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.
World Report 2021
"World Report 2021, Human Rights Watch’s 31st annual review of human rights practices and trends around the globe, reviews developments in more than 100 countries" (Human Rights Watch, 2021).
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).
The Uses of Sanctions in Foreign Policy: Nicaragua’s Elections 2021
"Feinberg, professor at the University of California, San Diego, and former official in the White House and State and Treasury Departments, argues that the Biden administration and others in the international community face an urgent decision: “With a rational appraisal of [their] limited leverage, how far can they push [President Daniel] Ortega to yield some of his advantages?” (Feinberg, 2021).
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)”.
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).
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).
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).
Facebook Has Been a Disaster for the World
“Facebook has been incredibly lucrative for its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who ranks among the wealthiest men in the world. But it’s been a disaster for the world itself, a powerful vector for paranoia, propaganda and conspiracy-theorizing as well as authoritarian crackdowns and vicious attacks on the free press. Wherever it goes, chaos and destabilization follow” (Jamelle Bouie, 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).
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