When the majority of Californians get together to attack democratic safeguards in the name of preserving a balance, we aren’t really getting a compromise. Instead, it’s a loud, blatant signal that the system is eating itself. Proposition 50’s passage signifies that political polarization has gotten to the point that people on both sides of the […]
Tag: democracy
Violating Constitution, Congress Lowers Majority Threshold to Confirm Presidential Nominees
New changes to the Senate present a striking change to congressional power. Article Two, Section Two, Clause Two. “Provided two-thirds of the Senate concur, the President shall appoint Officers of the United States.” This is a constitutional clause dictating that the Senate must have a supermajority to confirm Presidential nominations to the Bureaucracy. However, it […]
The Same Old Corruption Story in Argentina
Corruption in South America is hardly breaking news, but the Milei scandal cuts differently because it was never supposed to happen here. Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, rose to power as a chainsaw-wielding outsider who promised to destroy the “political caste” and end decades of backroom deals. Now, leaked recordings point straight at his […]
The “Sacred” Lobby: An Investigation of Religious Advocacy and its Impact on Geopolitics
In 1968, sociologist Peter Berger prophesied that by “the 21st century, religious believers are likely to be found only in small sects, huddled together to resist a worldwide secular culture.” Sixty years later, few predictions have aged worse. Religion, and subsequent religious advocacy, is not retreating from public life—it is increasingly becoming an effective political […]
Times of Change: What Should Starmer Do Next?
Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, came to power on the back of a single-word election slogan: ‘Change’. At its core, his Labour government committed itself to transforming Britain from an economically stagnant country with poor public services to a clean energy ‘superpower’ abundant with economic growth. And yet, he has […]
Milei and MAGA: A Love Story
If the pragmatic James Carville gave us the slogan “It’s the economy, stupid,” we now have an ideologue’s response. Javier Milei, the self-described “anarcho-capitalist” President of Argentina, won the 2023 presidential election off the back of his rallying cry “Long live freedom, Goddamnit!” Just last month, Milei’s slogan, glistening and italicized, found itself engraved on […]
California Ballot Propositions: The Flaws of Direct Democracy
In 1911, California’s government was almost completely controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Through bribery, this railroad company maintained a firm grip on the legislature. And then (at last!), the Progressive Movement swept the nation. The state amended its constitution to allow voters to decide directly on legislation and constitutional amendments. Political power had been […]
DOGE Doom and Gloom: The Gutting of the CFPB
The past weeks have generated national outrage in response to the mass federal employment cuts pursued by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). From Raleigh, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., protestors are standing up to DOGE and DOGE-overseer Elon Musk after mass dismissals of federal workers. The Billionaire CEO has sought to reap the […]
With Fear for Democracy, the World Dissents: The Authoritarian Surge
Reflecting on the historical tides of American politics, resisting Russian influence was a bipartisan imperative, with conservatives leading the charge against Soviet expansionism during the Cold War. Today, however, that dynamic has shifted, with segments of the American right increasingly willing to align themselves with the Kremlin, a development that would have once been unthinkable. […]
Democracy Deferred: The Missing Democratic Primary
At the heart of the American experiment is the principle that our government’s authority and legitimacy are derived from the people that it governs. Primary elections are not formalities; they are tests by which candidates have to prove their fitness to lead, earn the voters’ trust, and establish their platforms before facing the general electorate. […]
Crime and No Punishment: The Death of the Political Scandal
The day after Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony charges, his campaign raked in a staggering $52.8 million in donations. Let that sink in. A former president became a convicted felon, and within 24 hours, millions of Americans opened their wallets to help put him back in the White House. Fifty years ago, this […]
Silencing the Messenger: The War on Truth and Free Press
Between 2006 and 2024, over 1,200 journalists were killed, with UNESCO reporting that 85% of these cases remain unresolved. Journalism, once hailed as a pillar of democracy, has now become a perilous profession. This culture of impunity reflects systemic failures at the national and international levels to protect journalists and hold perpetrators accountable. The result […]
Echoes of Silence: How Aynaghor Exposes South Asia’s Hidden Repression
For the first time in half a decade, Michael Chakma saw the sun. He had escaped, but he could barely remember where to go or who to call. Five years prior, Chakma was abducted by Bangladeshi intelligence, and from that day on, he was subjected to torture, stuck in the darkness, and only able to […]
Fraud at the Polls: The Last Stand for Democracy
