Democracy Digest: ‘Saving Liberalism’ and Other Policies

They also include policy recommendations for improving media literacy and tackling disinformation, coping with the "geopolitisation of technology" and thwarting foreign authoritarian influence.

Reassessing 1989

The German Marshall Fund of the United States, a US think tank specialising in transatlantic relations, takes an in-depth look at the legacy of events that ended communism in Europe three decades ago — what historian Timothy Garten Ash calls "a non-violent, negotiated revolution".

This 12-chapter report covers a lot of ground, from the resurgence of authoritarian regimes and the mixed fruits of Poland's freedom to the "end of techno-utopianism" and the new technological "Silicon Curtain" that may define the next 30 years.

Democracy for All: Beyond a Crisis of Imagination

This study sets out the conclusions of a year-long research project into the opportunities and challenges for democracy in 80 countries by the Civicus global alliance of civil society organisations. It is a sobering read.

"In country after country, democracy is under attack. In many countries, we see democratic regression and the withdrawal of democratic freedoms. We see the rise of polarising politics and the cult of the strong-arm leader. We see right-wing populism on the march."

The good news: "Our consultations tell us that people want more democracy, not less."

Can Middle Powers Save the Liberal World Order?

London-based independent policy institute Chatham House makes the case that it is time for so-called middle powers — the rung below superpowers — to translate warnings of doom and gloom about liberal democracy into concerted action.

"With major powers such as China, Russia, and now also the US, chipping away at the foundations of the liberal...