Democracy Local

Gonzales Youth Council members, past and present. Photo by Joe Mathews

COLUMN The Best City Council Never Grows Up

A Small Town's Powerful Youth Council Turns 10—And Opens a $28 Million Center

COLUMN All Human Rights Are Local

As Nations Trample Rights, Cities Enshrine New Ones

Mayor Park Won-soon in 2014

After the Mayor's Death

After suicide and scandal, Korean local democracy finds new life.

School group at Asian African Conference Museum, Bandung, Indonesia

Do You Live in Democracy?

This is the first issue of our weekly newsletter. If you haven’t signed up for this newsletter, you can do so...

Refugees resist on roof @ Berlin Gallery: www.montecruzfoto.org/31-08-2014-Demo-guertelstr-Refugees CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

One-Third of My Neighbors?

The polls say the AfD has 1/3 support in my community. What does that look like?

Photo by Stephan Uttom Rozario

This Election Stole Christmas

Dhaka was quiet at Christmas—as Bangladeshis fear traveling because of election-related violence. (photo by

Aleksandra Wiśniewska (above), a 29-year-old political novice, who is now the youngest woman MP in Poland’s parliament. Courtesy of Aleksandra Wiśniewska/Instagram.

How to Win an Unfair Election

An exchange in Lodz reveals how the Polish opposition managed to defeat an authoritarian ruling party.

The presidential and vice presidential candidates of Taiwan's ruling DPP party (Photo by Joe Mathews)

Can Democracy Survive 2024?

2024 is the biggest election year in history. That may be bad for democracy.

Polling place in Surrey, British Columbia (Canada) for global Khalistan referendum

The Global Vote On Sikh Autonomy

The Khalistan referendum is not just about the Punjab. It's a preview of a future with transnational direct...

HK's District Elections Are New Target

More rules on district elections undermine democracy

Go to Bed, My City Council

Late-night decisions backfire

Reviving Brazil's Local Budgeting

Letter from Brazil, on the Birth, Decline, and Resurgence of Participatory Budgeting