In the early hours of July 28, Venezuelans lined up outside polling stations across the country, hoping to cast their votes for a new president, a new beginning. They waited in the sweltering heat, talking in hopeful whispers about change. But by nightfall, their hope was shattered. Nicolás Maduro, long accused of authoritarian tactics, declared […]
The Limits of Israel’s Wars
The Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz famously said “War is merely the continuation of policy with other means.” A state sets a definable list of objectives, and when diplomatic or conventional political means do not suffice, it turns to military means to achieve its goal. War may be accompanied by violence, destruction, and chaos. However, […]
Teaching in America: A Shattered Dream
I dreamed of following in my mother’s footsteps to become a teacher. We would spend our Augusts decorating her classrooms with cheesy quotes and fun colors. During the year, she would grade assignments and share her elementary school students’ funny insights while I did my homework by her side. Then, I began to watch her […]
Portugal Elections Mark Europe’s Surge Toward Radical Right
In April, Portugal was supposed to celebrate its 50-year anniversary of democracy, leadership, and stability since the Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the right-wing dictatorship that had led the country for decades. However, in March, just one month before this great milestone in the country’s history, it is facing political turmoil and democratic decay. Populist right-wing […]
Dishonorable Killings: The Role of Police Brutality in Pakistan
Honor killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and political violence are just some of the words used to describe the police in Pakistan. These murders were not executed by some enraged mob but by the police—those responsible with enforcing the law and protecting the citizens of their country. The case is part of a broader pattern […]
America Isn’t Broken—But Our Leaders Need It To Be
Americans hate politics. Or at least, that’s how it seems. A Pew Research Center study from last fall found that over half of Americans (55%) are “always” angry at politics in our country. And further, when asked “What word would you use to describe U.S. politics?” some of the most popular responses were “divisive” “chaos” […]
Cease and Desist: The Dangerous Socio-Political Consequences of Trump’s Election Fraud Rhetoric
“CEASE & DESIST,” former president Donald Trump began in a statement on TruthSocial. “Please be aware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters & Corrupt Election Officials,” he wrote, adding that these people “will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.” Just […]
How the French Left Shot Itself in the Foot
Just a few months ago, leftists and liberals worldwide braced for a grim future. Right-wing parties and candidates across Europe—boasting a common catalog of xenophobia, Euroscepticism, and Islamophobia—were gaining traction. In elections for the European Parliament, these parties rattled long-standing balances. The once-taboo, far-right National Rally (RN) in France trounced President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition, […]
The Case for Breaking Up Big Tech
The Big, the Bad, the Un-American… In 2020, New York Times writer Kashmir Hill set out to answer a salient question: how dependent are we on Big Tech? Working with a technologist, Hill designed a virtual private network that blocked all internet addresses controlled by tech’s five largest companies: Amazon, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Meta, […]
Congress, The Lifelong Career
Sitting high on Capitol Hill, the distant and seemingly elitist Congress has struggled to maintain Americans’ trust, with reports showing a measly 26% of the public trusts our legislative branch. Americans feel separated from Congress, and it’s a trend that has persisted over the last 20 years as politics become increasingly polarized among parties. Members […]
The Future of Alabama’s Reproductive Healthcare
Sitting in her daughter’s room, Alabama resident 35-year-old Kimberly expressed fears that time was running out for her to complete her family. In an ABC News interview, she lined up all of her medications and explained it was her fourth and final IVF treatment. Yet she was told to wait – a reality that many […]
2024 Elections: Redefining Global Politics
“I voted … I’m so happy … I’ve voted for the ANC, is that OK?” One woman, who had just cast her first vote in South Africa’s first democratic elections, asked Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, now the Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs, this question. This fundamental premise for the people to freely […]
Japan’s Little North Korea
Every morning, in a school located in the heart of Tokyo, high school students change into traditional uniforms, file into their classrooms, and gather under portraits of North Korea’s former leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung. Most have never set foot on the Korean peninsula. This is a school for Koreans in Japan; specifically, those […]
A Litmus Test Of Modi’s Political Tradecraft
In a matter of weeks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will find himself awaiting poll results for the nation’s General Election, wondering whether he will be reelected to office for a third time. This time, however, will be very different from Modi’s previous runs—in 2014, the man was a fresh face to Indian national politics, […]
Is China Dismantling Democracy in Latin America?
