Stealth Authoritarianism in Cambodia Overt authoritarianism has become extremely costly, prompting trade sanctions and other international punishments, according to scholars such as Varol. In …
When Corruption is not Enough: Legitimacy and the Case of South Africa. by Micah Rosen @ Brown University
In 1994, South Africa broke a wicked spell of white control, saying its last goodbye to a horrifically undemocratic apartheid political system. But champions of democracy must be careful to turn the …
Facts Matter: Fighting Populism in a Post-Truth World. by Matthew Jarrell @ Brown University
The goal of any scientific inquiry is ostensibly to find or at least approximate some sort of truth. When we examine a phenomenon in the world, we strive to make statements or posit theories about it …
Standing, Kneeling, and Absence: Is Democracy Backsliding? by: Zach Witkin @ Brown University
Following the election of Donald Trump, many of those who oppose him were, and still are, concerned about the future of democracy. The populist minded leader uses, and keeps using, his platform as a …
Campaign Finance as Stealth Authoritarianism by Rachel Bennetts @ Boston University
In his essay “Stealth Authoritarianism”, Ozan Varol argues that leaders can maintain the facade of democratic values and institutions, while really backsliding towards authoritarianism. One deceptive …
Free speech has taken a knee, but Trump doesn’t really want it to stand tall. By Gianpaulo Pons at Boston University.
Free speech, in any form of expression, has been a heavily contested topic this weekend in regards to the National Football League (NFL). It began at a rally on Friday, September 22 when President …
