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Bush Institute Special Series:

Democracy Talks

At the Bush Center, we’re concerned about the challenges to the health of democracies around the world. Populism is on the rise. Media and other independent institutions are under pressure. Human rights violations are ignored. Isolationism and authoritarianism are growing. And now democracies are faced with containing a pandemic while at the same time cherishing their longstanding freedoms.

Series Chapters
Chapter 1

The Cause of Freedom in Latin America

Read the article Young Venezuelans Deserve to Live Free.
Oct 31, 2022

Young Venezuelans Deserve to Live Free

Exiled Venezuelan dissident Rafaela Requesens speaks out for the next generation of Venezuelans. And she calls upon the international community to denounce the human rights abuses of Nicolás Maduro's government.
Read the article Championing Freedom in Cuba.
Oct 31, 2022

Championing Freedom in Cuba

Cuban democracy activist Rosa María Payá and  Washington Post journalist David E. Hoffman detail the decline of democracy in Latin America and why the cause of freedom in Cuba matters.
Read the article How Latin America Understands China.
Oct 31, 2022

How Latin America Understands China

Parsifal D’Sola, Founder and Executive Director of the Andres Bello Foundation, explains how the Chinese government’s promotion of itself as a great power makes it hard for some Latin American leaders to see Beijing as an authoritarian power.
Read the article Democracy’s Digital Battlefront in Venezuela.
Oct 31, 2022

Democracy’s Digital Battlefront in Venezuela

By: Chris Walsh
Nicolás Maduro’s regime underscores how freedom of expression is a powerful tool in the generational struggle for liberty, write Chris Walsh, the Bush Institute’s Deputy Director of Freedom and Democracy, and Rodrigo Diamanti, a Venezuelan dissident who heads A World Without Censorship.
Read the article Safety for Women is Key to Central America’s Stability.
Oct 31, 2022

Safety for Women is Key to Central America’s Stability

By: Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Jenny Villatoro
Gender-based violence affects one in three women worldwide, making it an urgent and important policy challenge. Violence against women and girls is often excluded from conversations on the nexus of Central American democracy.
Chapter 2

Becoming – and Remaining – a Democracy Isn’t Easy

Read the article Strengthening America's Democracy.
Jun 23, 2022

Strengthening America's Democracy

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., serves as Vice Chair of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. In this Democracy Talks conversation, she explains why America should stand against the rise of anti-democratic forces around the world.
Read the article How to Reverse Central America’s Authoritarian Trends.
Jun 23, 2022

How to Reverse Central America’s Authoritarian Trends

Luis Guillermo Solis, former President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018, describes how authoritarian trends are at work in nations like Nicaragua and El Salvador. He likewise details his concerns about democracy across Latin America.
Read the article Challenging Information Autocracies.
Jun 23, 2022

Challenging Information Autocracies

Hungarian social psychologist and political scientist Peter Kreko directs the Political Capital Institute in Budapest. He explains the recent rise of information autocracies and how autocrats use information instead of violence or oppression to control their people.
Read the article We Need a Global Fight for Freedom.
Jun 23, 2022

We Need a Global Fight for Freedom

Leopoldo Lopez, former Venezuelan political prisoner, considers the challenges to democracy in Latin America and shares his belief that democracy must deliver for its people.
Read the article Democracy Makes the World More Secure and Prosperous.
Jun 23, 2022

Democracy Makes the World More Secure and Prosperous

Damon Wilson, President and CEO of the bipartisan National Endowment for Democracy (NED); Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute; and Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute, explore how nations can best make transitions to freedom.
Read the article Ukrainians Always Come Back.
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) walks in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 3, 2022 the Russian leadership was responsible for civilian killings in Bucha, outside Kyiv, where bodies were found lying in the street after the town was retaken by the Ukrainian army. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images).
Jun 23, 2022

Ukrainians Always Come Back

Marie Yovanovitch, a distinguished career American diplomat, reflects on the distinct cultural differences between Russia and Ukraine and how Ukrainians have pursued a path to democracy and freedom while the Russians have not.
Chapter 3

Preserving Freedom of Expression

Read the article The Internet Expands Freedom of Expression — If We Keep the Net Free.
Mar 22, 2022