“After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country to the benefit of its citizens?” After visiting Beijing in 2017, former President Trump made a statement that may accurately reflect China’s contemporary foreign policy. Deemed the “Chinese miracle,” China has lifted 850 million people out of poverty since […]
More Than a Techno Club: Bassiani as a Political Frontier of Georgia
Buy a one-way flight ticket to Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. Once there, stroll across the Bridge of Peace to the eastern bank of the Kura River. Seek out a discreet black archway concealed beneath the largest sports arena in the city, and you will step into a dimly lit dance floor with DJs […]
Ditch Charity, Pick Mutual Aid
The ultra-wealthy present themselves as the solution for inequality, pledging millions and sometimes billions of dollars to philanthropic projects. Take Jeff Bezos, who gave $100 million to food banks during the pandemic, but did not provide adequate leave for Amazon workers who were sick during initial COVID outbreaks. Most billionaires’ charitable acts are more self-serving […]
Free Speech is Under Attack
The Problem: Censorship in higher education In March 2023, Kyle Duncan, a conservative federal judge, was invited to speak at Stanford Law School. He was met by hundreds of student protestors, who gathered outside the classroom where his talk was scheduled to brandish signs and hurl insults at Duncan. One student shouted: “We hope your […]
Playing Politics in America’s Pacific Territories
During the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) declared that America’s tax dollars should no longer be sent to “China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam – whatever, wherever.” However Guam, unlike the other places mentioned in her list, is fully American. For better or for worse, Guam’s American identity is […]
Beyond APEC, Protestors Stand in Solidarity
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, held in San Francisco from November 11-17, gathered leaders from its 21 member states to deliberate on regional economic issues. On the morning of November 15, President Biden and Xi held their talk at Filoli Garden to discuss economic cooperation as well as topics including fentanyl, artificial intelligence, climate […]
In Defense of SCOTUS
Biden vs. Nebraska, 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis, and, of course, Dobbs vs. Jackson are just a few of the new Supreme Court’s landmark decisions that have fundamentally changed the nation’s political landscape. To the dismay of progressives, SCOTUS has demonstrated an increasing willingness to strike down prior decisions rooted in judicial activism, in the […]
Dissent and Democracy: Prime Minister Modi’s War Against the Indian Press
The violent unrest in Kashmir and Prime Minister Modi’s calculated decisions backsliding journalistic freedom have recently come to a head with Modi’s decision to press charges against author and activist Arundhati Roy. Roy commented on Kashmir’s relationship with India in 2010, and in response, Modi’s government has brought back a colonial-era sedition law to justify […]
A “Shattered” U.S. Democracy: Understanding the Dominating Forces of the Status Quo
“Shattered, washed-up has-been”—the title given to the American government by its foreign allies in a 2021 “Summit for Democracy.” Once a respected representative model, today’s American democracy is now characterized as a “washed-up” system in which the status quo is an environment where ideologies that are conveyed by powerful leaders have established a sharp socioeconomic […]
Project 2025: Democratic Doomsday
Forget Trump. Project 2025 is the greatest threat to democracy we have seen in our country’s history. The 1000-page plan, written by Trump-era Republican groups, demonstrates once again the devastating effects partisan polarization can have on our country’s political stability. With the upcoming presidential election only a year away, voters aren’t the only groups mobilizing. […]
A Bookend to 20 Years of Turmoil? What Thailand’s New Government Means for the Country
After four months of political limbo, yet another dramatic episode of Thai politics drew to a close. The general elections in May offered a scathing rebuke of the military-backed government. The progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), led by Pita Limjaorenrat, pulled a huge upset that headed 151 out of 500 seats in the lower House […]
Three Presidents, Two Entities, One Dilemma
