The Russian autocrat wanted to go down in history on par with Russia’s greatest leaders. He is increasingly looking like one of its weakest.

The Kremlin works hard to indoctrinate Russia’s youth to support Putin’s war in Ukraine. But a strong percentage support an immediate ceasefire and don’t think it’s a cause worth dying for.

Vladimir Putin wants to stir patriotic fervor for his war in Ukraine. But most Russians don’t think the war is worth the cost, and it’s putting the Kremlin in a bind.

Nicolás Maduro stole Venezuela’s election and entrenched his power by jailing and killing those who opposed him. But the world’s democracies don’t need to sit on the sidelines. Here is how they can raise the costs for Maduro.

It’s impossible to make peace with someone who doesn’t want it. But if there is any chance of stopping the killing in Ukraine, this is the path forward.

Venezuela is an autocracy, but also has a "...record of holding elections in which ordinary people count votes quickly, accurately, and publicly. Democratic vote counting is possible because voters cast ballots on electronic voting machines that produce a paper trail." muse.jhu.edu/article...

"Any effort to promote democracy in Venezuela should embrace the country's two-decade-old tradition of transparent vote counting. That way, when the military is ready to respect the constitution, an unambiguously elected president will stand ready to take power." muse.jhu.edu/article...

In Honduras, "...voting-day procedures were above board and peaceful. Yet the tight race, stalled vote count, preelection fraud conspiracies, and foreign meddling have nevertheless generated a postelection powder keg."

Many pundits cry for a negotiated settlement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But they misunderstand Vladimir Putin’s motives.

Rio’s police conducted the deadliest police operation in Brazil’s history, killing 117 people. It is one episode in a long history of state violence. Not only are such iron-fisted methods ineffective, they pose a danger for democracy itself.

Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.

Nicolás Maduro is a mafia boss, not a president, and the Venezuelan government is now a criminal enterprise with the power of a state. It poses a threat to democracies everywhere.

Nicolás Maduro stole Venezuela’s election and entrenched his power by jailing and killing those who opposed him. But the world’s democracies don’t need to sit on the sidelines. Here is how they can raise the costs for Maduro.

"At this writing, the Venezuelan armed forces continue to support Maduro. But there is no reason to assume that they always will." Read "How Maduro Stole Venezuela's Vote" by Javier Corrales and Dorothy Kronick: muse.jhu.edu/article...

The South American country may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.

"CCM has transformed itself, in the eyes of many, into a regime that rules by terror rather than consent. In revealing its readiness to murder its own people in order to preserve power, the party has poured acid over the social foundations of its rule. The mask has slipped."

Liberal societies are those which offer refuge from the very people they empower—through individual choice, mobility, and the possibility of exit. This is the form of liberty that most clearly elevates the liberal project.

Generative AI can flood the media, internet, and even personal correspondence, sowing confusion for voters and government officials alike. If we fail to act, mounting mistrust will polarize our societies and tear at our institutions.

Nicolás Maduro brazenly stole Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, despite a free, fair, and transparent ballot count that showed a clear opposition victory. Why would an autocrat want to maintain one of the world’s best voting systems? muse.jhu.edu/article...

Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.

"Even if the transition succeeds — if Maduro and other compromised regime figureheads depart, the military stands down, and González assumes the presidency — Venezuela is also highly unlikely to become a peaceful democracy overnight."

The “crisis” of democracy is a crisis of representation. New parties, some of which are populist in troublingly illiberal ways, are arising from this moment. The danger that they pose is not that they are antidemocratic, but that they are antiliberal.

Democracy’s unique, flexible, and substantial resources make it better than authoritarianism at confronting climate change.

Democracy is on dangerous ground when its fundamental rules become the main point of political contention. This is where we are today. The truth is that the institutions, not just the players, need to change.

Ukraine versus Russia is a modern David versus Goliath conflict that matters not only for the future of Ukraine, but for that of democracy itself.

With illiberal forces ascendant across the globe, protecting individual liberties and the democratic process is crucial. But when institutions empower minority groups over the majority, can democracy survive?

Generative AI can flood the media, internet, and even personal correspondence, sowing confusion for voters and government officials alike. If we fail to act, mounting mistrust will polarize our societies and tear at our institutions.

Days after the election and still no one knows who the next president will be. Even worse, none of the likely winners offer much hope for the country’s democracy.

The South American country may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.

Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.

Artificial Intelligence has become autocrats’ newest tool for surveilling, targeting, and crushing dissent. Activists must learn how to harness it in the fight for freedom.

Authoritarian regimes are targeting exiles and diaspora communities in more places than ever before. Activists, journalists, and regular people living abroad must watch their backs, because these governments now have the power to suppress dissent even outside their borders.

Today, governments can see who buys what, who pays whom, and who donates to which cause. But they cannot easily trace or confiscate Bitcoin. The digital currency offers a lifeline to democratic movements operating in the most repressive places.

People are losing faith in democracy’s ability to deliver social progress. But are democracies better than autocracies at promoting economic growth, alleviating poverty, and creating healthier, more educated, and more peaceful societies? On all counts, the answer is yes.

"...the consensus among international and domestic election observers in Honduras is that voting-day procedures were above board...[but the] stalled vote count, preelection fraud conspiracies, and foreign meddling have nevertheless generated a postelection powder keg."

"The new government will need the acquiescence and cooperation of the military officers, bureaucrats, and political operators...[amnesty] will allow military and civilian officials to make forward-looking calculations about their place in post-transition Venezuela."

The South American country may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.

Tanzania’s October election was a sham. When people rose up in protest, the regime responded with a brutal crackdown. That reign of terror marks a turning point for the country, and there is no going back.

"Artificial intelligence also poses political perils. With proper awareness of the potential risks and the guardrails to mitigate against their adverse effects, however, we can preserve and perhaps even strengthen democratic societies."

The Russian autocrat’s system of control has rested on pillars that are beginning to crumble.

"Given that Russia’s weak and divided society faces a powerful and repressive state, public opinion by itself is unlikely to compel the Kremlin to end the war. Yet widespread negative attitudes toward the conflict still place Putin in a bind..."

Venezuela's transition to democracy will be difficult—the country's institutions have been severely emaciated—but not impossible. Venezuelans deserve the chance for a democracy, despite the uphill trek ahead of them.

Protests in Tanzania did not end peacefully, despite what the regime wants you to think. "The government moved to stop videos of the atrocities from circulating...hundreds of Tanzanians allegedly involved in the protests had been charged with treason and other offenses."

If Venezuelans offer amnesty in post-transition Venezuela to military and civilian officials, these officials will be more likely to accommodate the transition to democracy.

"A democratic government in Caracas — even one that must contend with guerrilla warfare and entrenched criminal networks — will be able to pursue economic reforms, access international financing, and begin rebuilding destroyed institutions."

Venezuela may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.

When protests broke out to denounce electoral manipulation, Tanzania's government crossed autocratic thresholds by massacring protesters at scale.

🇭🇳 🗳️ Wondering what's going on with Honduras' election chaos? Me too! In any case, I've tried to make sense of how the country arrived at the current moment and what might be in store in this essay for @jodemocracy.bsky.social 👇

Interesting analysis of the real costs and benefits of a transition in Venezuela. And what democratic actors need to understand.

Tanzania's December 9 protests fizzled out. What does it mean? How do we make of the wider crisis? What lies behind it? And what changed in it? Here's my take in @jodemocracy.bsky.social www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclu...