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
AUG 1, 2013 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: The 'Copter Will See You Now
As countries develop policies for civilian and commercial drones, it is important to apply ethical standards that are permissive of innovation.
JUL 25, 2013 • Article
Book Review: Colored Cosmopolitanism: The Shared Struggle for Freedom in the United States and India
"South Asians and African Americans learned from each other in ways that not only advanced their respective struggles for freedom but helped define what freedom ...
JUL 24, 2013 • Article
Burma's Reforms and Regional Cooperation in East Asia
"Though the 2010 elections that brought a civilian government to power were not free and fair, the new president, Thein Sein, has embarked upon a path-breaking ...
JUL 23, 2013 • Article
Now That Abe Won Control of the Government, the True Test of Abenomics Begins
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ruling Liberal Democrat Party, and his "Abenomics" economic revitalization platform won solid victories in Japan's recent upper house elections. But ...
JUL 11, 2013 • Article
Globalization Is the Unsung Champion of the Protests Happening Around the World
Through the late 80s and 90s, protests everywhere from Berlin to Seattle revealed a common target of public unrest: globalization. Now, however, globalization has become ...
JUL 11, 2013 • Article
Book Review: Political Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: Authors and Arguments
This collection of essays edited by Catherine Zuckert provides an overview of the work and lives of 18 thinkers who made significant contributions to the development ...
JUL 8, 2013 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: UNDP Uses a New Human Development Eco Footprint
The 2013 Human Development Report has brought hybrid economic-ecologic metrics into a new era, providing a clear path to a broader meaning of development.
JUN 27, 2013 • Transcript
The Ethics of Globalization and the Globalization of Ethics
In this rousing and eloquent speech in Rio, given during the biggest protests there in 25 years, Michael Ignatieff salutes the protesters' "patriotic anger" and discusses ...
JUN 13, 2013 • Podcast
Ethics Matter: Jeremy Scahill on the World as a Battlefield
In the name of the "war on terror," the U.S. is conducting covert warfare and targeted killings, and it dismisses the resulting deaths of ...
JUN 11, 2013 • Podcast
Presidential Leadership and the Creation of the American Era
Joseph Nye asks: "If the United States starts out the 20th century as a second-tier power and it ends up the 20th century as the ...