Democracy and Institutions
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Modernizing Greece: Turning Digital Reform into Democratic Renewal
The far-reaching corruption scandal engulfing Greece’s agricultural subsidy system (OPEKEPE) has once again exposed deep institutional failures, but it also opens a crucial question: what can recent digital reforms tell us about the possibility of democratic renewal?Explore all Articles
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The War on Drugs: One Approach to Reduce Overdose Deaths in New York City
05.22.17
BY STEVEN SARAO Introduction It is estimated that over one thousand New Yorkers died of unintentional drug overdoses in 2016, more than three times the homicide rate in the city that same year.[1],[2] While a breakdown of the 2016 overdose data is not yet available, based on 2015 data we can expect the vast majority […]

President Trump: Distressed Asset
05.19.17
BY MATTHEW HASSETT Last week, President Trump released a letter from his tax attorneys in response to Senator Lindsay Graham’s interest in the Trump Organization’s financial ties to Russia. It raises far more questions than answers. Despite all sorts of speculation and inquiry about President Trump’s labyrinthine real estate empire and the sizable potential for conflicts of interest, President […]

The Quality of Mercy
05.17.17
When a domestic helper was charged for accidentally worsening an injury to the disabled child under her care, the judge’s controversial decision to show her mercy revealed deeper divides in Singaporean society and sparked an intense online debate over justice, fairness, and attitudes towards foreigners.

The Key for Liberals on Climate: Pushing Harder for National Security
05.16.17
BY DAVID HARARY It has become clear Democrats need a new strategy on passing climate change legislation. The new Administration’s budget proposal for 2018 is certainly not friendly towards climate change research or mitigation. Deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy are just the beginning […]

Tunisia: “Unemployment has killed me”
05.15.17
Youth unemployment is a major driver of radicalization in Tunisia, which supplies more fighters to Syria and Iraq than any other country.

Jailing of Jakarta’s Governor Calls into Question Indonesia’s Core Values
05.12.17
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 […]

Social Media Alone Won’t Improve Women’s Rights in the Middle East
05.9.17
BY NABILA ABU-HANTASH I was sitting behind the wheel in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, with my close friend in the passenger’s seat. The car was parked with the ignition switched off. We were waiting for her husband to come back from souvenir shopping, so that we could begin the twenty-three-hour drive back home to Kuwait. He […]

France’s Presidential Election Run-Off: A Battle for Frenchness
05.5.17
BY JULIETTE KEELEY April 23 is a dreary, drizzly New England day. People are lining up alongside the Lycée Francais de Cambridge at 8 a.m. They commiserate over the long line as they wait to cast their ballots in the first round of the French presidential election. This polling location is the only one for […]

Wikipedia is the latest victim of Turkey’s information blackout
05.2.17
Turkey’s Wikipedia ban is not an isolated incident. It’s just the most recent martyr in the government’s ongoing war against information.

Britain Needs a Uniter Not a Divider as Prime Minister
04.28.17
BY PATRICK WHITE ‘Crush the saboteurs’ proclaimed the Daily Mail newspaper as Prime Minister Theresa May announced that for the fourth time in four years a major national poll would take place in the UK this summer. My concern is that rhetoric like this will only serve to widen further divisions in British society. The […]

Interview: Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki
04.28.17
Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki spoke about human rights, Tunisian democracy, and US support for Middle East dictatorships.

Talking Tehran: Journalists Jason and Yeganeh Rezaian discuss Iran
04.7.17
The journalist couple share their thoughts and insights on Iran, in their first joint public event since being released from prison.