Journal of Democracy

"The new Congress was seated on 25 January 2026. Asfura appeared before it to be sworn in two days later. The worst-case scenario—that the turmoil surrounding the election would derail the transition—did not come to pass." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

In Georgia, "how individual agency and the personal peculiarities of leaders may shape a country’s direction...Ivanishvili’s U-turn plainly conflicts with the views and preferences of the larger and probably most significant part of Georgian society." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"Illiberal governments are...converging in their ideas and practices but are also actively strengthening their transnational cooperation, reinforcing the spread of illiberal norms...reshaping international institutions and legal frameworks to reflect illiberal values." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

How To Secure Venezuelan Democracy "Machado has repeatedly signaled her willingness to negotiate a smooth transition. Yet the regime insiders whose acquiescence will be needed do not seem to trust her." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

FOUR DAYS LEFT TO READ FREE! Check out our April issue while you can! muse.jhu.edu/issue/56622

"Is populism—the mobilization of mass sentiment against an ostensibly corrupt elite—necessarily bad for democracy? What if populist politics and democratic backsliding need not always go together?" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"Why is the world witnessing an upsurge in democratic erosion at this moment in history? And what factors leave some countries more at risk than others?...Why do voters tolerate leaders who attack their public institutions?" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"[AI] Models are trained on historical data and assume that yesterday’s patterns will predict tomorrow’s threats. But under surveillance, the “ground truth” is constantly moving." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"Call this decentralization’s double movement: Decentralization may lower the stakes of politics but also polarize them. Indonesia illustrates this point vividly." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

How Viktor Orbán wins journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-v…

How Viktor Orbán Loses journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

Over the last half-century, a surprising share of new democracies have put their former dictators, or the children of those dictators, back in power. What explains the electoral success of these “dictocrats” and “dictobrats”? muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

The military has long had the final say in Pakistani politics. In response to Imran Khan’s populist surge, the military adapted, making use of selective repression and writing its control more deeply into the country’s institutions. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

An opposition party that swept into power with a 2021 electoral win was swept out by voters four years later. It failed to deliver on its promises and was beset by the same authoritarian leanings of those it had replaced. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

In the lead up to elections, the country’s polarization deepened. But Bolivians showed how a massive civil society movement can organize to restore democracy. It’s a blueprint for nonviolent activists everywhere. journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

How can democracy’s defenders defeat the authoritarian message? journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

LESS THAN ONE WEEK LEFT to read our April issue FREE! muse.jhu.edu/issue/56622

Georgian society has long aspired to join the West, but the ruling party—led by the country’s richest man—is dragging the country closer to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Georgians are still resisting, but can they halt their country’s authoritarian slide? muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

In our latest op-ed for the @JoDemocracy, HRF's Freedom Fellowship Director explores how Bolivia defeated authoritarian entrenchment in its 2025 elections. Through a massive, youth-led parallel vote count of 60,000+ volunteers, civil society proved that organized, nonviolent action can reclaim the truth.

Oppositions resisting autocrats or antidemocratic incumbents could once get help internationally. But the space for democracy promotion has narrowed, while oppositions face divisions within their own ranks over how to best fight back. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…