Carnegie Democracy

Check out the coauthors' takeaways for @carnegieendowment.org:
👉Pocketbook concerns are central
👉Disapproval of Trump does not translate to support for Democrats
👉Indian Americans are facing a sharp rise in online hostility and anti-Indian rhetoric
Link
carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Indian Americans remain one of the most Democratic-leaning constituencies in American politics—but their partisan attachment is softening.

@milanv.bsky.social and his coauthors on the 2026 Indian Americans Attitudes Survey map these shifts. ⤵️ carnegieendowment.org/preview/rese...

Civil Society Restrictions in North Africa: The Impact on Climate-Focused Civil Society Organizations For climate-focused civil society in countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia to be most effective, organizations should work together to develop networks that extend their reach beyond their loca...

In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, climate-focused groups walk a fine line: highlight governance failures without triggering repression.

Shared goals, foreign funding, and informal networks might be their key to success, writes Sarah Yerkes @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️

The Trump Administration’s Tangled Talk About Democracy Abroad How significant are statements by senior U.S. officials about supporting democracy abroad in the context of a foreign policy led by a president focused on near-term transactional interests?

This morning, Pete Hegseth said the Iran war is "no democracy building exercise."

This may seem normal for the Trump admin. But Thomas Carrothers and McKenzie Carrier write for @carnegieendowment.org that officials use tangled talk about democracy abroad ⤵️ carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

New Approaches to Defending Global Civil Society - European Democracy Hub

🆕Civil society is in danger of getting squeezed – in some countries, almost entirely out of existence.

A new report, edited by @richardyoungs.bsky.social and Elene Panchulidze, suggests that we need radically different protections. Their authors have ideas⤵️

The Pentagon Feuding With an AI Company Is a Very Bad Sign Anthropic doesn’t trust this administration with its technology—and it has a point.

The Pentagon feuding with Anthropic is
a very bad sign, @stevenfeldstein.bsky.social writes for @foreignpolicy.com

After months of tension, things reached a boiling point. The AI company doesn’t trust this administration with its tech—and it has a point, says Steve👇

The Trump Administration’s Tangled Talk About Democracy Abroad How significant are statements by senior U.S. officials about supporting democracy abroad in the context of a foreign policy led by a president focused on near-term transactional interests?

🆕Democracy isn’t central to Trump’s foreign policy—but democracy talk isn't totally absent either.

Thomas Carothers and McKenzie Carrier find a tangled mix of sanctions, silence, and selective outrage for @carnegieendowment.org ⤵️

Missed the event? You can watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fyp...

Is a Stronger Europe Good for Democracy? | Journal of Democracy It certainly should be. But the reality is that Europe’s newfound autonomy isn’t producing the stalwart defense of democracy that the world now requires.

🆕Europe’s newfound autonomy isn’t producing the stalwart defense of democracy that the world now requires.

The EU mistakenly conflates defending itself with defending liberal-democratic values @richardyoungs.bsky.social writes for @jodemocracy.bsky.social ⤵️

How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender YouTube video by Carnegie Endowment

‼️STARTING SOON: How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender (10-11AM ET)

@saskiabr.bsky.social discusses how illiberal leaders use gender—and the implications for inclusive democracies—with Tara Chandra, Míriam Juan-Torres, and Laura Livingston. WATCH LIVE @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️

European Democracy Support Annual Review 2025 European democracy support strategy in 2025 prioritized protecting democratic norms within Europe. This signals the start of a structural recalibration of the EU’s approach to democracy support.

🆕Europe is recalibrating its democracy agenda to look inwards.

The European Democracy Support Annual Review 2025, led by @richardyoungs.bsky.social, finds that the EU is defending norms at home after U.S. retreat.

Read the EU's best and worst democracy moves⤵️

After winning Bangladesh's election, Tarique Rahman has pledged to work for democracy.

Thomas Carothers & McKenzie Carrier identified this election as a pivotal democratic moment in 2026. Now, can the new leaders deliver their promises? @carnegieendowment.org

How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender Join Saskia Brechenmacher, a senior fellow with Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program, for a conversation with the authors of (En)Gendering Authoritarianism, Tara Chandra, Míriam Juan-...

How do authoritarian leaders strategically deploy gender to consolidate power?

‼️LIVE IN ONE WEEK: "How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender." Feb 19, 10-11AM ET

@saskiabr.bsky.social with Tara Chandra, Míriam Juan-Torres, and Laura Livingston. Sign up⬇️
carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/...

‘Proportional representation’ could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like their voices are being heard The electoral system used by many global democracies eliminates gerrymandering and has been shown to give more equal representation to minorities and women.

🆕Proportional representation could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like their voices are being heard.

@jennifermccoy.bsky.social explains how the U.S. could get there for @us.theconversation.com ⤵️

🆕As Gaza peace negotiations take center stage, Washington needs to learn from its Middle East mediation experience.

