We are deeply relieved by the release of Jesús Armas (@jesusarmasccs.bsky.social), a Venezuelan civic leader and 2022 alumnus of CDDRL's Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program, after more than a year in detention.

Want to understand better what is happening and why in Iran? Listen to Abbas Milani here: McFaul’s World Podcast: Talking Iran with Abbas Milani open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...

"The fearlessness shown by the demonstrators is why this uprising may prove enduring. ...ignoring these increasingly powerful movements means forfeiting the chance to help the people of Iran rid themselves of this nightmare and to bring about a more peaceful & democratic Middle East." -Abbas Milani

In a new essay, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social argues that the real danger is not violations of international law per se, but the erosion of the norms that restrain power, and a president who recognizes only his own morality as a limit.

What comes after Maduro? A panel hosted by CDDRL's Democracy Action Lab on Jan. 7 weighed competing scenarios for #Venezuela’s political future amid elite continuity, economic crisis, and international intervention. https://ow.ly/KM8o50XU8LP#Venezuela’s

🇻🇪 What comes next for #Venezuela? Join CDDRL's Democracy Action Lab for a panel discussion examining political uncertainty, democratic reconstruction, and the risks ahead. 📅 January 7, 12:00 pm PT 🔗 Learn more: https://ow.ly/jBgN50XSeIu

Why do women participate less in politics in Nigeria? Claire Adida presented evidence on practical interventions that help close the gap and support women’s civic engagement. https://ow.ly/pTg350XEqWR

How does foreign aid shape bureaucratic behavior? CDDRL postdoctoral scholar Dr. Maria Nagawa's seminar explored how aid projects affect incentives, effort, and institutional capacity. https://ow.ly/b5EU50XEqRf

Can financial literacy shift climate beliefs across party lines? Saumitra Jha presented new evidence showing that personal financial exposure can influence support for climate policy. https://ow.ly/z1tb50XEqO4

The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program is a unique forum for emerging leaders to connect, exchange experiences & explore new models and frameworks to enhance their ability to promote democratic change in their home countries. Apply by January 15: https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/summerfellows/apply

Why do authoritarian regimes repress elections selectively? UC Davis political scientist Lauren Young joined CDDRL to explain how elite cohesion shapes when and how electoral repression gets deployed. https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/elite-cohesion-and-politics-electoral-repression

Opposition parties often look abroad for leverage. CDDRL's Einstein-Moos Postdoctoral Fellow Oren Samet explained how “opposition diplomacy” draws attention to repression and shapes international pressure, while exposing challengers to real risks.

#Ukrainian practitioners & policymakers: Apply now for CDDRL's Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development (SU-DD) Program — a short-term training program to foster actionable solutions to current challenges for Ukrainian democracy & human development➡️ https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/su-dd

Democratic revolutions can be powerful — and fragile. Georgetown School of Foreign Service assistant professor Killian Clarke joined CDDRL to discuss why counterrevolutions emerge even after successful uprisings. https://ow.ly/uj8c50XEnhu

"My influence on policy has been felt primarily through the work that my students go on to do." Read our new Q&A with Marcel Fafchamps and view his keynote address on Behavioral Markets from our recent symposium celebrating his career and contributions: https://ow.ly/fF8v50XEr4i

How does economic pressure undermine democratic opposition? Pre-doctoral fellow Hanna Folsz presented her research in a CDDRL seminar showing how targeted retaliation contributes to declining opposition quality in Hungary. https://ow.ly/QMay50XE98a

The EU faces a growing internal challenge: democratic erosion from within. Visiting Professor of Law Kim Lane Scheppele joined CDDRL on Nov. 19 to explain how backsliding in member states threatens the Union’s legal and political foundations. https://ow.ly/OK5r50XE8Cl

🗣️ Calling all democracy activists! There is still time to apply for the 2026 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program at Stanford to participate in a life-changing experience! Applications close January 15 at 11:59 pm PST. Learn more and get started ➡️ https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/summerfellows/apply

