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The Panama Canal has value to American business—but it has more value to China

The Panama Canal has value to American business—but it has more value to China

A fictional, fanciful sign depicts the results of voter suppression through the unfair, partisan manipulation of district lines (gerrymandering).

The worst congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s

Project 2025: Part II

Project 2025: Part II

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Project 2025: Department of Education

Redistricting

Redistricting

Special Session Watch: Florida Reaches Compromise Over Immigration Law

Special Session Watch: Florida Reaches Compromise Over Immigration Law

Video: Highlights from the 2022 Global Democracy Champions Summit

Video: Highlights from the 2022 Global Democracy Champions Summitplay icon

Highlights Video: 2022 Global Democracy Champions Summit

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The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumJun 06, 2022
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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This week, we are excited to share a video series featuring panel discussions from the Global Democracy Champions Summit co-hosted by Keseb and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. We hope this series will spur dialogue and action to advance inclusive democracy in the US and globally.

Citizens of both established democracies and the world’s most repressive regimes have become less free in recent years, with 8 in 10 people living in “Partly Free” or “Not Free” countries, according to theFreedom House. While democratic Ukraine’s fierce resistance has galvanized a steadfast international response, efforts by democracy champions to turn the tide on authoritarianism and build inclusive, multi-racial, multi-ethnic democracy remain siloed – segmented by national boundaries.

On May 11 2022, Keseb and theSNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University partnered to host the inaugural Global Democracy Champions Summit featuring over 400 registrants from 48 countries and 25 speakers from 12 countries. The Summit created a forum for democracy entrepreneurs, activists, academics, journalists, philanthropists, and policy makers to uplift compelling ideas, share insights across national boundaries, and create a global network of activists and civil society leaders committed to building inclusive, 21st century democracies.

Sessions from the Summit included: the state of global democracy; battling the effects of conspiracy theory and disinformation; building enduring people power; imagining a co-governance model; entrepreneurship as a vehicle for building inclusive and multigroup democracies; and the global youth movement for democracy.

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Check out highlights from the Summit: Highlights Video: 2022 Global Democracy Champions Summit

We will share one panel discussion from the Summit each day of this week. Come back tomorrow to view “The State of Global Democracy.”

Please visit Keseb and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University to subscribe and receive news of future Democracy Champions opportunities.

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When Power Protects Predators: How U.S. Rape Culture Silences Survivors

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When Power Protects Predators: How U.S. Rape Culture Silences Survivors

On November 5, 2024—the night of the most anticipated election cycle for residents of the United States—thousands gathered around the country, sitting with friends in front of large-screen TVs, optimistic and ready to witness the election of the next president of the United States.

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The Bureaucrat’s Dilemma When Dealing with a Charismatic Autocrat

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The Bureaucrat’s Dilemma When Dealing with a Charismatic Autocrat

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In my book To Stop a Tyrant, I identify five types of a political leader’s followers. Given the importance of access in politics, I range these from the more distant to the closest. In the middle are bureaucrats. No political leader can accomplish anything without a cadre of bureaucrats to implement their vision and policies. Custom, culture and law establish boundaries for a bureaucrat’s freedom of action. At times, these constraints must be balanced with moral considerations. The following excerpt discusses ways in which bureaucrats need to thread this needle.

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Trump’s Project 2025 agenda caps decades-long resistance to 20th century progressive reform

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Project 2025 is a conservative guideline for reforming government and policymaking during the second Trump administration. The Fulcrum's cross-partisan analysis of Project 2025 relies on unbiased, critical thinking, reexamines outdated assumptions, and uses reason, scientific evidence, and data in analyzing and critiquing Project 2025. To that end, we also amplify the work of others in doing the same.

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Religious elite can follow their source of moral guidance

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Religious elite can follow their source of moral guidance

In some societies, there is no distinction between religious elites and political elites. In others, there is a strong wall between them. Either way, they tend to have direct access to huge swaths of the populace and influence with them. This is an irresistible target for the proto-tyrant to court or nullify.

In many cases, the shrewd proto-tyrant will pose as befriending the major religious sect or, at least, dissemble that they mean it no harm. It is extremely enticing for the leaders of these sects to give the proto-tyrant public support or, at least, studiously refrain from criticizing their regime. There is apparently much to be gained or, at least, much less to lose in terms of their temporal power and ability to continue serving their faithful.

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