🆕Despite promising not to lecture other countries on “how to live,” the Trump admin is intervening frequently and forcefully in other countries' political affairs. But to what effect? Thomas Carothers and @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social write for @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️

President Chakwera in Malawi has joined a positive trend of incumbent leaders conceding electoral defeat on the African continent. As Frances Brown and Margot Treadwell wrote for @carnegieendowment.org, gracious losers are a win for democracy.📑⤵️ carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

Reports and op-eds still matter. But public opinion today is shaped by influencers, algorithms, and audiences. Experts risk irrelevance if they don’t adapt. In their @carnegieendowment.org paper, @noupside.bsky.social and @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social suggest high impact strategies⤵️

The EU’s new Pact for the Mediterranean is dead on arrival, writes @richardyoungs.bsky.social for @carnegieeurope.bsky.social Will the pared-down, instrumentalized policy even serve the EU's own interests? Read here⤵️

At International Day of Democracy event in Brussels #IDDBrussels @richardyoungs.bsky.social from @carnegiedcg.bsky.social and @europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu explaining we are living a renewed activism phase with new civic movements all around the world

🪴"Greenlash is driving a reconfiguration of EU-level political alliances and prizing apart the decades-long, mainstream pro-European coalition." Erin Jones and Richard Youngs break down the drivers of European greenlash and how activists can respond⏬

🆕U.S. interventionism in European domestic politics is a feature, not a bug, of the new political reality, writes Tom Carothers for @carnegieeurope.bsky.social. But U.S. democratic erosion could be an opportunity for Europe to reenergize its global purpose.⤵️

"Political violence starts spiralling when ordinary people, as opposed to the unstable or disturbed, get in on the act," @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social writes for @financialtimes.com Reversing course requires swift prosecution, regardless of political affiliation.

Arab leaders are coordinating their responses to the Israeli strike on Qatar at an emergency summit in Doha today. For @carnegieendowment.org, Sarah Yerkes and other Carnegie scholars explain how the fallout will reshape security dynamics in the Middle East and beyond.

With the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian democracy has survived its most acute stress test, writes @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social for @foreignpolicy.com. But challenges remain. The Supreme Court must now step back. And the Trump administration may push back. foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/12/b...

The Trump administration’s condemnation of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction is just the latest in a string of attacks on judges at home and abroad. @carnegiedcg.bsky.social’s Thomas Carothers, for @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

🗣️"We could be headed for a cycle of tit-for-tat violence in the U.S. that we haven’t seen, at least in decades." Dalya Berkowitz tells @politico.com that unless politicians and the public change course, it will be hard to reestablish a norm of nonviolence🔽 www.politico.com/news/magazin...

The murder of Charlie Kirk raises serious fears about an escalating cycle of political violence in the U.S. In their @jodemocracy.bsky.social essay "How to Prevent Political Violence," @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social and Nicole Bibbins Sedaca suggest responses to reduce attacks⤵️

Europe's "greenlash"🪴🥊 is not just from the far right. Erin Jones and Richard Youngs report for @carnegieendowment.org that elite and grassroots pushback to the Green Deal is dividing EU institutions, national legislatures, and civil society. Activists must adapt.⤵️

🆕For expertise to matter, nonpartisan institutions need to rethink their comms strategies and theories of influence, argue @noupside.bsky.social and @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social. In a new paper for @carnegieendowment.org , they offer strategic recommendations↘️

Writing for @nytopinion.nytimes.com today, Thomas B. Edsall quotes McKenzie Carrier and Thomas Carothers's recent paper:

Given strategies that are not working like they used to and a slashed budget, how does international democracy support need to change? What Future for International Democracy Support? - TWP Community of Practice Webinar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8-O...

Public statements by Donald Trump and prosecutor Jack Smith during Trump's criminal trial had strikingly limited effects on public opinion of Trump. New research by Daniel B. Markovits and Andrew O'Donohue suggests that pre-existing opinions hold fast.⤵️⤵️

Harnessing public concern over rising #corruption makes sense for U.S. #democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope. Read my latest via @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️.

"The rise of Bolsonaro cannot be understood without the rise of Trump," says @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social in a podcast for @economist.com. As the Bolsonaro trial enters the verdict and sentencing phase, Stuenkel explains how Brazil has reacted to U.S. interventionism.⬇️

🆕From 1995-2024, U.S. democracy aid grew from $400 million to tens of billions. In one month, the Trump administration slashed 90%, devastating partners. For @ids.ac.uk, Tom Carothers considers how this upheaval will affect the future of democracy support.

Pres. Donald Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is unprecedented. It reflects the executive branch's efforts to dominate other parts of government. For @carnegieendowment.org, McKenzie Carrier and Tom Carothers compare this trend to other backsliding democracies⬇️

Last week, former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested. What was behind the protest movement that led to his – and his predecessor’s – ouster, and what can we learn from it? David Timberman explains: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

🆕Fear-based messages about corruption often backfire, leading to apathy, acquiescence, or even authoritarianism. @abigailbellows.bsky.social offers lessons and best practices for advocates pushing back on worsening corruption in a new piece for @carnegieendowment.org

🆕The Trump administration is trying to erode U.S. democracy at a blistering pace—faster than Hungary, Poland, or India. But guardrails still constrain and shape Trump's actions. McKenzie Carrier and Thomas Carothers provide a new comparative analysis for @carnegieendowment.org 👇

Read this piece where we explore the serious implications of synthetic media in conflict -especially when it begins to further destabilise an already fragile information ecosystem like Iran’s, amid wartime conditions where access to truth can mean the difference between life and death.

