Stories

Member Story
Shadows of the Past: How Soviet Inferiority Narratives Hinder Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine
Post-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Moldova are deeply influenced by inferiority narratives — pervasive beliefs of national inadequacy rooted in Soviet-era legacies. This article examines how these narratives shape...
IDC Theme of the Month
From Backsliding to Breakthrough: Civil Society as Democracy's Last Line of Defence
Democracy does not vanish overnight; instead, it erodes step by step. Authoritarianism grows in the cracks, but so does civic resistance. Around the world, civil society is proving that when democratic institutions weaken,...
USA
COLUMN: Rudest City Council Ever?
An extraordinary report on local misbehavior
Laos
A Mine and the Village Water
A leak from a rare-earth mine threatens villages in northern Laos
USA
Local Measures Need a Counter
Two contradicatory ballot measures teach us better than one
Pakistan
The Longest Sit-In
An agreement, and confusion, follows protests in a border city
Denmark
NEWSLETTER: Free Alexei Gorinov
Summer films, songs & reading, in local democracy. Also: Dem Next to Kashmir
Germany
Olympic Bid Hurt Local Democracy
Democracy killed an Olympic bid. But the bid also damaged democracy.
USA
The Real 'San Francisco' Airport?
A battle over airport names and city branding.
USA
After Bay Area, Trump Is Easy
How Kamala Harris learned to take crap.
Myanmar
The New Local of Rebel-Held Myanmar
A U.N. rep's journey reveals a governance revolution
USA
Assassination & Local Violence
The attempt on Trump's life resembles shootings in local communities