#FELLOWSHIPS: CDDRL welcomes applications from pre-doctoral students at the write-up stage & postdoctoral scholars working in any of the 4 program areas of democracy, development, evaluating the efficacy of democracy promotion & rule of law. APPLY NOW ➡️ https://ow.ly/vv7s50ZPQLx
Stanford CDDRL
@stanfordcddrl.bsky.social
Official account of Stanford's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. CDDRL produces policy-relevant research to advance political development. Visit us at: http://cddrl.stanford.edu
Congratulations to Michele Gelfand, the John H. Scully Professor in Cross-Cultural Management and Professor of Organizational Behavior at @gsb.stanford.edu and affiliated faculty at CDDRL, who has been elected an International Fellow of @britishacademy.bsky.social! Read more:
Michele Gelfand Elected International Fellow of the British Academy
Gelfand is among three Stanford scholars elected to the British Academy in recognition of their achievements in the humanities and social sciences.
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu
It was a pleasure to spend the morning with the Fisher Family Summer Fellows at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social discussing the ideas in Autocrats vs. Democrats. I enjoyed our discussion and look forward to more conversations in the days and weeks ahead!
Satellites capture public attention, but 100-year-old undersea cables carry 99% of global data transmission. @charlesmok.bsky.social explores why policymakers routinely overlook vital physical infrastructure. He argues that out-of-sight cables represent a critical national security vulnerability.
Short bursts of deliberative exercises can have large and long-term effects on turnout and voting behavior, finds research by @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social scholars.
The Lasting Effects of Deliberation on Civic Engagement
CDDRL Research-in-Brief [4-minute read]
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In a new interview with Think China reflecting on America at 250, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social sees the country's defining challenge: a superpower struggling not with a lack of power, but with a loss of confidence. www.thinkchina.sg/politics/fuk...
Fukuyama: A superpower at war with itself
Political scientist Francis Fukuyama tells Lianhe Zaobao video producer Audrey Jiajia Li that America on its 250th anniversary is divided and polarised as never before, but there is still hope if it c...
thinkchina.sg
Congratulations to Oren Samet (@osamet.bsky.social) of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social on receiving the Outstanding Dissertation Award from @apsa.bsky.social for his research, “Challenging Autocrats Abroad: Opposition Parties on the International Stage.” ow.ly/7hEU50Z6LV4
Oren Samet Wins APSA International Collaboration Section's Outstanding
The award recognizes Samet's research on the opportunities and risks of foreign support for opposition movements.
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Research from the Deliberative Democracy Lab @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social on wearable AI technology indicates that users broadly support having controls over when their wearables passively process environments and actively capture data.
Deliberative Democracy Lab Releases Findings on Public Attitudes Toward AI
National community forums in the U.S. and India highlight differences in preferences for privacy, user control, and governance of emerging technologies.
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I'm pleased to share that I'm co-organizing a webinar in partnership with @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social on Israel's judicial reform & the country's upcoming critical election. Webinar is May 26 12pm ET. This is part of a project with @carnegieendowment.org. Link: cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/events/cross...
Cross-Sectoral Mobilization in Defense of Democracy: Insights from Israel’s
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu
As democratic institutions face growing strain worldwide, @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social is partnering with @jodemocracy.bsky.social, one of the world’s leading publications on democratic theory and practice.🧵 cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/new-par...
New Partnership Brings Journal of Democracy to Stanford's Center on
The partnership will open opportunities for Stanford faculty and students at one of the world's leading forums for democratic thought and practice, and further position CDDRL as a global leader among ...
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu
In a new edition of @merip.bsky.social, @makrevis.bsky.social of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social takes a deep dive on how Recep Erdoğan's AKP party in Turkey has transformed the country's expanded university system into a terrain of political control. ow.ly/lBz150YS5q5
The Capture of Turkey’s Universities Under the AKP
How the AKP transformed an expanded university system into a terrain of political control.
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We’re in a moment of democratic upheaval in the U.S., w/ race central to how many understand the crisis. Join Katherine Tate, @coreydfields.bsky.social, & me as we talk Black politics & American Democracy. In-person & Zoom! May 18, 4–5:30pm PT Info + RSVP: cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/events/black...
Black Politics and American Democracy
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu
While there are changes underfoot and signs of weariness with the status quo, political parties still play a critical role in binding and bridging citizens to their government, says @didikuo1.bsky.social of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social: ow.ly/jBqW50YGjr0
How America's political parties evolved since its founding
A Pew Research poll released late last year showed just 17% of Americans surveyed said they trusted the government in Washington to do what was right.
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Why isn't pressure on Iran working? In @projectsyndicate.bsky.social, Michele Gelfand argues that Trump's strategy misreads the cultural logic driving Iran's behavior — and that history offers a better model for de-escalation. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/u...
What Trump Gets Wrong About the Cultural Logic Driving Iran
Michele Gelfand thinks that America’s demands for unconditional surrender are hardening the Islamic Republic’s position.
project-syndicate.org
What can Americans learn from pro-democracy movements in Hungary, Poland, Colombia, and beyond? CDDRL visiting scholar Oliver Kaplan and Tufts' John Shattuck on the lessons — and the parallels. https://ow.ly/sox950YCymf
What Americans can learn from other civil activism movements against authoritarian regimes
The US may be experiencing democratic backsliding. Around the world, nonviolent civil movements exist to support democracy and protect fellow citizens.
