New US sanctions against Venezuela deliver a clear condemnation of the Maduro regime’s authoritarian maneuvering but overlook two key problems: Russian meddling and the humanitarian crisis.
The membership base of South Africa’s trade union movement has undergone significant changes which begs the question: has it moved away from its working class roots to become a middle class movement.
The motion of no confidence against South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma showcased tension at the heart of South Africa’s democracy. Should MPs have the right to vote according to their conscience?
With frequent irregularities, it’s easy to become cynical about elections in Africa. But polls are an essential component of the continent’s growing democracy.
Stepping back from the current crisis in US-Russia relations, a Soviet expert asks: what’s in store for Russia in the long term, and is a peaceful transition possible when Putin’s gig is up?
Democracy and good governance require politicians to engage in reasoned debate, informed decision making and measured judgements. This presupposes rationality. Is this always true?
Thousands marched in silence against racial violence after a riot left hundreds of blacks dead and thousands homeless. The demands of black people in 2017 remain the same as they did in 1917.
Zambia has gone from a country where people engaged freely in open political debate to one where most people now look over their shoulders to see who’s listening.
Amid the rising forces of populism and nationalism, it’s easy to fear a new age of tyranny. But history proves tyrants are often no match against democracy and its defenders.
Tom Nichols’ book The Death of Expertise examines why the relationship between experts and citizens in a democracy is collapsing, and what can be done about it.