A new report from Freedom House sounds urgent alarm bells about the decline of democracy.
Category: Political issues
Does turnout matter?
Increased turnout in last year's US election probably didn't have much to do with the expansion of postal voting. Nor does it seem to have made much difference to the result.
Swiss ban the burqa
Two out of three referendum questions are approved in Switzerland: one of them a ban on face coverings promoted by the anti-Muslim lobby.
Liberal history revisited
A further volume of David Kemp's history of Australian liberalism casts more doubt on the Liberal Party's pedigree.
Italy’s “populists” come on board
Rival sorts of "populists" have lined up to support Mario Draghi's new government in Italy. If he makes a success of it, it could reshape the country's political map.
Northern Ireland at the crossroads
Northern Ireland's Unionists are making trouble over Brexit, reflecting the fact that it's put them in an impossible position.
Shifting sands in New Caledonia
The supporters of independence win a majority in the New Caledonia government for the first time. Change is on the way, although the underlying balance of power is not all that it might seem.
Technocracy vs politics in Italy
Mario Draghi agrees to try to form a government in Italy. He is technically well equipped for the job, but the fundamental issue is not a technical one.
What is self-determination?
Israel/Palestine returns to the headlines, raising questions about the nature of the right to national self-determination, and whether there are principled grounds for according it to some but not others.
At law in the Indian Ocean
Yet another judgement goes against Britain over the Chagos islands, raising awkward questions about the west's allegiance to international law.
The World is Not Enough 