One of the world’s earliest known works of literature is a poem about a king named Gilgamesh, who ruled a civilization in ancient Mesopotamia. King Gilgamesh oppressed his people, and in turn, they ...

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how a country’s form of government determines whether citizens’ voices are magnified or minimized For as long as governments have existed, ...

Claims that democracy is in crisis are certainly not new, but recent history has given the claim a new urgency. Over the past decade or so, there has been no shortage of people expressing concern that ...

Democracy is not in decline. The nation-state is. That distinction — between democracy and the nation-state — might seem strange because it is so rarely made. When people around the world talk about ...

A vote center in San Diego County. Courtesy Registrar of Voters If democracy is going to flourish on this planet, its practitioners must come to see themselves as members of the same team.

Most people in most countries say they want to be governed democratically. Because democracy’s appeal is so powerful, governments and political leaders everywhere claim to be supporters of democracy.

It’s a sign of our troubled times that when asked about the health of their democracies, millions of citizens curse politicians, complain about poor government performance, and express fears that ...