Framing ethical perspectives
Democracy is a form of government in which political control is given to the people, whether directly or through the election of governing officials. Currently, large numbers of people have lost faith in this form of government and some elected officials have been working to dismantle democratic institutions. Our programs, events, and experts strive to better understand this development.
Featured Democracy Resources
State of global democracy, U.S. global engagement, and more
FEB 6, 2026 • Article
Trump and the Gaslighting of American Realism
APR 9, 2026 • Article
Realism vs. Pragmatism: Understanding America’s New Rhetorical Landscape
Amid Trump's fiery rhetoric and debates over "realism," Professor Jason Ralph writes that "pragmatism" may offer a better alternative for the American public.
SEP 11, 2025 • Video
Post-Liberal American Power
In the first event in our "Values & Interests" series, an expert panel examines the question: Has Trump 2.0 ushered in an era of post-liberal American power?
Related Initiatives
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Explore Our Democracy Resources
DEC 6, 2018 • Podcast
Global Ethics Weekly: The End of World War I & the Future of American Democracy, with Ted Widmer
Historian and Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Ted Widmer looks back to the end of the First World War, and the upheaval that followed it in ...
DEC 4, 2018 • Podcast
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now, with Alan Rusbridger
"Were we a business, were we a mission, were we a public service, or were we a profit center?" Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of "The ...
NOV 20, 2018 • Podcast
The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World, with Robert Kagan
"The analogy that is at the heart of this book is about a jungle and a garden," says Robert Kagan. "In order to have a ...
NOV 19, 2018 • Transcript
The Living Legacy of the First World War
Five Fellows from "The Living Legacy of the First World War" project present their work. Their talks cover the history of war-induced psychological trauma and ...
NOV 16, 2018 • Podcast
Myanmar and the Plight of the Rohingya, with Elliott Prasse-Freeman
The Rohingya are seen as fundamentally 'other,' says Prasse-Freeman. "Hence, even if they have formal citizenship, they wouldn't really be accepted as citizens, as ...
NOV 14, 2018 • Podcast
Internet Trolls in the U.S. and Mexico, with Saiph Savage
Professor Saiph Savage is an activist scholar and technology expert who is using large-scale data to study the sophisticated ways in which trolls target certain ...
NOV 12, 2018 • Podcast
Enemy of the People: Trump's War on the Press, with Marvin Kalb
Trump has a love-hate relationship with the press, which he calls "the enemy of the people" when it crosses him, knowing nothing of the origins ...
OCT 29, 2018 • Podcast
The Alternatives to War: From Sanctions to Nonviolence, with James Pattison
In this interview with the Council's John Krzyzaniak, James Pattison (University of Manchester, UK), discusses his book, "The Alternatives to War." Taking what he calls ...
OCT 26, 2018 • Podcast
Reckless: Henry Kissinger and the Tragedy of Vietnam, with Robert K. Brigham
Henry Kissinger is smart, charming, and a great writer, says historian Robert Brigham. But when it came to Vietnam, his arrogance and deceit made a ...
OCT 22, 2018 • Transcript
The Northern Ireland We Have--the Challenges
In this panel Theresa Donaldson, former chief executive of Lisburn City and Castlereagh District Council, Quintin Oliver, director of Stratagem International, and Rolf Alter, formerly ...