You may think that one president is enough to deal with, but imagine having three. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a Western Balkan country with a population of three million, has an unparalleled tripartite presidential system. Yet even three presidents cannot resolve Bosnia’s dilemma of ethnic division, nor promote significant economic development. Historical Background Bosnia’s turbulent […]
How Gabon’s Coup Marks the End of an Era for France
On August 30, shortly after President Ali Bongo was reelected for his third term, a group of Gabonese military officers from the presidential unit seized Bongo, his son, and six other individuals and held them prisoner in his palace. The instigators of the coup justified this abduction on account of Bongo and his accomplices allegedly […]
Guatemala’s “Uncle Bernie” Faces Potential Coup After Presidential Victory
Guatemala is on the verge of a political coup amid election turmoil. In the country’s recent presidential election, progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo secured his victory with 58% of the votes, defeating the former first lady Sandra Torres’s 37%. The unprecedented victory of this dark horse candidate has provoked wrath and fear in the country’s political […]
16 Questions With “Queen Maker” Laphonza Butler
In light of Laphonza Butler’s recent appointment to the United States Senate, BPR is republishing Lindsey Anstead’s interview with her conducted in the Spring of 2022. This piece highlights her background as an organizer, her values, and her vision for the future of American politics. Since her ascension to the role of President in the […]
The Devolution of Democracy: A Systematic Decimation of Israel’s Judiciary
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government,” wrote James Madison in Federalist No. 51. Madison understood that an absence of […]
Citizenship: A Make or Break in Human Rights
The realm of modern politics has been an era in which the state formation dominates. The intricate web of political institutions that comprise a state determines the degree to which people enjoy freedom, civil liberties, and the power to petition that state. What often distinguishes those who have these abilities from those who do not […]
A Case For Kosovo
Despite war, violence, and continued internal struggles, Kosovo has managed to build a functional democracy in the two decades following its independence from Serbia. Although the country’s democracy is young, it has already experienced success through free and fair elections, reform initiatives, and the participation of civil society organizations. Nevertheless, Kosovo continues to face powerful […]
The Democratic Party is Untenable
The United States stands at the precipice of so many crises that I cannot hope to list them all here. We seem intent to drive straight off the cliff of imminent climate catastrophe. Our healthcare and education systems balloon in costs, run by and for profit-seeking middlemen rather than the interests of the people that […]
Privacy, Democracy, and Rom-Coms: How AI Could Impact More Than We Imagined
You just cannot escape it. The classic romance story involving an unhappy couple, in which one or both of them discover their feelings for a third person whom they should have actually been with all along. And, if you are anything like me, you are in no rush to leave it behind. The easily-replicated plotline […]
Brazil’s Role as a Global Laboratory of War Against Misinformation
In 2018, a video of former President Barack Obama calling his successor Donald Trump a series of expletives gained traction online. While this was engineered by deep fake technology, a tool used to digitally alter a subject’s actions and speech, the public was widely ignorant of its origins. Consequently, the video circulated primarily through social […]
Building a Better Chile
September 11, 1973. Santiago, Chile. Latin America’s most stable democracy goes up in flames as jackbooted goons brutally murder thousands of civilians in the streets and arrest even more to be tortured and killed in prisons. General Augusto Pinochet, the head of Chile’s military, is mounting a coup d’état to seize power from democratically elected […]
Putin’s Side Project, and the Warning It Sends to Democracies
Written in July 2022 As Vladimir Putin’s baseless war in Ukraine unfolds, the Russian propaganda machine has been hard at work churning out false narratives—like asserting the U.S. and Ukraine are training birds and reptiles to spread viral pathogens in Russia. Though seemingly trivial, this claim may be the pretext for the use of chemical […]
Israeli Election: Netanyahu’s Comeback Attempt, Plus Far-Right Revival
