Search results for Democratic Backsliding & Solutions

Planning for America’s Democratic Renewal Must Start Now: Lessons from Poland

Poland’s recovery from democratic backsliding shows how hard the process can be -- and why U.S. reformers should start planning now for lawful, durable renewal. The post Planning f...

The problem of assessing democratic decline

ITHACA—Democracy is inherently fraught. At its core lies the difficulty of translating individual preferences into a coherent social choice, a problem famously captured by Nobel la...

Orbán’s Fall: The Cracks In Europe’s Illiberal Stronghold

The electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary marks a significant ideological rupture in contemporary international politics, going far beyond a routine change in government. For...

Is the U.S. slipping into 'Competitive Authoritarianism?'

What form of government do we have in America now? Some scholars say it is no longer liberal democracy, but "competitive authoritarianism." NPR's Frank Langfitt explains the term a...

The Tightrope Walk of Democratic Defense: Lessons from Taiwan’s Platform Governance Challenge

The safeguards emerging from Taiwan's effort to address information manipulation risks offer democracies a platform governance roadmap. The post The Tightrope Walk of Democratic De...

Tackling Political Exclusion is Central to Saving Democracy

BRIGHTON, UK, April 6 (IPS) - Urgent steps need to be taken to rebuild the relationship between citizens and state to stem the decline of democracy globally. Experts point to ineq...

Hungary Avoided Democratic Collapse. Can We?

After years of corruption and democratic erosion under Viktor Orbán, Hungary must rebuild its institutions. Its new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, faces questions about how he’ll do...

Stop Calling Hungary an Authoritarian Playbook

A popular explanation for today’s attacks on academic freedom is that the Trump administration is following an authoritarian playbook, with Hungary under Viktor Orbán cast as the m...

Nine lessons for the US from Viktor Orbán’s defeat | Kenneth Roth

As US elections approach, the Hungarian prime minister’s loss is a reminder that history does not march relentlessly toward autocracyViktor Orbán’s electoral loss was a slap in the...

Hungary: New Government Needs to Restore Rule of Law

(Budapest, April 14, 2026) - Hungary's incoming government should take immediate steps to restore fundamental rights, dismantle abusive laws and institutions, and strengthen democr...

Compressed democracies

There are two ways to view Hungary’s recent elections.

Hungary’s Long Road Back

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, May 8 (IPS) - When Péter Magyar took the stage in Budapest on the night of 12 April, he told the crowd they had ‘liberated Hungary’. The hyperbole seemed just...

Learning lessons from Hungary’s election

Charles Lane explores the lessons from a recent eastern European election. After 16 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has suffered a decisive election defeat, o...

Hungary: New Government Needs to Restore Rule of Law

Click to expand Image Tisza supporters celebrate after Peter Magyar's victory speech in...

Hungary: New Government Needs to Restore Rule of Law

Click to expand Image Tisza supporters celebrate after Peter Magyar's victory speech in...

Even if Victor Orbán is ousted on Sunday, Hungary’s return to liberal democracy is not guaranteed | Gabriela Greilinger...

Challenger Péter Magyar is no progressive – and after 16 years of creeping authoritarianism, the PM has embedded Fidesz in the Hungarian stateOn Sunday, Hungarians will go to the p...

How to Defeat a Very Trumpy Authoritarian Leader—Maybe

“Óvatosan optimista.” That means “cautious optimism.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard from several Hungarian friends when I ask them about the momentous elections taking place on Sunday,...

My New Liberalism.Org Article on "Liberalism's Uneasy Relationship with Democracy"

The article addresses the interlinked problems of widespread voter ignorance, tyranny of the majority, and illiberal anti-democratic movements coming to power through elections.

What American Mayors Can Learn From Budapest

Amid democratic backsliding, Hungary's mayors helped maintain people's trust in government, demonstrating how local leaders can help reweave torn social fabric. The post What Ameri...

Ideas for when we get out of this mess.

 "We used to say facts don't care about your feelings. “Now feelings don't care about your facts."  Dems may be the (uneven/flawed) good guys... and their policies always have bett...

Power sharing as trust building in Hungary

A new prime minister sets a template for ending the concentration of power left by his authoritarian, populist predecessor

How Democrats Can Reverse Trumpism

Assuming Democrats can win back Congress and the White House by 2028, they will face an immediate question: How much of Donald Trump’s damage can actually be undone? Democrats must...

Hungary democracy at stake: experts

How to Rebuild Hungarian Democracy

Peter Magyar must avoid reproducing the very abuses he seeks to dismantle.