Programs
Democracy, Conflict, and Governance
Programs
Democracy, Conflict, and Governance
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About the Program

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

paper
European and U.S. Democracy Support: The Limits of Convergence

Projects

Program experts

Saskia Brechenmacher

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Thomas Carothers

Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Director, Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program

Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar

President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Steven Feldstein

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Francis Fukuyama

Nonresident Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Rachel Kleinfeld

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Beatriz Magaloni

Nonresident Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Jennifer McCoy

Nonresident Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Mara Revkin

Nonresident Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Oliver Stuenkel

Visiting Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Milan Vaishnav

Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program

Sarah Yerkes

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Richard Youngs

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Latest work
In The Media
in the media
Mitigate Risk, Stand Strong: Defending Civil Society in 2025

By standing together across party affiliation with other organizations committed to democracy, civil society and freedom of speech and thought, foundations can remind the American people of the core values of the country.

Inside Philanthropy
research
Reintegrating Iraqis Returning Home After Conflict: Lessons from Variation Between Four Communities
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
In The Media
in the media
The Source of Georgia’s Democratic Resilience
Journal of Democracy
In The Media
in the media
What a Trump Presidency Means for U.S. Business
New York Times
collection
U.S. Democracy Under Pressure

In recent years, multiple international indices have downgraded U.S. democracy.  Polarization, accusations of voting irregularities, political violence, and other negative trends are having a corrosive influence on the state of U.S. democracy and leaders’ ability to govern, address domestic problems, and craft stable policies.  This project brings together the work of scholars across the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who analyze the problems afflicting U.S. democracy based on comparative perspectives and offer insights that can strengthen U.S. governing institutions and society.

  • +7
see the collection
article
Defending Civic Space in the United States: Lessons Learned Around the World

In a context of democratic erosion, U.S. civil society organizations face a widening array of legal, political, and security threats. They can learn from the experiences of civic activists in backsliding democracies around the world.

paper
Closing Civic Space in the United States: Connecting the Dots, Changing the Trajectory

Over the past two decades, dozens of governments have used regulations, laws, and vilifying narratives to restrict the ability of civil society organizations to act and speak. Now, a similar set of tactics is being rolled out in the United States. What should philanthropists and organizations expect, and what can be done?

paper
Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says

What can be done about polarization in the United States? Reviewing a decade of research reveals unexpected findings.

collection
U.S. Democracy Under Pressure

In recent years, multiple international indices have downgraded U.S. democracy.  Polarization, accusations of voting irregularities, political violence, and other negative trends are having a corrosive influence on the state of U.S. democracy and leaders’ ability to govern, address domestic problems, and craft stable policies.  This project brings together the work of scholars across the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who analyze the problems afflicting U.S. democracy based on comparative perspectives and offer insights that can strengthen U.S. governing institutions and society.

  • +7
see the collection
article
Defending Civic Space in the United States: Lessons Learned Around the World

In a context of democratic erosion, U.S. civil society organizations face a widening array of legal, political, and security threats. They can learn from the experiences of civic activists in backsliding democracies around the world.

paper
Closing Civic Space in the United States: Connecting the Dots, Changing the Trajectory

Over the past two decades, dozens of governments have used regulations, laws, and vilifying narratives to restrict the ability of civil society organizations to act and speak. Now, a similar set of tactics is being rolled out in the United States. What should philanthropists and organizations expect, and what can be done?

paper
Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says

What can be done about polarization in the United States? Reviewing a decade of research reveals unexpected findings.

Digital Feature

Explore the Global Protest Tracker

A one-stop source for following crucial trends in the most significant antigovernment protests worldwide since 2017.

Explore the tracker

All work from Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

filters
1834 Results
in the media
Mitigate Risk, Stand Strong: Defending Civil Society in 2025

By standing together across party affiliation with other organizations committed to democracy, civil society and freedom of speech and thought, foundations can remind the American people of the core values of the country.

· January 14, 2025
Inside Philanthropy
research
Reintegrating Iraqis Returning Home After Conflict: Lessons from Variation Between Four Communities

Return policies and reintegration programming must consider the specificities of local communities and their internal dynamics.

· January 8, 2025
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
in the media
The Source of Georgia’s Democratic Resilience

The case of Georgia illuminates how pluralistic values and civic mobilization can serve as primary sources of resilience, even when formal institutional safeguards falter. Georgia’s experience shows that democratic culture can deepen even as autocratization advances.

· January 6, 2025
Journal of Democracy
in the media
What a Trump Presidency Means for U.S. Business

While markets initially cheer the return of right-wing populists to office, such high hopes are almost never realized.

· December 29, 2024
New York Times
overhead shot of a table with ballots on them and people around the table sorting through them
commentary
Emissary
Three Conclusions From the Global Year of Elections

The disparate cases and hard questions of interpretation underline the need for nuance.

· December 18, 2024
people holding up lights, protesting in front of a government building
commentary
Emissary
Election-Related Protests Surged in 2024

More than 160 significant anti-government protests erupted around the world this year, according to Carnegie’s Global Protest Tracker, with many driven by voting-related grievances.

· December 16, 2024
in the media
The Chinese Competitors Aiming to Challenge Spacex’s Starlink Satellite System

China has plans to compete with Starlink with its Qianfan project.

· December 15, 2024
CNBC
in the media
Hold On, Elon and Vivek: Firing Federal Bureaucrats Isn’t the Solution

Bureaucratic reform is important, but DOGE's agenda is the wrong answer.

· December 13, 2024
Wall Street Journal
in the media
How to Tackle Political Violence

In the United States, France, and Germany, political violence has been rising. The problem is not just emotive political polarization. Extreme political parties, irresponsible leaders and democratic disillusionment also play key roles, and are eating away at the heart of our political systems.

· December 13, 2024
New Books Network
Civic Activism in an Intensifying Climate Crisis
research
Civic Activism in an Intensifying Climate Crisis

To address the deepening climate crisis, climate activism is employing a wider variety of tactics and aiming at a broader set of goals. In response, the movement faces stronger repression and civic backlash against climate action.

· December 10, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Mitigate Risk, Stand Strong: Defending Civil Society in 2025
· January 14, 2025
Inside Philanthropy
research
Reintegrating Iraqis Returning Home After Conflict: Lessons from Variation Between Four Communities
· January 8, 2025
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
In The Media
in the media
The Source of Georgia’s Democratic Resilience
· January 6, 2025
Journal of Democracy
In The Media
in the media
What a Trump Presidency Means for U.S. Business
· December 29, 2024
New York Times
overhead shot of a table with ballots on them and people around the table sorting through them
commentary
Emissary
Three Conclusions From the Global Year of Elections
· December 18, 2024
people holding up lights, protesting in front of a government building
commentary
Emissary
Election-Related Protests Surged in 2024
· December 16, 2024
In The Media
in the media
The Chinese Competitors Aiming to Challenge Spacex’s Starlink Satellite System
· December 15, 2024
CNBC
In The Media
in the media
Hold On, Elon and Vivek: Firing Federal Bureaucrats Isn’t the Solution
· December 13, 2024
Wall Street Journal
In The Media
in the media
How to Tackle Political Violence
· December 13, 2024
New Books Network
Civic Activism in an Intensifying Climate Crisis
research
Civic Activism in an Intensifying Climate Crisis
· December 10, 2024