“Elections have consequences:” Israelis will pick winners today in a contest with the potential to dramatically alter long-standing norms. Today, Ehud, an Israeli construction worker from the small city of Hadera, will vote on his country’s future. What kind of future? He hasn’t decided yet. With over 30 parties vying for parliament, Ehud likely won’t […]
Haiti’s Encroaching Dictatorship and the Forces Behind It
Initially set to be published in Spring 2021. On February 11th, a sea of protesters marched into the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sharp chants of “down with the dictatorship” accompanied by the boom of rallying drum beats rang out through the crowds of thousands as police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Only a […]
Nayib Bukele: Millennial President, Age-Old Autocrat, Institutional Wrecking Ball
In 2021, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele described himself as “the coolest dictator in the world” on Twitter. If Bukele limited his eccentricity to Twitter, such a declaration would cause about as much harm as Elon Musk’s memes. However, between planning to promote Bitcoin in Miami while chaos consumes his country at home and exploiting […]
In Sudan, Pro-Democracy Protesters Won’t Compromise Again
As the world was rocked by the tremors of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, people across the globe were awed by reports of thousands of ordinary Russian citizens protesting against their autocratic leader’s war. That they incurred considerable risk in doing so was quickly evident as protestors were arrested and beaten by police officers, and media […]
The Final Days of Death Row in California
California has been using a universal and inevitable fact of life as a form of punishment – death. The penalty may be seeing its final days, however, as the state explores other forms of justice. On January 31st, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he plans to dismantle California’s death row by relocating inmates of San […]
Cal’s Choice 2022: A Q&A with the ASUC Presidential Candidates Bauer and Tellem
From 12:00 am on April 4th to 11:59 pm on April 6th, UC Berkeley students will have the opportunity to vote in the 2022 ASUC Elections online via Calink and at physical polling stations across campus. This year’s ASUC election is the first since in-person instruction has resumed. As an undecided voter, the author interviewed […]
The Fragility of Representative Governance and the Need to Protect It
Democracy is the most common form of governance. By 2017, there were more democratic than autocratic regimes in the world, a trend since the 70s. Rudimentarily, we describe there as being two forms of democracy: representative and direct. But in truth, no country in the world is a full direct democracy; every democratic country utilizes […]
Misinformation: A Catch-22 For Facebook And Big Tech? Hint: The Future Is Not Meta
In today’s world, information is a valuable currency. While the age of social media has inarguably broadened our horizons and our accessibility to information, our society is facing a massive crisis of counterfeiting due to the flood of misinformation. Social media sites and big technology companies continue to grace headlines for their oversight or lack […]
The Indian Federation: The Saga of a Converted Oligarchy
Is the largest ‘democracy’ in the world under the threat of becoming an oligarchy? From telecommunications to steel, every sector in this nation is dominated by only a few businessmen. These names are repeatedly acclaimed in the news, as they acquire more assets and reach greater heights. But as the public rejoices in their success, […]
Resistance Beyond Borders: HK19 Meets Myanmar’s Anti-Coup Movement
The recent Myanmar Coup is hardly unprecedented. Myanmar was governed by a military dictatorship from 1962 to 2011, leaving the country under the iron fist of the Tatmadaw, the Burmese Military. The strength of the Tatmadaw was enshrined by the 2008 Constitution, which guarantees one third of parliamentary seats to the military, reserves leadership of […]
Why Do Chinese Liberal Intellectuals and Dissidents Support Trump?
If you were watching the Republican National Convention in August last year, you may have spotted something interesting: a blind Chinese dissident named Chen Guangcheng called for American voters to “fight for President Trump for the sake of the world.” Before coming to the U.S., Chen was a self-taught human rights lawyer in China, where […]
Can India Live Up to its International Role as The World’s Largest Democracy?
