Democracy, Conflict, and Governance
Democracy, Conflict, and Governance
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.
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
European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024
- +7
- Richard Youngs,
- Kinga Brudzińska,
- Zselyke Csaky,
- Ricardo Farinha,
- Ken Godfrey,
- Carlotta Magoga,
- Evelyn Mantoiu,
- Elene Panchulidze,
- Hélène Ramaroson,
- Elena Ventura
The World Elects: Assessing the Super Election Year 2024
Heinrich Böll Foundation
Pushing Back Against Political Violence
Democracy Works
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.
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.
Digital Feature
Explore the Global Protest Tracker
A one-stop source for following crucial trends in the most significant antigovernment protests worldwide since 2017.
All work from Democracy, Conflict, and Governance
filters
1842 Results· January 23, 2025
· January 8, 2025.jpg)
· January 23, 2025· January 8, 2025
How Will Militias, Extremists Respond to Jan. 6 Pardons?
A conversation about how extremists and militias might respond to President Trump’s decision
to grant clemency to those convicted of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, including those who violently attacked police officers.
European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024
In 2024, a series of elections reinforced EU concerns about the fragility of European democracies. This, coupled with intensifying conflict dynamics and authoritarian trends worldwide, led the EU to focus on protecting democracy at home at the expense of supporting it globally.
- +7
- Richard Youngs,
- Kinga Brudzińska,
- Zselyke Csaky,
- Ricardo Farinha,
- Ken Godfrey,
- Carlotta Magoga,
- Evelyn Mantoiu,
- Elene Panchulidze,
- Hélène Ramaroson,
- Elena Ventura
Pushing Back Against Political Violence
A conversation on how to prevent political violence in the United States and around the world.
‘Policy Inconsistency a Hallmark of Trump’: How Long Will the ‘Unwieldy MAGA Coalition’ Endure?
A conversation about the influence of rich and powerful tech CEOs in the new Trump administration.
The World Elects: Assessing the Super Election Year 2024
Election super-year will leave some legacy in terms of policy changes and ramifications for democracy. Yet these impacts are mixed and diverse, and resist any uniform account or overly sweeping judgements.
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.
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.
- Mara Revkin,
- Benjamin Krick,
- Raed Aldulaimi
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
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.
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.
Three Conclusions From the Global Year of Elections
The disparate cases and hard questions of interpretation underline the need for nuance.
· December 18, 2024
European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024
- +7
- Richard Youngs,
- Kinga Brudzińska,
- Zselyke Csaky,
- Ricardo Farinha,
- Ken Godfrey,
- Carlotta Magoga,
- Evelyn Mantoiu,
- Elene Panchulidze,
- Hélène Ramaroson,
- Elena Ventura
Reintegrating Iraqis Returning Home After Conflict: Lessons from Variation Between Four Communities
- Mara Revkin,
- Benjamin Krick,
- Raed Aldulaimi
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
Three Conclusions From the Global Year of Elections
· December 18, 2024
...