Police-led armed groups play a powerful and often hidden role in Rio de Janeiro. At a Nov. 20 seminar, CDDRL's Gerhard Casper Postdoctoral Fellow in Rule of Law Ana Paula Pellegrino shared new research on how these groups form and what sets them apart. https://ow.ly/lJoE50XE8QA

Looking for a fresh winter read or a last-minute gift? Check out these books from CDDRL faculty that have been published over the last year ➡️ https://ow.ly/9eq450XFpHa

🗳️ How do lessons from 2024 shape what to expect in 2026? On Dec. 4, Nate Persily joined CDDRL to break down what went right, what went wrong, and why election administration remains a critical vulnerability for U.S. democracy. https://ow.ly/Ob0K50XE89z

CDDRL’s research seminar series brings scholars from Stanford & beyond to examine the forces shaping democracy, development, and the rule of law. Through the end of the year, we’re sharing highlights from the work presented this quarter.

"My ultimate goal is to support better policy and decision-making through my academic work, where research directly informs practitioners and policymakers." Read our new Q&A with CDDRL Research Scholar María Ignacia Curiel: https://ow.ly/k6s850Xx63J

We are excited to announce the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program, housed at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social at @fsi.stanford.edu, which will advance student, faculty, and public knowledge of modern Israel through cross-disciplinary education and research. Read the full announcement:

“Freedom is fragile — but it can also be resilient.” ~ @larrydiamond.bsky.social at the #BerlinFreedomConference He called for unity among democracies to defend Ukraine and Taiwan, warning that the new cold war with authoritarianism demands conviction and resolve. https://ow.ly/AxWA50Xrjxu

In an interview with one of Stanford CDDRL's undergraduate research assistants, Michael McFaul discusses great power competition, U.S.–China relations, Cold War legacies, the role of ideology in shaping global politics, and his new book — out now. Read the Q&A: https://ow.ly/WOKw50XqhC5

🧵 @wazirelkif.bsky.social notes that in Egypt’s 2025 elections, Mustaqbal Watan still dominates the regime’s electoral coalition, despite the rise of new regime-backed parties like Al-Gabha Al-Wataniyya — reflecting efforts to diversify loyalists and balance competing security factions.

Empathy is a simple but profound mechanism for building social cohesion, says @claireadida.bsky.social of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social. Using quantitative and field methods, Adida studies what creates or dissolves cohesion, and how that can be used to inform better policymaking.

Excellent write-up from my friends at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social—my second home—on my article in @poqjournal.bsky.social that questions the validity of the canonical liberal–conservative measure for studying Black Americans’ political attitudes and behavior. cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/black-c...

The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program at Stanford CDDRL trains world leaders striving to promote democracy. 🏛️ Attend workshops led by an interdisciplinary team of Stanford faculty 📚Study new theories and approaches to democratic development APPLY NOW ➡️ https://ow.ly/Q5zP50Xo8uY

A year after the 2024 election, @larrydiamond.bsky.social warns that America’s democratic backsliding has reached a critical point. His new Diamond on Democracy essay charts the authoritarian playbook now unfolding, and what must be done to resist it. 🔗 www.persuasion.community/p/taking-sto...

Excerpt from my remarks at a Stanford Democracy Day panel on “Democracy under Threat at Home and Abroad” co-sponsored by @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social and @theeuropecenter.bsky.social The continued silence on Sudan and what is happening in El Fasher is appalling.

Throughout the world democracies face but resist attacks against them Today keynote addresses by Beatriz Magaloni and @adamprz.bsky.social Adam Przeworski launch the Democracy Action Lab of Stanford University in México Watch live www.youtube.com/live/cI0jfvb... @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social

Our recent paper on civil society and cleavage formation (w @eborbath.bsky.social & @swenhutter.bsky.social) was featured in the Research-in-Brief series at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social. Check out their summary of the project here 😊 cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/civil-s...

