The risk of "pathocracy" is always close. And once entrenched, difficult to dislodge.
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Articles on Democracy
Displaying 1 - 20 of 697 articles
Citizens voting directly on policy seems like a good idea. But that led to the Brexit mess in the UK. In the US, two scholars say direct democracy deepens distrust of politics and government.
Advancements in computer technology are changing how Congress handles citizen communication, which affects how elected officials represent their constituents.
Parliaments were and remain institutions of frustrating negotiation and very often unpalatable compromise. They also represent an imperfect but significant check on the abuse of power.
Parliaments have been prorogued before – and revolution has ensued.
New York's Union Square is an important site in American labor history. One scholar's research illustrates the shifting meanings and inherent tensions of public space as an epicenter of civic life.
Outspoken Australian-Chinese democracy advocate Dr Yang Hengjun has been formally arrested in China on suspicion of spying, further straining relations between the two countries.
Why doesn't China put down the protests in Hong Kong? Maybe it doesn't want to.
By limiting access to social media and the internet, the government hurts the right to free speech of not only Papuan residents but also all Indonesians.
An analysis of pre-polling figures shows a surge in early voting, particularly in regional areas. But questions remain about how it affects the relationship between voters and parties.
The state in Ghana still justifies taking steps that amount to suppression of the media.
Deportees and other migrants return home wealthier, more educated and with more work experience than people who never left. This 'brain gain' benefits the whole community, financially and politically.
A significant change in political mentality is required to shore up one of Africa's leading lights.
Turkey's authoritarian leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was handed a big defeat recently when his party's candidate lost a crucial election contest. Is this the beginning of Erdogan's demise?
The referendum was an exercise in ends, not means. But the way Britain deals with the result is crucial.
Conflict made its way to the Supreme Court this past session with two cases – one about the census, the other about gerrymandering. A court scholar says the two cases are intimately connected.
It worked in Ireland – now Nicola Sturgeon is asking selected citizens to examine the big constitutional issues facing the country.
Labor is proposing establishing a new parliamentary committee to look into press freedom; one that will deal with whistle blowers and have crossbench representation.
A government-imposed internet blackout in Sudan is the latest in a series of internet shutdowns as a means to quell dissent.
We know that social media platforms have an incentive to promote whatever gets the most attention, regardless of its authenticity. We're more reluctant to admit that the same is true of people.
Top contributors
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Assistant Professor in Politics, University of Canberra
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Professor of Politics, University of Sydney
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Assistant researcher, University of Sydney
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Professor of World Politics, SOAS, University of London
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor of Politics, Australian Catholic University
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Professor of Governance and Director of Democracy 2025 - bridging the trust divide at Old Parliament House, University of Canberra
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Professor in Economics and Humanistic Studies, Princeton University
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Research Fellow, University of Exeter, University of Exeter
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Professor of International Politics, University of Western Australia
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ARC Laureate Fellow, Professor of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney and McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
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Lecturer, Public Policy and Political Communications, University of Melbourne
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Chair, Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies, and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
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Associate Professor, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