Following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019, India thrust itself into the global spotlight. The legislation quickly gained notoriety for fast-tracking citizenship status for all undocumented immigrants who aren’t Muslim. Riots, protests and uproar ensued. While the world turned its attention to the protests from the liberal Indian community, people paid […]
Asian Values: A Political Narrative To Erode LGBTQ Rights Today?
The concept of Asian Values is by no means a new concept today, however, what does it really mean in today’s political contexts, particularly for the future of LGBTQ rights? ‘’What Asians value may not be the same as what Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and the values of the individual. As an Asian […]
The Mail Has Always Been Political
Among my peers and on the black hole that is the Twittersphere, I have seen a slew of comments expressing disbelief and confusion over the recent political chaos surrounding the U.S. Postal Service. Since when has the mail been political? Is nothing sacred anymore? For younger people, this reaction seems reasonable—for the duration of my […]
Affirmative Action: Back on the Ballot
This November, one line could change California dramatically. Proposition 16 reads simply “That Section 31 of Article 1 [of the California Constitution] thereof is repealed”. And yet on a ballot packed full of controversial issues, Proposition 16 could be the most controversial of them all. In this installment of On the Ballot, we discuss Affirmative […]
The Modern American Colony: Puerto Rico
“TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.” The three-word political slogan at the forefront of the American Revolution and the foundation of our “democratic-republic.” Although the history of “taxation without representation” seems ancient and distant, for Puerto Ricans, it’s a political reality. Many Americans are unaware or confused about what Puerto Rico is in relation to the United States. […]
State Capture: Corruption Personified
Kevin Ramatsi, an 11th grader from South Africa, says corruption takes children away from schooling. “Gangsterism, violence and bullying is prevalent in schools. Kids are not protected. Some of the libraries and computer centres in our schools are not accessible. Now we are being told about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but some of us we […]
Malaysia: Lessons on Institutional Roadblocks to Climate Change Adaptation
It is one of the world’s most tragic ironies that the most detrimental impacts of climate change will accrue to the countries that have had only a minor role in bringing them about. The Southeast Asian island nation of Malaysia is a prime example. The country is already feeling the disastrous effects of climate change: […]
Poland’s Illiberal Trajectory Continues to Challenge the European Union
Every year in Poland, Narodowe Święto Niepodległości, or the Polish Independence Day, is celebrated in Warsaw, commemorating the anniversary of the restoration of a sovereign Poland after over a century of invasion and domination by the German, Russian and Austrian empires. In 2017, however, the tone of the festivities soured, making international headlines as it […]
Why the 2020 Census Will be Fundamentally Undemocratic (and we cannot fix it in time)
Did you know that the 2010 United States census missed upwards of 400,000 Latino children? Doing so rendered them effectively invisible in the eyes of the government. As a result, 400,000 children were denied much-needed school and community funds. This census occurs each decade in an attempt to precisely apportion congressional districts and distribute federal […]
The Maldives in Crisis – But What Do Yameen?
The turbulent political developments of the Maldives now, more than ever, have proven twofold: manifesting in both local political power-plays, and larger geopolitical conflict. This year alone, the Maldives has undergone turbulent political developments— including a state of emergency announced in February under the current Abdulla Yameen presidency, and the recent return of the opposition […]
D10, Democracy, and Donald
Since 2014, a group of high-ranking officials from leading democratic nations have held secret meetings each year to discuss protecting the liberal world order. Who’s this mysterious group? They call themselves the D10, and its members are no surprise: America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Australia and South Korea, and the European Union. But […]
The Elusive Lesson of Birmingham
In a CNN opinion piece, Democrats, Please Learn from Birmingham, Bakari Seller argues that engaging black voters rather than white working-class voters should be the Democratic party’s main strategy in the upcoming elections. Seller backs his argument with the Alabama Senate 2017 election between Roy Moore and Doug Jones, which demonstrated the power of black voter […]
What Really Happened to Egyptian Democracy?
