Our curated library is packed full of knowledge, know-how and best practices in the fields of democracy and culture.
Read the latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other critical world events in our library of democratic content. Gathered from trusted international sources, the curated library brings you a rich resource of articles, opinion pieces and more on democracy and culture to keep you updated.
Take a look at curated library below and search by keyword (i.e. Ukraine or authoritarianism) or format (i.e. article or report) and find a tailored list of resources on the topics you're most interested in.
Social Media, News Consumption, and Polarization: Evidence from a Field Experiment
The authors demonstrate that “exposure to pro-attitudinal news increases affective polarization compared to counter-attitudinal news”, yet shows that “individuals are not easily persuaded by the political leaning of their news exposure”, thus suggesting a “ long-term increase in affective polarization, without an equivalent change in political opinions (Mason 2015)”.
Participation vs representation: Councillor attitudes towards citizen engagement
"Using a survey of local councillors, this research explores how their awareness and perceptions of citizen participation is affected by political party or political situation. This includes a councillor's personal partisan identity, but also the political balance of the council. The survey identified partisan and structural factors that shape the perceptions of local representatives of citizen participation" (Parsons and Rumbul, 2021).
Election Watch for the Digital Age
"Election Watch for the Digital Age is a new research initiative investigating the interplay between digital platforms and election integrity — and confirming that the internet can be used to disrupt democracies as surely as it can destabilize dictatorships" (Freedom House 2021).
Advancing Universal Representation A Toolkit for Advocates, Organizers, Legal Service Providers, and Policymakers
“This fact sheet provides a summary of insights and tools that are explored in more detail in Advancing Universal Representation: Module 2—Building the Movement by the Vera Institute of Justice, National Immigration Law Center, and Center for Popular Democracy” (Center for Popular Democracy, 2021).
America’s Tech Billionaires Could Help Protect the Election. If They Wanted To.
“This is a debate about...whether Americans should use the moment to pressure power...for a favorable outcome for democracy or whether its more important to use the moment to dismantle and decenter power... given all the possible ways America’s elites could help secure a free and fair election, few have stepped up” (Charlie Warzel, 2020).
Politicians should take citizens’ assemblies seriously
“Citizens’ assemblies are often promoted as a way to reverse the decline in trust in democracy, which has been precipitous in most of the developed world over the past decade or so...politicians, a common complaint runs, have no understanding of, or interest in, the lives and concerns of ordinary people. Citizens’ assemblies can help remedy that” (Leaders, 2020).
Reform the Police? Guess Who Funds My State's Officials
“But in the end, even here, it was essentially business as usual in a State Capitol where police unions have long wielded enormous power. The measures that passed this year were either noncontroversial or so diluted as to have little if any immediate impact” (Miriam Pawel, 2020).
With Freedom at Stake, Courts Are Collapsing
“The rise of right-wing populist leaders in several countries has brought immense attention to the use of executive power, in popular debate and among constitutional scholars across presidential and parliamentary systems. Along with the rise of executive power, there has been a corresponding but less studied phenomenon: the decline in judicial power” (Madhav Khosla, 2020).
The Pandemic Was Supposed to Be Great for Strongmen. What Happened?
“The protests in Belarus should force us to rethink the relationship between the pandemic and authoritarianism. Does the virus infect our societies with authoritarian governance or, alternatively, can it strengthen democratic immunity?” (Ivan Krastev, 2020).
Which Past is Prologue?
“Although the damage is difficult to measure, the United States has lost much of its moral authority...will the coming decades bring a new Cold War, with China cast as the Soviet Union and the rest of the world picking sides or trying to find a middle ground?” (Margaret MacMillan, 2020).
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