Depolarization might not mean erasing divides, but “repolarizing” around shared values like democracy, fairness, or anti-corruption. @jennifermccoy.bsky.social explains in a NEW episode of the Better Conflict Bulletin podcast with @jonathanstray.bsky.social 👂📖⤵️

Thomas Carothers and McKenzie Carrier call out trends of democratic recovery in Brazil and Poland: 1. Democracy coalitions have limits 2. Leaders fail to deliver 3. Polarization persists The U.S. must learn these lessons. Read in @foreignpolicy.com

"One Nation, One Election is likely to further presidentialize India’s parliamentary system," argue @milanv.bsky.social, Caroline Mallory, and Annabel Richter for @carnegieendowment.org . But other reforms offer similar benefits with few costs↘️

The political left has led Bolivia for 19 years. But after 2 right-wing candidates won the first round of presidential election this weekend, that streak will end. @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social and Margot Treadwell wrote about the incumbency trap in Latin America for @foreignpolicy.com in April.

🆕Sweden’s revival of total defense strategy mobilizes every citizen—digitally and physically—for national security. But this could blur civilian–combatant lines, Kristin Ljungkvist writes for @carnegieendowment.org ⤵️

As funding for digital rights dries up, authoritarian models fill the gap. 'Gbenga Sesan writes for @carnegieendowment.org, "The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated."

Without sustained support, young democracies risk sliding back into authoritarianism. For @carnegieendowment.org, Sarah Yerkes and Erica Hogan present some key lessons: avoid authoritarian nostalgia, build democratic culture, and create balanced institutions.⬇️

🆕Even after ousting illiberal leaders, one-and-done democratic recovery is rare. Post-election struggles in Poland & Brazil offer vital lessons for future democratic recovery in the U.S. Thomas Carothers and McKenzie Carrier write for @foreignpolicy.com

💬 “It is daunting to imagine how global democracy can be effectively supported as the United States retreats from the field [...]. Yet reimagining and reinvention are possible—necessity can be turned into opportunity.” Must-read piece on @carnegieendowment.org

"AI-generated content related to the Iran-Israel conflict has taken disinformation to an industrial level," @mahsaalimardani.bsky.social and @samgregory.bsky.social write for @carnegieendowment.org on the rise of AI war propaganda.

‼️On this list, check out "Misunderstanding Democratic Backsliding" by Thomas Carothers and @brendanhartnett.bsky.social! ...and may other great reads📖

Last week, President Trump fired the labor statistics chief following weak jobs numbers. @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social explores how actions like this can undermine checks and balance and erode data quality through censorship and manipulation of facts. More here: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

The Brazilian Supreme Court has placed former president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, despite pushback from the U.S. For @foreignpolicy.com, @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social and Margot Treadwell examined the rift between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest democracies.

📽️📽️Check out the new explainer video from @carnegieendowment.org on global lessons for nonprofits responding to shrinking civic space in the U.S. The video highlights 3⃣ findings from the work of DCG Senior Fellow @saskiabr.bsky.social:

"With strategic altruism in Washington on ice, India faces a new reality: New Delhi may have to swallow the bitter pill of making sacrifices today for the promise of security and prosperity tomorrow." @milanv.bsky.social for @foreignaffairs.com👇

🆕| Digital connectivity is transforming conflict zones—requiring new state policy responses. Jack McDonald's latest analysis for @carnegieendowment.org examines how smartphones and the internet are reshaping civilians' role in modern warfare ⬇️

Civil society in the US faces new threats and pressures. What can US nonprofits learn from strategies used by organizations and activists in other countries? This short video highlights findings from my research: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMbw...

🆕| As the United States retreats from its role as a global democracy promoter, there is simultaneously a leadership gulf and a shift in the norms around democracy and autocracy. @syerkes.bsky.social & Erica Hogan's latest for @carnegieendowment.org⤵️

🆕| Trump's 50% tariff on Brazilian imports will fundamentally reshape the U.S.'s relationship with Brazil—and, potentially, with other countries across South America. Read @oliverstuenkel.bsky.social & Margot Treadwell's latest for @foreignpolicy.com👇

🆕| There is a growing gap between the sophistication of AI deception and analysts’ ability to detect it, heralding a frightening new phase in global conflict. @mahsaalimardani.bsky.social & @samgregory.bsky.social's latest for @carnegieendowment.org⤵️

🆕| One Nation, One Election would replace India’s current system of staggered elections with a framework of simultaneous elections. Does this proposal make sense for India? @milanv.bsky.social, Caroline Mallory, & Annabel Richter's latest for @carnegieendowment.org👇

🆕| In recent years, there is growing concern that the integrity of India's electoral processes has atrophied. @milanv.bsky.social examines the emerging threats to electoral integrity in his latest for @policystudiesorg.bsky.social's "India Politics and Policy"👇 www.ippjournal.org/assessing-th...

In their piece for @carnegieendowment.org, @rbarretttaylor.bsky.social & Gavin Wilde argue that the conduct of war has increasingly become a fight with a one-dimensional, digital representation of the enemy. Read their full analysis here⤵️

"Public opinion alone will not safeguard the courts," writes Andrew O'Donohue. "But broad societal mobilization can." Read his full piece for @lawfaremedia.org👇