Journal of Democracy

⚡ NEW ISSUE OUT NOW! Authors and their essays below 👇

The country’s young people are no longer willing to accept politics without accountability, and the government’s repressive crackdown is only fueling their movement. GEN Z is reshaping the future of Kenyan democracy. journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

"Erdoğan has been in power—first as premier, then as president—for almost 23 years," observe Berk Esen and Sebnem Gumuscu. "This makes him the longest-tenured among contemporary populists who have established a competitive authoritarian regime." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"This form of 'constitutional theocracy' is less about asserting religious authority over law than about domesticating and constraining religious authority." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

Thailand's current crisis may finally end the cycle of populism and polarization that has crippled the country's democratic aspirations. But it is also revealing that there are far worse forces undermining Thai democracy. @SlaterPolitics explains: journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

🚨LAST CHANCE TO READ FREE! 🚨 Read our July issue for free while you can! muse.jhu.edu/issue/55125

Interested in essays on: Whether capitalism is good for democracy; The myth of democratic resilience; What Bolivia’s wildfires reveal about authoritarian rule; Why Iran has been waging a decadeslong war against its own citizens; ...and more? Check out our July issue!…

"On June 7...Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot multiple times," write Juan Masullo and Abbey Steele. "The attempted assassination...has rocked Colombia, a country where such political violence feels all too familiar." journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…

Iran’s theocracy has waged a brutal campaign against its own citizens for years, Ladan Boroumand explains. The mullahs, stripped of legitimacy by civil society, have had no response but to sharpen their instruments of repression. "The Islamic Republic’s War on Iranians"…

Bolivia’s Amazon forests are losing millions of acres each year to raging fires caused by a government more interested in corrupt profits than protecting its people and wildlife, writes Jhanisse Vaca Daza. "Bolivia’s Silent Destruction" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"The surprising victories won by liberal-progressive candidates also pose a major potential challenge to the Dutertes, especially if these candidates tacitly ally themselves with Marcos." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

Autocrats take to the courtroom not only to enforce their will, but also to rationalize their rule, writes Madhav Khosla. "The Authoritarian Argument" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

It's scary, but we must acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that democracies often fail to recover after an authoritarian takeover. Read "The Myth of Democratic Resilience" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"Authoritarian law does not operate merely within the domain of power but also within the space of reasons," writes Madhav Khosla. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

"In 2019, more than 5 million hectares were lost to uncontrollable fires, 6 million mammals perished, more than 50 indigenous communities were affected, and three firefighters lost their lives." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

⚠️LAST WEEK TO READ FREE! ⚠️ Read our July issue for free while you can! muse.jhu.edu/issue/55125

Syria’s new elite is committed to Islamic thought but open to a wide range of intellectual influences. A novel brand of Islamic presidentialism may be on the horizon, predicts Andrew F. March. "What Kind of State for Syria?" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

Can Erdoğan be stopped? What does Turkey's political future look like? The "Inside Turkey's Democratic Crisis" package from our new July issue offers historical context for Turkey's current political climate and hope for Turkey's opposition. journalofdemocracy.org/news-and-updat…

"A combination of leadership changes and political lessons that sank in under prolonged authoritarian pressure…[resulted in] a more strategic and electorally attuned leadership that could navigate Turkey’s uneven political terrain." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

Matías Bianchi, Nic Cheeseman, and Jennifer Cyr examine an uncomfortable truth: that democracies often fail to reverse the damage after an authoritarian lapse. "The Myth of Democratic Resilience" muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/…

How can democracy be illiberal?🤔 "In the phrase 'liberal democracy'... the word liberal is meant to evoke not a particular economic ideology but the broader notion of a regime that is dedicated to human freedom." journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusi…