As the U.S. tries to reset relations (yet again) with a Muslim world now reshaped by revolution — a theme President Barack Obama pushed in a major speech Thursday on American policy in the region — officials would be wise to first better understand one of the most fundamental questions about U.S. involvement there. Why are Muslims, by and large, so mad at America? The answer is not so simple — not just about invasions, or religious offense or oil greed. A new book, reflecting five years of research on the ground and public opinion polling by political psychologist Steven Kull, ... Read More
Media and Revolution 2.0: Tiananmen to Tahrir
February 24, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Have the latest advances in communication technology radically altered the fundamental dynamics of struggles for change in authoritarian settings? Or have cell phones and social media merely brought about small shifts in the dynamics of revolution? Is the Web a godsend to those trapped in oppressive states, as Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo suggests in his essay “The Internet is God’s Gift to China”? Or does this thinking give in to a form of “cyber-utopianism” that glosses over the potential of new media to be used by autocrats, their propaganda ministries and security forces to massage ... Read More
The Arab Spring’s Cascading Effects
February 23, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Over the last few months, social unrest has cascaded across the major urban centers of North Africa and the Middle East. Journalists and communications media are often part of such moments of upheaval. Yet this recent wave of unrest is unlike other discrete periods of rapid political change. Through digital media, the stories of success in Tunisia and Egypt have spread over social networks to many other authoritarian regimes. Digital media has not only caused a cascade of civil disobedience to spread among populations living under the most unflappable dictators, it has made for unique new ... Read More
Democracy No. 11 on Realpolitik’s Top 10 List
February 15, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
When pro-democracy protesters toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak last Friday, American tradition suggests citizens and politicians in the U.S. would have cheered right alongside the revelers in Tahrir Square. After all, America is supposed to be the “shining city upon a hill” — a model democracy always eager to promote and welcome other nations to the club. The stateside reaction, though, has been much murkier. Egyptian democracy could make America less safe, warned former U.S. ambassador John Bolton. It could lead to the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, feared Newt Gingrich. It ... Read More
Happiness Is on the Rise. Thanks, Freedom
September 12, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Is economic development the key to national happiness? Once nations have covered the bases for most of their citizens — checking off the basic necessities of food, water, shelter and safety — what is left? Do we stop measuring success by our GDP and tell government to stop pursuing happiness and focus on its capture, á la Bhutan? A standard government response to such mandates might be to ladle out cash, but recent research suggests more money alone doesn't make us happy — what makes us happy is having more than our neighbors. So with Western nations having established an economic ... Read More
Showing Initiative (the Door)
January 26, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
At the beginning of the 20th century, American progressives pushed the idea of ballot initiatives as a cure for some of the ills of representative government. In a political system still run by patronage, proponents argued that direct democracy would hold elected officials accountable to the public and foster a more informed and active populace. Over the years, political scientists largely supported these assertions, crediting ballot initiatives and referenda for generating higher turnout and better-educated voters. Nearly half the states in the nation allow citizens to place initiatives on ... Read More
Importing Workers, Exporting Democratic Values
December 1, 2009 • By • 2 Comments
In the ongoing immigration debate, the contentious issue is usually how the presence of all these foreign workers is affecting our nation. Oddly, a parallel question is almost never asked: How the migrants' home country is affected by the fact so many of its citizens live a significant chunk of their lives abroad. A new study suggests that in the case of Mexico, the impact — at least in terms of politics and governance — is real and positive. Exposing so many Mexicans directly to the U.S.'s democratic system of government has increased support for, and participation in, democracy back ... Read More
Building a Better Citizen
November 2, 2009 • By • Leave a Comment
In the late 1980s, Hampton, Va., faced the challenges of many blue-collar cities along its stretch of the southern Chesapeake: rising unemployment, a stagnant economy and the flight of young families to seek better jobs and fuller lives elsewhere. City leaders gambled on a novel response. They would target young people, hoping to cultivate a generation of citizens committed to Hampton's long-term vitality. In 1990, the city launched Hampton Youth Civic Engagement, a program to instill community pride and leadership skills in young people and engage them in governance. The program was ... Read More