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A Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots could land in June — just months before the midterms. FSI Stanford Senior Fellow Nate Persily weighs in on what it means for states, voters, and election administration. https://ow.ly/6IVf50YCxZ3
Supreme Court hears mail-in ballot case that could impact the midterms
The Supreme Court heard a case that could reshape how millions of mail-in ballots are counted in this fall's elections. Some states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The Republican National Committee is challenging that procedure. Ali Rogin discussed the case with Nate Persily, an election law scholar at Stanford University.
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What happens when foreign policy is shaped by personal impulse rather than strategic clarity? @frankfukuyama.bsky.social examines the widening gap between doctrine, institutions, and decision-making in U.S. foreign policy. www.persuasion.community/p/theres-no-...
Trump Betrayed His Own National Security Strategy
There is no doctrine, just whim.
persuasion.community
🎧 New episode of #WorldClassPodcast Colin Kahl examines the unfolding military campaign in #Iran w/ Or Rabinowitz of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social and Abbas Milani of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social, who share their analysis of what the conflict means for the Middle East: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
As the war in #Iran continues, FSI scholars share seven things to know about the U.S.-Israel campaign and its potential to expand beyond the Middle East. w/ @mcfaulmike.bsky.social, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social, Colin Kahl, and more from @stanfordcisac.bsky.social & @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social
Seven Things to Know About the U.S.-Israel Campaign in Iran
Scholars from FSI offer insights into the war between Iran and U.S.-Israel forces, and the risk of the conflict expanding beyond the Middle East.
fsi.stanford.edu
Amichai Magen of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social explains how the U.S. strikes on #Iran may work to re-establish its posture with countries like Russia and China, and where the attacks may backfire against America's interests. ow.ly/jVRp50YoRiZ
What to know: Operation Epic Fury
Amichai Magen, director of Jan Koum Israel studies program at Stanford, joins Raj Mathai to discuss the Iran war.
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From panel discussion, "War and the Arab World: Regional Responses and Consequences" at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social For full panel recap and video recording....
📹 WATCH | FSI scholars Colin Kahl, Larry Diamond, Or Rabinowitz, Anna Grzymała-Busse, & Harold Trinkunas discuss the risks, opportunities, and policy implications in the increasingly complex global landscape of 2026. @theeuropecenter.bsky.social @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social @stanfordcisac.bsky.social
Global Trends and Geopolitics in 2026: A Look Ahead
YouTube video by FSIStanford
youtu.be
In the first of a new quarterly series of events, scholars from the Freeman Spogli Institute evaluated recent developments in world affairs, and offered an outlook for 2026. Featuring scholars from @theeuropecenter.bsky.social, @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social, @stanfordcisac.bsky.social
How U.S. Competition with China is Shaping the Global Political Landscape
In the first of a new quarterly series of events, scholars from the Freeman Spogli Institute evaluated recent developments in world affairs, and offered an outlook for 2026.
fsi.stanford.edu
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials are implementing reform plans developed at Stanford across parliament, regional government, media, and defense procurement. Read about our Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development Program alumni: https://ow.ly/9vIw50YkNcY
Four Years After the Invasion, Ukrainian Leaders Build Foundations for
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🇺🇦 EVENT | Feb. 24, 12:00pm PT To mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian policymakers Oleksii Movchan, Andriy Shevchenk, and Oleksandra Ustinova will join @mcfaulmike.bsky.social and @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social director Kathryn Stoner to discuss the state of the ongoing war.
Four Years of War: Updates from Ukraine
Feb. 24 | A panel discussion with civic and political leaders in Ukraine
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In a new essay for @notus.com, @larrydiamond.bsky.social shares a broader and longer-term view on democracy promotion — why we should do it and how we can build it back better.
How Pro-Democracy Foreign Policy Can Survive Trump — And Emerge Stronger Than Ever
In August 1973, Rep. Donald Fraser, a Democrat from Minnesota, convened a series of House hearings on human rights and American foreign policy. It was a dark moment for democracy globally and in the U...
notus.org
We are deeply relieved by the release of Jesús Armas (@jesusarmasccs.bsky.social), a Venezuelan civic leader and 2022 alumnus of CDDRL's Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program, after more than a year in detention.
2022 Summer Fellow Jesús Armas Released After More Than a Year in
A Venezuelan civic leader and alumnus of CDDRL’s Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program, Armas was kidnapped by security forces following the country’s 2024 presidential election.
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu
Want to understand better what is happening and why in Iran? Listen to Abbas Milani here: McFaul’s World Podcast: Talking Iran with Abbas Milani open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
McFaul’s World Podcast: Talking Iran with Abbas Milani
Stanford’s leading Iran scholar on the regime, protests, and what comes next
open.substack.com
"The fearlessness shown by the demonstrators is why this uprising may prove enduring. ...ignoring these increasingly powerful movements means forfeiting the chance to help the people of Iran rid themselves of this nightmare and to bring about a more peaceful & democratic Middle East." -Abbas Milani
Opinion | The End of Fear in Iran
nytimes.com
In a new essay, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social argues that the real danger is not violations of international law per se, but the erosion of the norms that restrain power, and a president who recognizes only his own morality as a limit.
The Morality of a Mafia Boss open.substack.com/pub/persuasi...