Next Tuesday is Stanford's fifth annual Democracy Day! On 11/4, there will be programming across campus to encourage civic engagement, including an event with @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social scholars at 3:00pm in Encina Hall. Registration is required. ow.ly/Cov950Xjra4

Democracy scholars, including @larrydiamond.bsky.social and Francis Fukuyama, warn in a new amicus brief that the prosecution of James Comey reflects political interference in the justice system — an alarming signal of democratic erosion and a threat to the rule of law. https://ow.ly/nykb50XlYG9

Happy Halloween from all of us at Stanford CDDRL! This year, our pre- and postdoctoral fellows all dressed up as Associate Director for Research Hesham Sallam. 🎃 Reminder, there are 5️⃣ weeks left to apply for our 2026-27 fellowships — click to learn more & get started: https://ow.ly/LtQy50Xl95H

⏰ STARTING SOON | 10 AM PT Join us for the first of our Israel Insights Webinar series with Professor Azar Gat of Tel Aviv University. Webinars will explore key topics and public debates shaping Israel domestically and internationally. Register to join: https://ow.ly/OwgF50Xg19k

Today, we are thrilled to be launching the Democracy Action Lab (DAL), a new initiative turning cutting-edge research into practice to defend and revitalize democracy worldwide. (1/8) cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/stanfor...

Congratulations to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on receiving the #NobelPeacePrize! We were honored to host her last November for a conversation on Venezuela’s political challenges and the fight for democracy. Watch here 👉 ow.ly/Mm8350X9Xqx

Congratulations to Francis Fukuyama on receiving the 2025 Excellence in Public Diplomacy Award from the USC Center on Public Diplomacy! The award honors private sector leaders whose work advances international cooperation and local prosperity through global engagement. 🔗 https://ow.ly/Zr0T50X8KYW

The 2026 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program application is now open! Practitioners from emerging democracies are invited to participate in this 3-week program & learn from Kathryn Stoner, Michael McFaul, Francis Fukuyama, @larrydiamond.bsky.social & more! LEARN MORE ➡️ https://ow.ly/IsMy50X8g8y

⏰ STARTING NOW: Tragedy, Triumph, or Both? Israel After Two Years of War Join our Israel Studies Program for a webinar with Nadav Eyal marking 2 years since the Oct. 7th Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent multi-front war in the Middle East. For Zoom link: app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f3bfc...

With support from @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social scholars, Stanford students have launched Stanford Space Law and Policy Perspectives, a new publication to encourage discussion, debate, and scholarship about the rule of law beyond Earth's atmosphere. ow.ly/qBSu50X1CAT

Putin may not agree that the war in Ukraine is a failure, Kathryn Stoner of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social points out. "Ukraine has not joined NATO, and the U.S. has said that it will not. There is nothing to keep him from continuing the war," she tells @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social.

In the July issue of @jodemocracy.bsky.social, @makrevis.bsky.social and co-authors explain how Turkey’s democratic future hinges on opposition parties winning local elections in unfair conditions. Read now: muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...

What are the implications of Iran's recent war with Israel for Iranian society and their prospects for a democratic future? Abbas Milani of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social assesses what may lay ahead for the Islamic regime and the Iranian people now that a ceasefire is in place.

Today, we're thrilled to welcome political scientist @claireadida.bsky.social to CDDRL as a Senior Fellow @fsi.stanford.edu! Professor Adida uses quantitative & field methods to study how countries manage new & existing forms of diversity. We look forward to supporting her outstanding scholarship.

Announcing the 20th Anniversary cohort of the Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program!⁠ The Class of 2025 is a diverse cohort of 30 experienced practitioners from 19 countries who are working to advance democratic practices and enact economic & legal reform to promote change in their communities:

At this year's Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture, Amir Tibon joined Larry Diamond of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social to share his family’s story of survival, betrayal, and hope for peace, and offered his insights on contemporary Israeli politics.