corrupt authoritarian governments fail so badly when disasters strike.
What Venezuela’s Twin Earthquakes Exposed | Journal of Democracy
From state officials taking selfies amid the rubble to soldiers looting, Venezuela’s earthquake response reveals why corrupt authoritarian governments fail so badly when disasters strike.
journalofdemocracy.org
Extremist violence by Jewish Israelis in the West Bank is surging. But if you can’t articulate the threat you can’t combat it. Start with a basic principle: Name the ideology, not the demographic.
How Mislabeling Jewish Extremism Undermines Israel’s Democracy | Journal of Democracy
Extremist violence by Jewish Israelis in the West Bank is surging. But if you can’t articulate the threat you can’t combat it. Start with a basic principle: Name the ideology, not the demographic.
journalofdemocracy.org
Peruvians just narrowly elected Keiko Fujimori their next president. But the country’s political fragmentation combined with the manipulation of illiberal incumbents has left the majority of the country feeling unrepresented.
Why Peruvians Distrust Their Democracy | Journal of Democracy
Peruvians just narrowly elected Keiko Fujimori their next president. But the country’s political fragmentation combined with the manipulation of illiberal incumbents has left the majority of the…
journalofdemocracy.org
"Autocratic states trying to place favorable coverage in Western media isn’t new, even recently. China’s state-run press spent nearly US$11 million over four years with American newspapers..."
Dictators Are Buying into Western Media | Journal of Democracy
It’s happening in plain sight—and no one’s even trying to hide it.
journalofdemocracy.org
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
How AI Agents Are Empowering Human-Rights Defenders | Journal of Democracy
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
journalofdemocracy.org
The Chinese Communist Party has sought to control the Tibetan people by attacking their religious leaders. But the strategy has failed. Faith can’t be commanded or coerced.
Why China Can’t Hijack Tibetan Buddhism | Journal of Democracy
The Chinese Communist Party has sought to control the Tibetan people by attacking their religious leaders. But the strategy has failed. Faith can’t be commanded or coerced.
journalofdemocracy.org
If democracy’s defenders want to push back against authoritarianism, they must learn to tap into patriotic language and a sense of national identity. Such emotional appeals shouldn’t be left to autocrats and demagogues.
How to Defeat the Authoritarian Message | Journal of Democracy
If democracy’s defenders want to push back against authoritarianism, they must learn to tap into patriotic language and a sense of national identity. Such emotional appeals shouldn’t be left to…
journalofdemocracy.org
When democracies pass laws against hate speech and extremism, they are giving autocrats the cover they need for their own crackdowns. We shouldn’t let democratic norms become a blueprint for repression.
How Hate-Speech Laws Crush Dissent Everywhere | Journal of Democracy
When democracies pass laws against hate speech and extremism, they are giving autocrats the cover they need for their own crackdowns. We shouldn’t let democratic norms become a blueprint for…
journalofdemocracy.org
President Erdoğan’s rule has grown more repressive as he realizes he has no democratic path to power. But we are united in our resolve and determined to make Turkey a democratic republic worthy of its people.
How We Restore Turkey’s Democracy | Journal of Democracy
President Erdoğan’s rule has grown more repressive as he realizes he has no democratic path to power. But we are united in our resolve and determined to make…
journalofdemocracy.org
When does polarized politics lead to deadly riots?
When Polarization Turns Violent | Journal of Democracy
Democracies have always sparked conflict, disagreement, and deep ideological divisions. Polarized politics are hardly rare in democratic life. So under what conditions does polarization turn violent…
journalofdemocracy.org
From state officials taking selfies amid the rubble to soldiers looting, Venezuela’s earthquake response reveals why corrupt authoritarian governments fail so badly when disasters strike.
What Venezuela’s Twin Earthquakes Exposed | Journal of Democracy
From state officials taking selfies amid the rubble to soldiers looting, Venezuela’s earthquake response reveals why corrupt authoritarian governments fail so badly when disasters strike.
journalofdemocracy.org
How are dictators influencing Western media? "When capital from structurally corrupt systems flows into the media that democratic citizens depend on to understand the world, that capital arrives with those systems’ structural corruption embedded in it."
