Democracy Publications
Chronic Violence and its Reproduction: Perverse Trends in Social Relations, Citizenship, and Democracy in Latin America
Nov 01, 2011This report reviews a broad literature on the causes and social effects of chronic violence in Latin America and details the consistent and diverse ways that chronic violence undermines social relations and support for democracy. more
Does Participatory Governance Matter?
Oct 31, 2011On May 9-10, 2011, the Wilson Center’s Comparative Urban Studies Project, in partnership with Boise State University, convened over twenty decentralization and local governance specialists to assess nearly three decades of widespread adoption of participatory governance institutions. Authors Brian Wampler and Stephanie McNulty offer case studies, policy recommendations, and a new research agenda that will reshape our understanding of the role participatory institutions can play in improving democracies and public life. more
Organized Crime in Central America: The Northern Triangle
Sep 14, 2011This publication attempts to create a better understanding of the nature, origins, and evolution of organized crime in Central America by examining the dynamics of organized crime in the three countries of the so-called Northern Triangle as well as the broader regional context that links these case studies. more
State, Society, and Transformation
Aug 31, 2011Based on a conference sponsored by the Centers for Advanced Study and Education (CASE) Program, this report discusses reintroducing the concept of society back into the study of the state in the former Soviet Union and Russia. more
US Immigration Policy Since 9/11: Understanding the Stalemate over Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Aug 01, 2011This report reviews the recent history of US immigration legislation, including new enforcement mandates passed immediately after 9/11 and unsuccessful efforts to pass CIR bills during the 109th and 110th Congresses. This history, together with asymmetries in the political process that favor enforcement-oriented responses, stack the deck against legalization and visa reform. Any possibility of success was further hurt by the timing of the reform debate with respect to the national electoral calendar in 2006-07 and the economic downturn beginning in 2008. more
Women, Muslim Laws and Human Rights in Nigeria: A Keynote Address
Jul 19, 2011What is the meaning of Shari’a law? How can we understand its implementation in different contexts, given the diversity in the practice of Islam in Africa and around the globe? What are the elements of Shari’a that are particularly relevant to the position of women and gender relations in the African nation(s) under consideration? more
Election Observation Missions: Making them Count
Jul 19, 2011International election observation is a work in progress, much like the international democratic system it aims to promote and develop. Today
election observation is disproportionately focused on the pre-election and election periods at the expense of the post-election period. International
organizations, national governments, and civil society are familiar with what is expected both before and during an election. Election “practices” exist and an international set of principles is now emerging to guide international elections
observers both before and during elections. more
The ANC and Post-Apartheid South Africa Quo Vadis: One Hundred Years Going on Twenty
Jul 15, 2011The advent of democracy in 1994 came with the
promise of a society whose race, political, economic
and social relations would be the antithesis of what
they had been under apartheid. The post-apartheid
order would deliver what the ANC calls “a better life
for all.” What has happened since the ANC came to
power can best be summarized in three ways: First,
there has been some improvement in the political,
social and economic conditions of the majority.
Second, democratic, policy and delivery deficits have
emerged. more
A Challenge: The Arab Spring in North Africa and its Ramification on the Continent
Jul 12, 2011After the demise of the Soviet Bloc and the democratic transitions of Eastern Europe which witnessed very dramatic changes in internal and external polices of those countries, many thought that this would be the model for the Arab world to emulate. However, it was generally thought that it would be a decade before the Arab world was ready for such a transition. Accelerating the pace of democratization it was believed, would pave the way for extremist religious parties to assume power, leading to a radical shift in the foreign policy orientation of key Arab states. more
