There are now more dictatorships than democracies in the world There are now more people living under dictatorships than in democracies. At the same time, there are bright spots — several countries have moved away from authoritarian rule.
Dictators are doing it for themselves - but has Putin taken it too far this time? The political science is clear: Putin is a dictator. The same science is also clear on this: a financial crisis is dangerous for a dictatorship.
Liberal democracy is not dead Liberal democracy is under pressure, and illiberalism remains a threat across the globe. Cas Mudde argues that key events in 2021 should be a wake-up call to those who think illiberalism is the inevitable future, and emphasizes the crucial need for consistent, genuine, and inspiring liberal democratic politics.
Do not let the fear of terror rule. Other dangers threaten democracy Right-wing terrorists do not pose the greatest far-right threat to liberal democracies, according to C-REX scholar Jacob Aasland Ravndal.
Can political advertising change our minds? According to US research the answer is no. But advertising affects us in other ways, according to Norwegian researchers.
Golden Dawn guilty verdict is a victory for Greek democracy. But will it solve the country’s deep political divides? While the Golden Dawn verdict is a positive step for Greek democracy, it is still important to understand why circa 500,000 Greek citizens voted this criminal organization in the parliament, despite the fact that its violence was well known.
Quarantining Hungarian Democracy The Covid-19 crisis is exploited by Viktor Orbán to consolidate power and undermine democracy. The increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister has used the pandemic to further authoritarian ends. Democratic backsliding in Hungary has for long been a cause of concern for the European Union.
Internet sparks local political engagement Social media are among the new forms of e-democracy that are taking hold in Norway and elsewhere. And the public increasingly expects online access to their politicians and communities.
Democracies built from top to bottom Contrary to what many have believed, public participation in forming constitutional laws does not contribute toward more democracy in conflict-ridden countries. Functioning democracies are more likely to be created from above, by the political elite.
Youth grow more politically active – but vote like mum and dad Teenagers and young adults are starting to get involved in politics again. But they aren’t radical like they were in the 1960s.
General prosperity is a key to democracy All of today's countries could become democratic regardless of their present form of government. Prosperity is a greater factor than religion in democratization.
Norway was controlled from the pulpit Norwegian society was totalitarian during the nearly four centuries that Norway was ruled from Copenhagen. Sermons were closely supervised and controlled by the rulers.
More democracy support for developing countries Scientists believe that we should give more money to projects that support democracy in developing countries. However, past projects have produced limited results.
Lost faith in democracy? Blame the teacher! Students who feel they are treated unfairly by their teachers lose faith in democracy, according to Swedish findings.
Courts more likely to move against racist and discriminatory speech The threshold has been lowered for prosecuting and convicting people of hate speech in Norway, according to a Bergen legal scholar.
Why Norwegians never wanted EU membership Norwegians have always had mixed feelings about joining the European Union and a majority voted against it in 1972 and 1994. A new study shows why.