The Media’s Bottom-Line Problem
The health of our democracy depends on a free press. What happens when the thirst for profits, eyeballs, and clicks drives political coverage?
An Overview d’état: Are Coups Democracy in Action?
Coups in autocracies are frequently followed by elections, which are then followed by new coup attempts. Why do elections increase coup risk?
How Media Stifles Deliberative Democracy
As outlets that welcome rational exchanges of ideas dwindle those that serve as echo chambers are exploding. What does that mean for free speech and the health of the US?
Do You Trust Your Democratic Representatives?
Scholars of politics and media have been tracking an ongoing collapse of trust in representative democracy's core institutions. What's at stake?
Happiness is a Warm Democracy
A greater exposure to democracy leads to a higher level of self-reported happiness.
Machiavelli, Prince of…Democracy?
The other side of the Renaissance man, known today for promoting autocratic power.
At South Africa’s Constitutional Court, a Democracy Brick by Brick
The themes of truth and reconciliation echo throughout the Court’s design, evoking the democratic values of post-apartheid South Africa.
The Real First Written Constitution
American often gets credit for having the first written constitution. But the constitution of the short-lived republic of Corsica preceded it by 30+ years.
Martha Nussbaum: Overcoming Fear, Embracing Democracy
The American philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s new book, The Monarchy of Fear, examines the politics of primal fear in the 2016 election.
The Delicious Democratic Symbolism of…Doughnuts?
Doughnuts became popular during World War I, when Salvation Army volunteers—most of them women—made and served the soldiers million of doughnuts.