Founded in 1990, the Journal of Democracy is an influential quarterly journal which focuses on analyzing democratic regimes and movements around the world. The Journal is a branch of the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy, and is published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. Larry Diamond and Marc F. Plattner are its editors. [read more...]


Highlights—January 2011

The first issue of the new year features a pair of articles by Journal of Democracy editors Marc F. Platter and Larry Diamond on the impact of the economic crisis as well as a cluster on recent developments in Latin America. Two essays focus on the Arab world—one, a look at cultural dynamics and the other, at Islamist electoral strategies. Other essays examine Hong Kong's democrats, African laws and institutions, peacebuilding operations, and more.

Free articles (PDF):
    Two Essays on China’s Quest for Democracy
    By Liu Xiaobo
    Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, is best known for his eloquent and incisive essays. Two of them are featured here: “Can It Be That the Chinese People Deserve Only ‘Party-Led Democracy’?” and “Changing the Regime by Changing Society.”

    A Surge to the Center
    By Michael Shifter
    Democracy has held its own or gained ground in just about every part of the world except for the Arab Middle East. Why has this crucial region remained such infertile soil for democracy?

Highlights — October 2010

The cluster "Democracy Support and Development Aid" consists of Thomas Carothers' analysis of the changing relationship between the development-aid and democracy-aid communities and a response from each camp. The articles in a second set, "The Meanings of Democracy," explore people's understandings of democracy in Africa, Asia, and the Arab world. Other essays in this issue look at the recent election in the Philipppines, the development of democracy in Africa, the ongoing crises in Yemen, and more.

Be sure to look for the latest volume in our book seriesDebates on Democratization.

Free articles (PDF):
    Liberation vs. Control: The Future of Cyberspace
    Ronald Deibert and Rafal Rohozinski
    Are technologies giving greater voice to democratic activists in authoritarian societies, or more powerful tools to their oppressors?

    The Upsurge of Religion in China
    Richard Madsen
    Religion in various forms is burgeoning in the PRC today, and the ruling Chinese Communist Party cannot decide what to make of it—or do about it.

Highlights — July 2010

A trio of articles explore recent developments in Afghanistan and Iraq, while another pair examines the impact of corruption and the role of regionalism in Ukrainian politics in the wake of the 2010 presidential election. Other essays featured in the July issue include a comparative analysis of political attitudes in the Muslim world, an assessment of the state of democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a look at the recent elections in Chile. In addition, Alfred Stepan, Juan J. Linz, and Yogendra Yadav consider “The Rise of ‘State-Nations,’” and Jacques Rupnik offers a tribute to Václav Havel.

Free articles (PDF):

    The Democratic Instinct in the 21st Century
    Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
    Democratization is never easy, smooth, or linear, but as Indonesia’s experience in building a multiparty and multiethnic democracy shows, it can succeed even under difficult and initially unpromising conditions.

    Lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq
    Zalmay Khalilzad
    After almost ten years of complex and costly efforts to build democracy in these two countries, where do things stand? What lay behind the critical choices that shaped events in these places, and what are their current prospects for success?

    Liberation Technology
    Larry Diamond
    The Internet, mobile phones, and other forms of “liberation technology” enable citizens to express opinions, mobilize protests, and expand the horizons of freedom. Autocratic governments are also learning to master these technologies, however. Ultimately, the contest between democrats and autocrats will depend not just on technology, but on political organization and strategy.

Highlights — April 2010

In this issue, Nathan Glazer explores how democracies manage the deep divides that exist in plural societies, while Lisa Anderson looks at life after office for world leaders, and Charles Kurzman and Ijlal Naqvi examine who wins elections in Muslim countries. Also featured are two articles on the state of democracy in Indonesia, a cluster on Central America, the 2009 Freedom House survey, an essay on democratic policing in postconflict countries, and more.

Free articles (PDF):
    Democracy and Deep Divides
    By Nathan Glazer
    How do democracies deal with the deep divisions created by race, ethnicity, religion, and language? The cases of Canada, India, and the United States show that democratic institutions—notably, competitive elections and independent judiciaries—can bridge divides and build stability, but they must find a way to manage the tension between individual and group equality.

    Do Muslims Vote Islamic?
    By Charles Kurzman and Ijlal Naqvi
    Those who warn against efforts to promote free elections in Muslim-majority countries often point to the threat posed by Islamic parties that stand ready to use democracy against itself. But what does the record really show regarding the ability of Islamic parties to win over Muslim voters?
    Appendix

    The Ex-Presidents
    By Lisa Anderson
    What makes elected leaders step down at the appointed hour, and what do they have to look forward to once their terms end? A look at the political afterlives of world leaders tells us that the future prospects of presidents and premiers may well affect their behavior while in office.
Current Table of Contents

Quick Links
What's New
  • The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace held the panel discussion "The Elusive Synthesis: Exploring the Changing Relationship Between Democracy Support and Development Aid," which featured Thomas Carothers, Scott Hubli, and Brian Levy—the authors of the "Democracy Support and Development Aid" cluster (October 2010).


  • An Exchange on Nicaragua (web only): Samuel R. Greene comments on Leslie Anderson and Lawrence Dodd’s July 2009 essay, “Nicaragua: Progress Amid Regress?” and the authors respond.


  • "Democracy's Past & Future," a panel featuring Francis Fukuyama, Ivan Krastev, Moisés Naím, Larry Diamond, and Marc Plattner, celebrated the Journal's 20th anniversary.


  • The 2009 Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World, the sixth in an annual series, featured Nathan Glazer.
    [Watch the Event]


  • "Democracy, Totalitarianism, and the Culture of Freedom"—a memorial symposium honoring the life and work of Leszek Kolakowski, moderated by Zbigniew Brzezinski.
    [Watch the Event]


  • Democracy: A Reader, the latest volume in the Journal of Democracy's book series, appeared in September 2009.


  • The inaugural issue of the Journal of Democracy en Español, an annual publication, appeared in July 2009.


  • Panel discussion "Can Cuba Change?," featuring Eusebio Mujal-León, Carl Gershman, and Orlando Gutierrez, based on their articles in the January 2009 issue of Journal of Democracy.
    [Watch the Event]



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