Library

Autocracy and Variation in Economic Development Outcomes

This paper discusses “the vast variation in development outcomes among autocracies, focusing on economic growth. It highlight plausible explanations of this variation pertaining to features of the leader, institutions, or the regime’s support coalition. It presents patterns and tests corroborating that variation in growth is higher among autocracies than democracies" (Carl Henrik Knutsen, 2018).

Defending democracy from disinformation, polarization, and tribalism

"This work begins with an international alignment around a set of principles -- the rights and duties of a Digital Democracy Charter. And it makes change through the implementation of an Action Plan -- national strategies that establish rights and responsibilities for the digital future through policy change (Scott 2018).

A new social contract for digital democracy

"This study builds off" the authors' "first report—Digital Deceit—which presents an analysis of how the structure and logic of the tracking-and-targeting data economy undermines the integrity of political communications. In the intervening months, the situation has only worsened—confirming our earlier hypotheses—and underlined the need for a robust public policy agenda" (Scott and Ghosh, 2018).

Socrates/Confucius dialogue

With the ideas, institutions and practice of liberal democracy - once a model for the world - coming under fierce attack from various directions, could ‘new’ insights for rebooting democracy be found in classical Greek and Chinese perspectives? What would the great philosophical sages of East and West say 25 centuries later?

The Allure of the Illiberal

In countries around the world, voters have recently rallied around leaders who embrace an authoritarian, nationalistic and separatist worldview and curtail civil freedoms, independent institutions and an open media. What is the allure?

What is the Business of Business?

Back in the 1970s, Milton Friedman wrote in The

Times that “the business of business is business.”

In a chaotic and hyperconnected world, does

this still ring true? Where do profit and social

responsibility intersect?

Democracy and the Law

“Law should govern,” declared Aristotle,

proclaiming a fundamental principle of democratic

rule now under threat as illiberal leaders assail

the independence of the courts. What is the

response? What is the role of transnational legal

bodies?

Migrants at the Gate

Millions of people fleeing war, hunger and danger

have come to be perceived by many as a threat.

How have some democracies dealt with this

challenge?

When Technology Collides with Citizenship

Rapid advances in social media, A.I., robotics and other technological innovations have disrupted all facets of society, government and business, for better and for worse. How can these enormous forces be harnessed, and their dangers managed? What is the role of regulation — if any?

Democratic Security in Europe and Abroad