The Internet Expands Freedom of Expression — If We Keep the Net Free

Adrian Shahbaz, Director of Technology and Democracy at Freedom House, explains how authoritarian governments in China and elsewhere are limiting their citizens’ access to the internet. What’s more, he warns, they are attempting to rewrite global rules governing the internet.
Read the article Debating Free Speech on College Campuses.
Mar 22, 2022

Debating Free Speech on College Campuses

Jamal Greene, Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and Greg Lukianoff, President and CEO of Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, explore the freedom of expression and the evolution of First Amendment rights on college campuses.
Read the article Journalists are on the Front Line of Central America’s Fight for Democracy.
Mar 22, 2022

Journalists are on the Front Line of Central America’s Fight for Democracy

By: Jenny Villatoro
Threats and attacks against the press in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have been steadily escalating. Jenny Villatoro, Associate of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, argues journalists must remain resolute in their work and committed to preserving their democracy.
Read the article Washington Should Magnify Dissenting Voices in Afghanistan and Burma.
Mar 22, 2022

Washington Should Magnify Dissenting Voices in Afghanistan and Burma

By: Natalie Gonnella-Platts
Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Director of the Women's Initiative at the Bush Institute, and Chris Walsh, Deputy Director of the Human Freedom and Women's Initiatives at the Bush Institute, argue it's up to the United States and other democracies to help uplift the voices in Burma and Afghanistan.
Read the article How to Protect and Enhance Freedom of Expression.
Mar 22, 2022

How to Protect and Enhance Freedom of Expression

By: William McKenzie
In the seventh installment of Democracy Talks, Lindsay Lloyd, Bill McKenzie, and Chris Walsh look at freedom of expression in three ways: the rise of the internet as a vehicle for expression, the state of free speech on college campuses, and the challenges that face freedom of the press in the United States and elsewhere.
Chapter 4

Democratic Stability Requires Religious Freedom

Read the article The Complicated Task of Reclaiming Religion from Extremists.
Nov 30, 2021

The Complicated Task of Reclaiming Religion from Extremists

Nina Shea, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and Rabbi David Saperstein share their expertise in trends affecting religious freedom, the greatest threats to this liberty, and how democratic as well as religious leaders might best respond.
Read the article China’s Persecution of Uyghur Muslims is an Attack on Freedom and Democracy.
Nov 30, 2021

China’s Persecution of Uyghur Muslims is an Attack on Freedom and Democracy

Rushan Abbas and Ziba Murat, both of whom are United States citizens, speak about the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims and contend that the United States and other democracies need to uphold religious freedom and human rights as a model for nations to follow as China attempts to expand its reach around the world.
Read the article Understanding What the Constitution Says – and Doesn’t Say – about Religious Freedom.
Nov 30, 2021

Understanding What the Constitution Says – and Doesn’t Say – about Religious Freedom

Robert P. George is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he directs the James Madison Program for American Ideals and Institutions. In this interview, he explains what he perceives as the true meaning of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment’s protection of religious liberty.
Read the article The Rise of the Nones.
Nov 30, 2021

The Rise of the Nones

By: Lindsay Lloyd
“In God We Trust,” the national motto, appears on every American coin and dollar bill. But what does it mean for the character of the country if that no longer holds true?
Chapter 5

Expanding Community Engagement, Civil Dialogue, and Civic Renewal

Read the article Creating a Sense of Us.
Jul 8, 2021

Creating a Sense of Us

James and Deborah Fallows discuss the role of libraries in expanding community engagement, the impact of immigrants in revitalizing communities, and how some communities are rebounding from the decline in local journalism.
Read the article Becoming Owners of Our Nation, Community, and Neighborhood.
Jul 8, 2021

Becoming Owners of Our Nation, Community, and Neighborhood

Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, and Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, share ways to make community engagement innovative and civic education relevant. They also emphasize closing the digital divide.
Read the article Building Civic Muscle Among Young Americans.
Jul 8, 2021

Building Civic Muscle Among Young Americans

Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA, and Valerian Sikhuashvili, Director of Academic Programs at the Alexander Hamilton Society, discuss engaging young Americans in strengthening our democracy and civics education.
Read the article Creating Civil Dialogue in the Classroom.
Jul 8, 2021

