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Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy
Democratic government has been regressing across the globe for more than a decade. Even the United States, the world’s oldest continuous democracy, has seen its democratic norms and practices eroded by rising inequality, populism, political polarization, institutional decay, and misinformation. Other current democracies teeter on the verge of becoming autocracies, potentially producing tectonic shifts in global power and exacerbating economic inequality and social tensions. And the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of these trends.
The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) aims to identify threats to the health of democracies around the globe and to recommend steps that policymakers, business leaders, civil society organizations, and citizens can take to reverse the erosion of democratic norms and values.
This project is made possible by the generous support of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation.
All CFR Work on Democracy
To see all work on democracy from the Council on Foreign Relations, please click here.
Featured
Despite Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promises to end the brutal drug war, he has continued the violent policies of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid to Bangladesh could undermine U.S. strategic interests by pushing Bangladesh closer to China.
Despite the People’s Action Party’s historical dominance in Singaporean elections, recent trends and internal challenges suggest the opposition may achieve unprecedented gains in the upcoming national election.
U.S. government officials should quickly declassify information about the national security threat posed by Chinese-owned TikTok or risk huge public backlash and a global loss of stature as a free speech champion.
The rapidly changing landscape of foreign influence demands a new approach, argues Senior Fellow for Global Governance Miles Kahler. Countering malign influence from abroad will require a stronger democracy at home.
Program Experts
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and Director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars
Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of Fellowship Affairs
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular man in India. On track to be elected for a third term, he has boosted the country’s global standing and propelled strong economic growth while consolidating power and galvanizing majoritarian support for his Hindu nationalist agenda—all while growing closer to the United States. How could Hindu nationalism reshape India?
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In a wide-ranging conversation, Foreign Affairs Editor Dan Kurtz-Phelan joins Why It Matters to discuss nonpartisan publishing in a polarized political climate, the state of press freedom around the world, and the future of journalism.
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Kat Duffy, a senior fellow for digital and cyberspace policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the capacity of the U.S. government to lead in creating a framework for regulating artificial intelligence (AI).
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David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the potential geopolitical consequences of Taiwan’s presidential race.
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Terrorism and Counterterrorism
Bruce Hoffman, the Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at CFR, and Jacob Ware, a research fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the rise of far-right violent extremism in the United States and abroad. -
Billions of people will take to the polls next year, marking the world’s largest-ever electoral field. But this historic scale is not the only thing that will make 2024 unique. As new threats like deep fakes become cheaper and more widespread, these upcoming elections could serve as a test run for democracy in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. What risks does AI pose to elections next year? And will a surge in AI-powered disinformation change the nature of democratic elections?
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Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the deadly struggle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for control of Sudan.
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Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss his new book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.