Support for democracy has been a priority of U.S. foreign policy since the earliest days of the republic and its advantages over other forms of government have come to be accepted globally. But there are many manifestations of democratic governance – how it is achieved and how it delivers for its citizens – that are the subject of continuing debate. To help illuminate this debate, NDI has collected commentary from its own experts and others along with some of the key documents upon which democracy programs are based.
Our Perspectives
Commentary from NDI Board members and staff on democracy promotion generally and on specific NDI programs. | Read more »
News and Views
Commentary from experts on the directions and challenges of democracy promotion programs. | Read more »
Key Documents
A library of the basic documents upon which democracy programs are based. | Read more »
New Additions
Our Perspectives
Is the Arab World Ready for Regime Change?
Interviewed about the Jasmine Revolution taking place in Tunisia, Leslie Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs for NDI, explains that now other regimes in the region recognize that threats to their power may always be bubbling under the surface. "Events in Tunisia have shown that it doesn't take years of building up civil opposition for a regime to crumble," he says.
Jan. 24, 2011 | Read»
Election Aftermath and the Rule of Law in Afghanistan
Writing in Foreign Policy, Grant Kippen and Scott Worden, both members of the NDI international observation mission to Afghanistan's 2010 elections, urge the Afghan government to follow the country's election law and not undermine it by using a five-member panel appointed by President Hamid Karzai to nullify the election results.
"The international community and the Afghan government need to focus on upholding checks and balances in the existing Afghan legal framework rather than try to create a new one to suit a particular political need. To travel down the path the government of Afghanistan is currently taking will only create future electoral chaos and confusion, further undermining the rule of law and democratic development."
Jan. 21, 2011 | Read»
News and Views
After Tunisia, Arab World Gives Up On America
Mohamad Bazzi writes in GlobalPost about how the Arab world perceives U.S. commitments to democratic movements, and finds that too often, the U.S. favors stable autocratic regimes over the possibility of democracy that could bring Islamist parties to power.
"But one thing is clear from the 'Tunisian example': People in the Middle East have given up any hope that the United States can be a force for democratic change. As the uprising spread in Tunisia, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama stayed largely silent until the day Ben Ali fled. That was when Obama issued a statement condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters and applauding 'the courage and dignity' of Tunisians. By then, it was too late: The U.S.-backed dictator was gone, and the Arab world chalked up another example of how Washington favors stability over democracy."
Jan. 19, 2011 | Read more»
How an Arab Autocrat Falls
Writing in The Huffington Post, Sohrab Ahmari, an Iranian-American writer and activist, analyzes the ways social media and online journalists contributed to the uprising in Tunisia.
"Impressively deploying the full gamut social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), the Nawaat crew managed to evade aggressive attempts to block access to their site in Tunisia. Thanks to its longstanding reputation for reliability, Newaat's reporting — and on-the-spot analysis — was circulated widely across the Mideast and North Africa region. Other North African activists, who had either been trained by the Nawaat team or had collaborated with it on other campaigns, relayed their information. An electronic pan-Arabism 2.0 of sorts emerged, breaking Ben Ali's firewall."
Jan. 17, 2011 | Read more»
Pictured above: NDI President Kenneth Wollack (center), with Lorne Craner (left), the president of the International Republican Institute, and Ambassador Robert Neumann at a panel discussion.