Creating Civil Dialogue in the Classroom

By: Keith Hennessey
Keith Hennessey, a Lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the David M. Rubinstein Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute, details how he works to explicitly create respect and charity in his classroom discussions and debates.
Read the article Sports, Community, and Civic Renewal.
Jul 8, 2021

Sports, Community, and Civic Renewal

By: Natalie Gonnella-Platts
Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Bush Institute Women's Initiative Director, and Chris Walsh, Bush Institute Senior Program Manager for the Women's Initiative and Human Freedom Initiative, explore how sports give people a sense of camaraderie and community.
Chapter 6

Navigating the Intersection of Democracy, Identity, and Immigration

Read the article Pluralism is the Lifeblood of a Genuine Democracy.
Feb 23, 2021

Pluralism is the Lifeblood of a Genuine Democracy

Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies in the University of Oxford, the Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, explains why democracies thrive when they have a sense of community, identity, and belonging that are open to all, provided that all live by the society's rules, laws, and values.
Read the article Creating Unity in a Diverse Society.
Feb 23, 2021

Creating Unity in a Diverse Society

Yuval Levin, Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and Editor of National Affairs, contends that America's founding ideals can create unity amidst our pluralism.
Read the article Individual Rights Define the American Identity.
Feb 23, 2021

Individual Rights Define the American Identity

Niall Ferguson, the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, discusses becoming an American, the definition of the American identity, and how a dynamic market economy assimilates immigrants.
Read the article Schools as the Gateway into American Life.
Feb 23, 2021

Schools as the Gateway into American Life

Dr. Juliet Garcia, former President of the University of Texas at Brownsville, and Anne Wicks, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education Reform at the Bush Institute, discuss the strategies and resources needed to integrate immigrant students into American life -- and why meeting this goal is fundamental to the stability of America's democracy.
Read the article Making “We” as Big as It Can Be.
Feb 23, 2021

Making “We” as Big as It Can Be

Sanjay Ramabhadran, a partner in VERSA Infrastructure, Anurima Bhargava, a Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Gita Pullapilly, a Hollywood screenwriter, director, and producer, describe how their identities as immigrants or the children of immigrants were shaped. They also discuss how the American identity is always being expanded and refined.
Read the article America's Democratic Identity Binds Together a Diverse Nation.
Feb 23, 2021

America's Democratic Identity Binds Together a Diverse Nation

By: Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, a Professor in the Practice of International Affairs at Georgetown University and the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the Bush Institute, writes that, despite Americans' divided identities, our shared "American democratic identity" unites us under longstanding democratic values, institutions, and processes.
Read the article How Gender and Technology Impact Migration.
Feb 23, 2021

How Gender and Technology Impact Migration

Caroline Brettell, University Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at SMU and Chair of Southern Methodist University's Anthropology Department, discusses gender roles in migration. She also reports on the contribution that civic associations make to the integration of immigrants into American life.
Read the article Religious Identity's Role in Immigration.
Feb 23, 2021

Religious Identity's Role in Immigration

Nury Turkel, a Uyghur Muslim who serves on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, reports how religious persecution drives migration around the world. He also explains how immigrants and refugees can become advocates for democracy and human rights back home.
Read the article Becoming a Welcoming Society.
Feb 23, 2021

Becoming a Welcoming Society

Luisa del Rosal, Executive Director of SMU’s John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs and founding Executive Director of the Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center at SMU, discusses her journey in becoming a U.S. citizen. She also explains how universities, businesses, and nonprofits can help immigrants become part of the American mainstream.
Read the article The Complicated Journey of Becoming an American.
Feb 23, 2021

The Complicated Journey of Becoming an American

Luma Simms, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, describes learning how to describe her identity, what the American identity should include, and how she synthesizes each day her American self and her Iraqi self.
Chapter 7

Technology Meets Democracy

Read the article Responding to the Warfare of the 21st Century.
Oct 13, 2020

Responding to the Warfare of the 21st Century

GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio discusses disinformation campaigns and cyber warfare as a national security issue, how well the United States is responding to them, and how information warfare is impacting other regions of the world.
Read the article China’s Emergence as a Disinformation Force.
Oct 13, 2020