Amr Hamzawy, Sarah Yerkes, & Kathryn Selfe analyze 4 case studies to highlight the tools and levers of peacemaking for
@carnegieendowment.org carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values Heated political struggles over gender playing out in several regions of the world are more than just isolated or temporary reactions to recent progressive reforms: They are a key front in a larger cultural and political realignment.

And check out Saskia's @carnegieendowment.org paper, "The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values," on the global pushback against gender equality and how advocates can respond.
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

(En)Gendering Authoritarianism This project explores how authoritarian movements leverage and weaponize gender to divide society and opposition movements, launder and normalize social hierarchies, reshape cultural norms, and lay th...

The panelists will be discussing their recent report, (En)Gendering Authoritarianism, for @obi-belonging.bsky.social. Read the 6 ways that authoritarians strategically leverage gender:
belonging.berkeley.edu/engendering-...

NEW EVENT: How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender

Feb 19, 10-11AM ET LIVE ONLINE

Tara Chandra, Míriam Juan-Torres, and Laura Livingston join @saskiabr.bsky.social to discuss why gender is a faultline of democratic backsliding.

Register @carnegieendowment.org 🔽 carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/...

Showering Trump With Flattery Is a Risky Political Strategy Latin American conservatives love to lavish praise upon the U.S. president. But doing so could undermine the region’s long-term interests.

Latin American conservatives love to lavish praise upon the U.S. president. But showering Trump with flattery is a risky political strategy.

@oliverstuenkel.bsky.social breaks down the gambles and risks of "caudillo courtship" for @foreignpolicy.com ⤵️

Why Social Media Is Now the Place to Build Trust The nonprofit world excels at communications strategies that are almost irrelevant. Here’s a playbook for how to regain credibility by working with online influencers.

🆕The nonprofit world excels at communications strategies that are almost irrelevant.

@noupside.bsky.social and @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social present a playbook for how to regain credibility on social media through partnerships and experimentation in @chronphilanthropy.bsky.social ⤵️

The United States Should Apply the Arab Spring’s Lessons to Its Iran Response The uprisings showed that foreign military intervention rarely produced democratic breakthroughs.

As protests in Iran recede, the United States faces policy options that draw on Arab Spring lessons.

Amr Hamzawy and Sarah Yerkes outline nonviolent, regionally coordinated strategies: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Why Social Media Is Now the Place to Build Trust The nonprofit world excels at communications strategies that are almost irrelevant. Here’s a playbook for how to regain credibility by working with online influencers.

It's time for philanthropy to figure out how to help their grantees navigate new media before fact-based communication falls into irrelevance. @ReneeDiResta and I show how - and why: www.philanthropy.com/opinion/why-...

Why Dictators Take Out the Internet Weak governments shut the internet down. Strong authoritarians don’t let it get to that point.

🔊How does a regime switch off the Internet? Can blackouts backfire on dictators? What are the warning signs for citizens of rising digital repression in their own country?

@stevenfeldstein.bsky.social joins @lizzieohreally.bsky.social on @slate.com's What Next: TBD podcast⤵️

In Minneapolis and Elsewhere, Do Street Protests Make a Difference? Three factors shape when protests restrain democratic erosion—and when they don’t.

🆕Can street protests—like those in Minneapolis—actually slow democratic erosion? @saskiabr.bsky.social lays out the 3 features of impactful protest: nonviolence, broad coalitions, and long-term, institutional action.

Today for @foreignpolicy.com ⤵️

And check out more data from @stevenfeldstein.bsky.social's Digital Repression Index👇

Iran’s internet shutdown tells a larger story: Digital repression is on the rise Like Iran, governments worldwide rely on internet shutdowns to suppress populations, rig elections and collectively punish their citizens.

Activists are fighting back against these authoritarian strategies with new tools like Bitchat and Starlink, write
@stevenfeldstein.bsky.social and Shreya Joshi.

Read their analysis: thebulletin.org/2026/01/iran...

Over the past 20 years, digital repression has spread dramatically, as shown in 2 maps by
@stevenfeldstein.bsky.social

In 2004 (left), countries with above-average levels of digital repression were clustered in a belt.

By 2024 (right) digital repression had spread and worsened.🧵⤵️

Can Venezuela Move From Economic Stabilization to a Democratic Transition? Venezuelans deserve to participate in collective decisionmaking and determine their own futures.

Oil revenues can restart Venezuela’s economy—but without transparency, rule of law, and political reform, they could also freeze repression in place.

Economic recovery needs a democratic horizon, @jennifermccoy.bsky.social writes for @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️

Africa’s Democratic Kaleidoscope: Trends to Watch in 2026 Supporters of democracy within and outside the continent should track these four patterns in the coming year.

🆕"Africa’s democratic landscape defies a single story of systemic backsliding or reform—and instead is best understood as a collection of diverging and still unsettled trajectories."

@saskiabr.bsky.social and Frances Brown identify four governance trends to watch for in Africa this year⤵️

"If Europe is as serious about preventing Ukraine’s defeat as it now appears to be, a coordinated long-term strategy will do more to help Kyiv...than its current practice of lurching from one aid package to another."

Read the latest from @sophiabesch.bsky.social 🔽