Dictators Are Buying into Western Media | Journal of Democracy
It’s happening in plain sight—and no one’s even trying to hide it.
journalofdemocracy.org
"Dictatorships are corrupt—structurally. Democracies, for all their flaws, distribute power, spread information, and, still, maintain institutions designed to hold authority accountable."
Dictators Are Buying into Western Media | Journal of Democracy
It’s happening in plain sight—and no one’s even trying to hide it.
journalofdemocracy.org
"Today, activists think carefully about what to put in email and what to put in Signal. Moving forward, having access to privacy-protecting AI, and knowing how and when to use it, will be just as important." Here's how AI can help human-rights defenders:
How AI Agents Are Empowering Human-Rights Defenders | Journal of Democracy
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
journalofdemocracy.org
Can Péter Magyar Restore Hungary’s Democracy? Read this essay from our July issue FREE on our website!
Can Péter Magyar Restore Hungary’s Democracy? | Journal of Democracy
He did the hard work of defeating Viktor Orbán. But Hungary’s new prime minister faces the harder task of undoing the damage his predecessor wrought. Can he do it while avoiding the traps Orbán left…
journalofdemocracy.org
Our July issue is now gated, but you can still read this essay for free!
The Power of Freedom Philanthropy | Journal of Democracy
Less than one percent of philanthropy is directed to democratic freedoms. Yet freedom is essential for everything—health, education, climate—philanthropy tries to accomplish. It is the most…
journalofdemocracy.org
"Democratic resilience depends on citizens standing up for democracy — citizens who possess the capabilities necessary to defend democratic institutions when doing so becomes difficult."
Defending Democracy Must Begin in the Classroom | Journal of Democracy
There are no heroes coming to save our democracy. If we are to mount a defense, it must begin with students learning the necessary skills in the classroom.
journalofdemocracy.org
Public-opinion surveys tell us that global support for democracy is as widespread as ever. Yet if democracy is so popular, why have democratic institutions around the world become so fragile?
Defending Democracy Must Begin in the Classroom | Journal of Democracy
There are no heroes coming to save our democracy. If we are to mount a defense, it must begin with students learning the necessary skills in the classroom.
journalofdemocracy.org
What does "vibe coding" mean? 🧐 Vibe coding is "the ability of an average person with no technical expertise to tell a computer what to do in plain language, and for the computer to execute, moving the need to 'program' or 'engineer' from human to machine."
How AI Agents Are Empowering Human-Rights Defenders | Journal of Democracy
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
journalofdemocracy.org
How can AI be used to further democracy?
How AI Agents Are Empowering Human-Rights Defenders | Journal of Democracy
AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
journalofdemocracy.org
"No one is debating that tyrants are using #AI tools. But if they are the only ones to take advantage of this revolution, then their Orwellian dreams will come true, and the lives of activists will become that much more difficult."
Journal of Democracy@jodemocracy.bsky.social · last wk.AI isn’t just a weapon for dictators and tyrants. It can also be a tool for liberty. Human-rights activists are learning how to harness its power and level the playing field for good.
Did you miss the free period for our July issue? Don't worry—you can still read this essay for free:
When Polarization Turns Violent | Journal of Democracy
Democracies have always sparked conflict, disagreement, and deep ideological divisions. Polarized politics are hardly rare in democratic life. So under what conditions does polarization turn violent…
journalofdemocracy.org
It was long thought that, to be successful, oppositions needed to form broad-based alliances ahead of elections. But Hungary and Turkey show that a single challenger has real advantages against a would-be autocrat. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
"The question before democratic movements, democratic governments, and democratic institutions is no longer only who governs. It is who controls the systems that make governance, and freedom, possible." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
"Violence becomes possible when institutions weaken, when conspiratorial narratives flourish, and when groups increasingly view political competition as a zero-sum struggle for collective survival." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
Does a single challenger have an advantage over opposition alliances in facing down a would-be autocrat? muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
