democracy

Vote sign in a window with masked man looking at it in reflection

US could stand to dial down democracy, says economist

When it comes to democracy, less may be more.

US could stand to dial down democracy, says economist
Protesters wa;l through the streets of a city carrying Russian flags and large signs written in Russian.

Laws are chipping away at democracy around the world

Laws are chipping away at democracy around the world
The White House.

What theoretical physics says about the future of our government

What theoretical physics says about the future of our government
Protesters in Prague show symbolic red cards to Czech President Milos Zeman on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in 2014.

Things just got shaky for the last liberal democracy in Central Europe

Things just got shaky for the last liberal democracy in Central Europe
Elif Koc, 18, shapes a customer's eyebrows at the Twins salon in Istanbul. Kroc is voting yes on Sunday's referendum. But she says the issue is dividing her family.

Is Turkey's referendum a vote for more efficient government, or a power grab?

Is Turkey's referendum a vote for more efficient government, or a power grab?
Cuban artist Tania Bruguera has been arrested by authorities in Havana three times in recent years.

Cuba's most controversial artist sketches the island's post-Fidel future

Fidel Castro's death has this Cuban artist declaring it's time for the island to reinvent itself.

Cuba's most controversial artist sketches the island's post-Fidel future
Three people pose

These elected officials are among the few who were born outside the US

Immigrants make up 13 percent of the population but only one percent of the current Congress. A few more are joining the ranks this year, though.

These elected officials are among the few who were born outside the US
Activists in Turkey are silhouetted against a screen showing President Tayyip Erdogan during a pro-government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey, July 17, 2016.

Turkish authorities owe their very survival to the free press they attempt to throttle

When Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to reach out to those who opposed the attempted coup last week, he didn't dial-in to a government-supported media outlet.

Turkish authorities owe their very survival to the free press they attempt to throttle
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying looks on as he meets journalists in Hong Kong.

Facebook's new 'angry' emoji has become a powerful weapon for Hong Kong activists

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have found a powerful weapon for attacking leaders they claim are in Beijing's pocket.

Facebook's new 'angry' emoji has become a powerful weapon for Hong Kong activists
Alexis Sinduhije, Samantha Power and Bryan Rich at the Committee to Protect Journalists awards in 2004

Burundi exile to US's Samantha Power: 'You shake the hand of the killers'

He used to be friends with Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations. But now a former Burundian journalist is sanctioned by Washington for advocating violence.

Burundi exile to US's Samantha Power: 'You shake the hand of the killers'
Supporters of Myanmar's pro-democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi gather outside National League for Democracy headquarters (NLD) in Yangon, Myanmar, November 9, 2015.

In Myanmar, a pink pinkie is a sign of hope

For the first time in decades, the Burmese people went to the polls to vote. Now that social media isn't banned, they can share their experiences — one selfie at a time.

In Myanmar, a pink pinkie is a sign of hope
Ethiopians prepared billboards to welcome U.S. President Barack Obama to their capital Addis Ababa.

Elaborate rituals and lions roaming the palace grounds are just part of what sets autocratic Ethiopia apart from its neighbors

Some onlookers think President Barack Obama's "charisma" might help nudge Ethiopia onto a more democratic path

Elaborate rituals and lions roaming the palace grounds are just part of what sets autocratic Ethiopia apart from its neighbors
Voting

Why we're still waiting for the Internet to revolutionize politics

According to author Micah Sifry, the promise of the Internet's early days hasn’t exactly been realized.

Why we're still waiting for the Internet to revolutionize politics
Demonstrators listen as a student leader gives a speech during a protest led by students at Yangon University in Myanmar July 7, 2015

Meet the Burmese activists who risked their lives for the right to carry a USB drive

The pro-democracy activists who worked to end military rule in Burma are a complex cast of characters.

Meet the Burmese activists who risked their lives for the right to carry a USB drive
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi during his trial at a Cairo court on May 8, 2014. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Egypt's first democratically elected president becomes a convict

In 2012, Mohammed Morsi was the president of Egypt; in 2013, he was its deposed leader; today he's a convicted criminal, sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. And this verdict is only the first of several to be handed down against him as Muslim Brotherhood members are tried by the new government.

Egypt's first democratically elected president becomes a convict