Egyptians went to the polls on March 24th of this year. El-Sisi, Egypt’s current President ran for a second term in an election described by Human Rights Watch as “farcical.” Following the 2011 Tunisian uprisings, democracy seemed to have finally arrived at the doorstep of the Arab World. With the toppling of Egypt’s long-standing authoritarian leader […]
Barred from the Ballot Box: Felon Disenfranchisement in America
Six million American adults are legally ineligible to vote, members of a group whose ranks have roughly quintupled over the past 40 years. In Kentucky and Tennessee, this group now comprises more than a fifth of the African American population; in Florida, this group composes more than 10 percent of the adult population. But these […]
How Catalonia Can Help Itself and the Rest of Spain
In a Business Insider political piece, “Here’s why Catalonia should secede from Spain, and why it won’t” former Catalan MP Alfons López Tena argues in favor of Catalonia’s independence movement. In the article, he argues like many of his peers that the region deserves liberation from alleged Spanish tyranny. However, the claim that Catalonia should […]
Duterte vs. The ICC
An estimated twelve thousand dead; bounties offered for each rebel head; and calls for increased violence, including encouragement to shoot female fighters in the genitals: This is the current state of the Philippines. Since 2016, the nation’s democracy has appeared to be spiraling out of control, as thousands have been slaughtered in President Rodrigo Duterte’s […]
How Successful was the Arab Spring’s Only Successful Revolution?
December 17, 2010 is a date Tunisians will never forget. Mohamed Bouazizi, a local resident of Sidi Bouzid was going about his day selling produce on the street corner when a police officer approached him. The officer claimed Bouazizi did not have a license to sell and seized his scale. Infuriated by the poor economic […]
Trump’s Twitter Regime: Empowering the People, Killing the Press
The president and the press are entrenched in a strenuous game of cat and mouse. It’s a trial of wits in which each president seeks to promote their version of factual truths to the populace without interference from the press. This media avoidance has been practiced throughout history in notable ways: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside […]
The Trouble of Localism in Hong Kong
A giant locust sits perched upon a mountain, the Hong Kong cityscape in the distance. Next to it, bold black lettering asks, “Are you willing to let Hong Kong spend a million Hong Kong dollars every eighteen minutes on bringing up anchor babies?” Spanning a full page, this provocative advert ran in the popular Chinese-language […]
Homo Hominibus Tigris: Xi Jinping and the Rise of the Good Dictator
To the countries of the Western world, where the ancient Greek traditions of democratic governance have institutionalized over centuries, China is a peculiar, if not an intimidating, case against the conventional truth that democracy is good for humanity. American exceptionalism tells us that democracy is essential for economic growth, for the establishment of a just […]
Crossroads Blues
Crossroads Blues In 1965, the city of Singapore was kicked out of Malaysia. It was poor and isolated, with an economy wholly subsidized by Britain’s Royal Navy. To the north, Malay extremists threatened to instigate a coup and regain the island. To the south, the Indonesian military toppled the pro-communist government, killing millions and threatening […]
Will the Party Go On?
The Election of Tom Perez Tensions were high as delegates cast their ballots for the DNC chair. It had been the only contested DNC election since 2005, and is the first major election the Democratic Party has had since losing the 2016 election, bringing it to the national spotlight. After the recent Republican victories, all […]
The Recession of the Pink Tide
Empty shelves in Venezuela Lenin Moreno’s April victory in the Ecuadorian presidential election must have brought sighs of relief to socialists across the continent, who have been buffeted by scandals and electoral defeats in recent years. Still, it was a close fight. Guillermo Lasso, the conservative candidate and a former banker, was able to win […]
El Salvador’s Mining Ban: Land Rights, Development, and Democracy in Latin America
The landmark decision in El Salvador to ban all metal mining came as a surprise to many. It passed with multiple parties’ support, with none opposing, and is considered a huge win for environmental activism in the region. El Salvador’s water sources are especially vulnerable to pollution by practices of the mining industry, and existing […]
Indonesia in the Democratic Recession
Muslim protesters calling for the imprisonment of incumbent Jakarta governor Basuki Purnama on blasphemy charges On February 15th, millions of Jakarta residents went to vote in their third gubernatorial election since democracy took hold. More than a simple exercise of voting rights, this election represents a referendum on the direction of Indonesian democracy. The […]
The Park Administration and the Fragility of South-Korean Democracy
Park Geun-Hye, the 11th President of South Korea. Democracy is fragile. In many countries, it took years—most often decades—of struggle to achieve transparent rule of the people. It requires hundreds and thousands of burnt, bruised, tear-gassed, and bloody bodies to overthrow a hierarchical dictatorship and establish fair, representative governance. However, just like a beautiful glass […]
Bolivarianism: A Fanfare for the Common Man?
