Democracy Lab

About Democracy Lab

Democracy Lab is Foreign Policy's home for coverage of transitions to democracy, published in partnership with the Legatum Institute. Democracy Lab also runs Transitions, a blog featuring on-the-ground coverage of transitioning countries.

Editor, Christian Caryl
Assistant Editor, Ilya Lozovsky

Learn more about Democracy Lab here.

Uniformed Soviet soldiers work on a row of tanks in East Germany.
Uniformed Soviet soldiers work on a row of tanks in East Germany.

Cold War II Is All About Geopolitics

A new book overplays the domestic roots of Sino-U.S. confrontation and underestimates its geopolitical logic.

A man wheels his bicycle along a railroad track in Hiroshima. Around him is the rubble of trees and buildings destroyed by the atomic bomb.
A man wheels his bicycle along a railroad track in Hiroshima. Around him is the rubble of trees and buildings destroyed by the atomic bomb.

The Bomb Was Horrifying. The Alternatives Would Have Been Worse.

Historical records show that dropping atomic bombs was the least bad option.

Maduro and Lula embrace.
Maduro and Lula embrace.

South American Presidents Come to Lula’s Party, but Check His Leadership

In Brasília, leaders weighed how to make continental cooperation more durable after a past attempt sputtered.

People attend the funeral of Muhammed Abdel Majib Ateeq, a member of Anti-Terrorism Brigade BAT of Tunisian Police, killed in an attack near El Ghriba synagogue on the Island of Djerba, Tunisia on May 11.
People attend the funeral of Muhammed Abdel Majib Ateeq, a member of Anti-Terrorism Brigade BAT of Tunisian Police, killed in an attack near El Ghriba synagogue on the Island of Djerba, Tunisia on May 11.

After Synagogue Attack, Tunisia Ignores Elephant in the Room

Kais Saied’s government refuses to reckon with the country’s rampant anti-Semitism.

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past an honor guard of People's Liberation Army sailors at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Sept. 16, 2013.
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past an honor guard of People's Liberation Army sailors at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Sept. 16, 2013.

Why Biden’s China Reset Is a Bad Idea

Signaling neediness to an adversary has never been effective.

A person holding an umbrella and a cell phone walks out of a building between two glass doors. Just inside the building, behind the person, is a large sign showing the logo for Micron.
A person holding an umbrella and a cell phone walks out of a building between two glass doors. Just inside the building, behind the person, is a large sign showing the logo for Micron.

The U.S. and China Are Caught in a Technology Trap

The world’s two largest economies are walking a tightrope between bad blood and good business.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva holds his glasses during a press conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasília.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva holds his glasses during a press conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasília.

What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of May 27: Another round of airstrikes batters Syria, a Senegalese opposition leader is arrested, and China makes another appeal for peace.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (right) shakes hands with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu during the opening dinner for the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s annual defense and security forum, in Singapore on June 2.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (right) shakes hands with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu during the opening dinner for the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s annual defense and security forum, in Singapore on June 2.
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks in front of the white marble Capitol Building on a sunny day. McCarthy's hands are raised to motion as he speaks, and other lawmakers stand behind him.
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks in front of the white marble Capitol Building on a sunny day. McCarthy's hands are raised to motion as he speaks, and other lawmakers stand behind him.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.
A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.
Evacuees and military personnel board a Royal Air Force aircraft bound for Cyprus in Omdurman, Sudan.
Evacuees and military personnel board a Royal Air Force aircraft bound for Cyprus in Omdurman, Sudan.
Six Mongolian yurt tents stand in a field in front of a ridge of conifer trees. Overhead is a blue sky at dusk, dotted with stars and clouds.
Six Mongolian yurt tents stand in a field in front of a ridge of conifer trees. Overhead is a blue sky at dusk, dotted with stars and clouds.
Myanmar migrant workers hold up a three-finger salute during a May Day rally in Bangkok on May 1.
Myanmar migrant workers hold up a three-finger salute during a May Day rally in Bangkok on May 1.
Members of the Taiwanese Air Force prepare to load U.S.-made Harpoon AGM-84 anti-ship missiles in front of an F-16 fighter jet during a drill at Chiashan Air Force Base, Hualien County, Taiwan, on Aug. 17, 2022.
Members of the Taiwanese Air Force prepare to load U.S.-made Harpoon AGM-84 anti-ship missiles in front of an F-16 fighter jet during a drill at Chiashan Air Force Base, Hualien County, Taiwan, on Aug. 17, 2022.
Senegalese police and gendarmes are seen at the entrance to the Dakar courthouse where the trial of opposition politician Ousmane Sonko is being held on June 1.
Senegalese police and gendarmes are seen at the entrance to the Dakar courthouse where the trial of opposition politician Ousmane Sonko is being held on June 1.
Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party take part in a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Dec. 10, 2022.
Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party take part in a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Dec. 10, 2022.

Galleries

Protesters—many of them armed—try to enter the Michigan House of Representatives chamber and are stopped by state police during a protest April 30 demanding that businesses be reopened. An “American Patriot Rally” organized by Michigan United for Liberty was held earlier in the day on the steps of the state Capitol in Lansing. JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters—many of them armed—try to enter the Michigan House of Representatives chamber and are stopped by state police during a protest April 30 demanding that businesses be reopened. An “American Patriot Rally” organized by Michigan United for Liberty was held earlier in the day on the steps of the state Capitol in Lansing. JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

The Week in World Photos

Global protests against government-imposed lockdowns, gang violence in El Salvador, and hat tips to medical staff.

Muslims offer prayers on April 23, the first night of Ramadan, in Bireuen, Indonesia. AMANDA JUFRIAN/AFP via Getty Images
Muslims offer prayers on April 23, the first night of Ramadan, in Bireuen, Indonesia. AMANDA JUFRIAN/AFP via Getty Images

The Week in World Photos

A prayerful start to Ramadan, medical workers on the front lines of a pandemic, and the annual Lyrids meteor shower.

In the Magazine

In the Magazine

foreign-policy-magazine-cover-coronavirus-globalization-spring-2020
foreign-policy-magazine-cover-coronavirus-globalization-spring-2020
deglobalization-localization-lego-globe-ben-fearnley
deglobalization-localization-lego-globe-ben-fearnley

How to Save Global Capitalism From Itself

Decentralizing decision-making can help left-behind regions get back on track.

brexit-deglobalization-brian-stauffer-illustration
brexit-deglobalization-brian-stauffer-illustration

Britain’s Post-Brexit Identity Crisis

Boris Johnson has contradictory ideas for his country’s future—and no clear paths for getting there.

The Ugly End of Chimerica

The coronavirus pandemic has turned a conscious uncoupling into a messy breakup.

The 3 Most Polarizing Words in India

“Jai Shri Ram” was meant to be a celebration of a Hindu deity. But the phrase is turning into hate speech—and a dog whistle for attacks on Muslims.

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Are America and Europe Aligned on China?

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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more

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Inside the U.S.-China Tech War

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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show more

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)

Is America Making a Bad Bet on India?

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For decades, the U.S. foreign-policy establishment has made the assumption that India could serve as a partner as the United States jostles with China for power in the Indo-Pacific region. B...Show more

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