China’s Emergence as a Disinformation Force

Sarah Cook, Senior Research Analyst for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House, and Libby Liu, former President of Radio Free Asia and former CEO of the Open Technology Fund, explain China's disinformation work.
Read the article How the United States Can Prevail in the Digital Eco-System.
Oct 13, 2020

How the United States Can Prevail in the Digital Eco-System

By: Lindsay Lloyd
Lindsay Lloyd, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of the Bush Institute's Human Freedom Initiative, and Chris Walsh, Senior Program Manager in the Human Freedom Initiative, prescribe how the U.S. can prevail in the Information Age.
Read the article Don't Do Our Enemies' Work for Them.
Oct 13, 2020

Don't Do Our Enemies' Work for Them

By: Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, the Kelly and David Phiel Fellow at the Bush Institute, writes that a cyberattack on American democracy is a threat to all Americans, not just to one group, party, or person.
Chapter 8

Nativism, Isolationism, and Protectionism

Read the article Democracy Mobilizes the Better Angels of Our Nature.
Jul 21, 2020

Democracy Mobilizes the Better Angels of Our Nature

Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., discusses the deeper roots of populism; the threat that nativism, protectionism, and isolationism present democracies; and why America’s policy towards China should be a contest of ideas about how the world should operate.
Read the article No Nation is an Island.
Jul 21, 2020

No Nation is an Island

Author and historian Anne Applebaum describes how democracy has not been the norm throughout history, cautions that we must watch the rise of foreign authoritarianism through propaganda campaigns, and recalls that no society, even a large one like the United States, operates as an island.
Read the article Opposing Populism and Nativism in Venezuela – At a Cost.
Jul 21, 2020

Opposing Populism and Nativism in Venezuela – At a Cost

Venezuelan dissident Rodrigo Diamanti explains the importance of protecting a free press from the reach of authoritarians; the way in which a populist dictator came to power in his home country; and how nativism, isolationism, populism, and protectionism are the symptoms of a disease that can destroy a democracy if left unchecked.
Read the article Emerging Democracies Combat Isolationism, Nationalism, and Identity Issues.
Jul 21, 2020

Emerging Democracies Combat Isolationism, Nationalism, and Identity Issues

Myo Myint Aung, executive director of the Open Society Foundation in Myanmar and a 2017 Bush Institute Liberty and Leadership Scholar, discusses the role of national, religious, and cultural identity in a democracy; the threat excessive nationalism poses to democratic stability; and why isolationism, particularly in the United States and Europe, can undermine global relations.
Read the article Business Leaders Can Help Curb Nativism, Isolationism, and Protectionism.
Jul 21, 2020

Business Leaders Can Help Curb Nativism, Isolationism, and Protectionism

Ambassador Kristen Silverberg, executive vice president of the Business Roundtable, comments on how the business community can develop responses to racism in the United States; why nativism and isolationism worry her more than populism; and why we need to remember that what originates abroad can impact us here in the United States.
Read the article This is What Democracy Looks Like.
Jul 21, 2020

This is What Democracy Looks Like

By: Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow Nicole Bibbins Sedaca writes that the current protests in the United States are not a sign of democratic weakness. Remarkably, the Georgetown University professor contends, they could prove to be a strong boost for American democracy and a notable show of the strength and importance of democracy.
Chapter 9

Expanding Freedom, Rule of Law, and Human Rights

Read the article Democracy Talks: Joseph Kim, North Korean Refugee.
May 5, 2020

Democracy Talks: Joseph Kim, North Korean Refugee

By: Joseph Kim
Bush Institute Expert-in-Residence Joseph Kim, a North Korean refugee, discusses his experience living under an authoritarian regime, the denial of human rights in his native country, and why he believes human rights matter in all nations.
Read the article Closing the Generational Divide on Supporting Democracy.
May 5, 2020

Closing the Generational Divide on Supporting Democracy

By: Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Bush Institute Human Freedom Fellow Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, a Georgetown professor, reports on why grappling with the generational divide over supporting democracy will be essential for the health of American democracy and democratic development globally.
Read the article North Koreans Living in the South are Developing a Political Voice.
May 5, 2020

North Koreans Living in the South are Developing a Political Voice

Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of Escape From North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad and a member of the Bush Institute's Human Freedom Advisory Council, explains the significance of North Korean refugees developing a political voice in South Korea.