Hugo Chávez clapping in front of a portrait of Simón Bolívar Not long ago, Venezuela sought to brand itself as a leader, a resurgent power eager to lead the escape from U.S. imperialism towards true Latin independence. With a new constitution and the charismatic Hugo Chávez at the helm, Venezuela underwent extensive political, economic, and […]
Cut Out the Middle Man
How Elections Hurt Our Democracies Representative democracy began thousands of years ago in the Roman Republic. The Romans favored this system over the direct democracy of the Greeks, for good reason: being bigger than the Greek city-states, it was impractical to have everyone vote on every issue. Also, it made sense for the richest and […]
It Takes Two to Tango
What a bitter runoff between Argentine frontrunners means for its democracy At the first Democratic National Debate, Bernie Sanders knowingly quipped that people would be more prone to vote for him if they knew what a Democratic Socialist was. Sanders presents a new challenge for American voters, quick to stuff Bernie into the oft feared Socialist […]
Requiem for a Nascent Democracy: Burundi
From the ruins of a twelve-year civil war, Burundi openly embraced multi-party democracy in 2005 to a great deal of optimism and expectation. Today, the country is in crisis; subject of a United Nations resolution, there are legitimate fears of Burundi slipping into a Rwanda-like massacre. On April 25th this year, Pierre Nkurunziza, the incumbent […]
Singapore’s Challenge to Democracy
Henry Kissinger, the great American statesman of the 70’s, once wrote, “One of the asymmetries of history, is the lack of correspondence between the abilities of some leaders and the power of their countries.” But whom was Kissinger bestowing this rather grandiose compliment to? It was Lee Kuan Yew, a close confidant and friend of […]
After Every Winter Comes Spring: Tunisia’s Democratic Flowering
On December 17th, 2010, a 26 year-old vegetable-seller named Mohamed Bouazizi had his unlicensed cart and products confiscated by a policewoman in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid. Not only did the police officer demand a large fine from Bouazizi, but she also insulted his dead father and slapped him. Aggrieved, Bouazizi headed to the […]
Mr. Xi Jinping, Tear Down This (Fire)Wall
In Beijing, signs throughout the city read: “Patriotism, Innovation, Inclusiveness, Virtue.” Like most political slogans, this particular one relies heavily on wishful thinking and an element of deception. China ranks 22 out of 50 OECD economies in innovation, a surprisingly low number given the prowess of the Chinese economy. Innovation itself is synonymous with taking […]
Three Decades Late: U.S.-Cuba Relations
Fifty-four years after diplomatic fallout, the United States and Cuba are finally ready to let bygones be bygones. In his State of the Union address on January 20, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama called for Congress to reestablish diplomatic relations and to end the trade embargo with Cuba, “ending a policy that was long past its […]
Hipsters, Murals, and Putin’s New Youth Movement
It’s easy to see why Russia’s ultranationalist youth groups have earned comparisons to the Hitler Youth. Masterminded in 2005 by Kremlin ideologist and later Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, Nashi (“Ours” in English) soon became the largest among the pro-Putin youth groups. In its heyday, it was some 100,000 members strong. Nashi members attended patriotic […]