List of Theory articles
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Pierre Poilievre speaks in front of a Canadian flag. Can a Conservative Win Back Canada?
Pierre Poilievre’s path to power looked assured—until Donald Trump returned.
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University of California, Los Angeles students, researchers, and demonstrators rally during a “Kill the Cuts” protest against the Trump administration’s funding cuts on research, health, and higher education in Los Angeles on April 8. Why Authoritarians Attack Universities First
A Yale professor and expert on fascism talks about why he’s leaving the United States under Trump.
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Police offers in neon-green uniforms surround a small crowd of people waving signs and flags. One banner shows a photograph of ormer South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at the center of the South Korean flag; another sign says "YOON AGAIN!" in English. South Korea’s Far Right Has Been Terrifyingly Radicalized
The impeachment of martial law President Yoon Suk-yeol reveals how far the rot spread.
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Microphones on long booms extend out from a circle of journalists, some writing in notebooks with as a man at center ansers questions. A gridded glass roof is seen above. A Dialogue With Russia’s Dark Side
A new book tries to understand the once-idealistic Russian journalists who now propagandize for Putin.
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A person is silhouetted against a giant chandelier. China’s Chandeliers Are Full of Anacondas
Perry Link’s essay collection finds meaning in silences.
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Xi, wearing a suit, holds up a glass of red wine. Trump’s Tariffs Are a Gift to Xi
Despite the steep tax on China, the U.S.-led economic roller coaster could work out in Beijing’s favor.
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The book cover for You Must Take Part in Revolution Hong Kong’s Warning Signs for America
A graphic novel plays out a nightmarish scenario of authoritarianism in the hopes of waking us up.
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Xi Jinping arriving at a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Nov. 20, 2024. China Won’t Be the Obvious Winner in Latin America
What does Washington’s assertive approach mean for Beijing’s regional influence?
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Protesters wave Turkish flags in front of the New Mosque in Istanbul on March 25. Erdogan Is Trying to Divide and Conquer Turkey’s Opposition
By arresting his chief rival and splitting the left, Turkey’s president is seeking to create a pliant and palatable CHP that ensures the AKP’s long-term dominance.
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A protestor sits with a book "A Fairer World Is Possible" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in front of Turkish riot police officers during a rally in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor in Istanbul on March 23, 2025. Turkey Can’t Live With, or Without, Erdogan
After decades in office, Turkey’s president has put his country in an impossible position.
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Two men are behind bars; a person is shown up-close in front of them. Putin’s Approach to Authoritarianism Is Changing
The sentencing of Alexei Navalny’s lawyers marks a new era of unchecked lawlessness.
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A satellite image shows the tiny island of Nauru in the South Pacific in June 1999. The dark blue ocean surrounds it, with a few clouds drifting into frame in the upper right corner. The Islands Caught in Global Crosshairs
Geopolitical flash points, from Nauru to Greenland.
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The cover of Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Is ‘Supply-Side Liberalism’ Still Relevant?
A new book from Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson could be a lost manifesto for a second Democratic administration.
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A crowd of hundreds of people stands beneath a hazy sky as it surrounds the Goddess of Democracy statue, which is constructed from white foam and papier-mâché. The statues towers above the demonstrators with its arms raised over its head, carrying a torch. Don’t Give Up on China’s Democracy Just Yet
Scholars are increasingly making the case for reviving modernization theory.
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Trump stands in an opera box with his hands out wide. Is Trump Executing a Self-Coup?
Modern autocrats don’t openly declare their intention to kill democracy but erode it stealthily over time.
