Democracy and Governance

The parallels between May 9th and November 9th are uncanny. Six months ago, I witnessed a man gain the U.S. presidency thanks, in part, to rising racial resentment. Now, I am watching as one of the most inspirational political leaders from my home district of Jakarta, Indonesia, is robbed of his power by a similarly […]

Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki spoke about human rights, Tunisian democracy, and US support for Middle East dictatorships.

The terrorist group aims to shrink the “grayzone”: the plane of coexistence between Muslims in the West and their non-Muslim countrymen.

BY THOMAS KARL E. HOCKS Yes, Angela Merkel may lose power this year. No, it won’t be like Brexit or the United States presidential election. After the recent turmoil around Brexit and the administration of President Trump, eyes are on the French presidential elections in the spring and the German federal election in the fall. […]

BY MATT TYLER I thought impact investing was central to curing social ills. Government was secondary, in my mind. I was wrong. Over the last 18 months, working with governments in the United States and Australia, I have focused on how to improve social outcomes for the most vulnerable. As a graduate student at the […]

Fareed Yasseen, Iraq’s ambassador to the US, is optimistic about defeating ISIL – but sees several structural threats to Iraq’s stability.

Trump prides himself on his deal-making abilities, but securing “the ultimate deal” between Israelis and Palestinians presents major challenges.

BY JAMES PAGANO President Trump continues to struggle to accept his popular vote loss. He again made headlines last week, repeating unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud. Although absolutely no evidence supporting his claim exists, President Trump has vowed to open an investigation into the matter. His claims distract from the real election issues facing […]

While on a recent trip to the Ellis Island museum, I had an opportunity to reflect on the 12 million immigrants that shaped and continue to define this great nation we call America. I am always disappointed when critics pose the dueling question why do we need Comprehensive Immigration reform? Seldom do I argue with […]

BY ANN CRAWFORD-ROBERTS & SIDRA BONNER Congressional Republicans have vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as their first priority in the new Trump administration. Even before Trump takes office, the Senate and House have voted to initiate the process to gut major parts of the law commonly referred to as Obamacare. Following the […]

Six years ago, Tunisians succeeded in changing the course of history – but low trust and political participation could thwart its democratic transition.

BY GRANT TUDOR A World Bank country manager referred to Uganda’s progress in reducing poverty as “an African success story.” This was a common refrain a decade ago, when extreme poverty fell sharply and the HIV epidemic ground to a near halt. Strangely, though, the comment came last year. Uganda’s income inequality is now among […]