Democracy

Iran’s Riots: Flash in the Pan, or Sign of Things to Come?
- February 14, 2018
The unrest that has erupted across Iran over the last few months never seriously threatened the regime’s hold on power. Though a genuine reflection of the people’s frustration with their lot, the riots were unfocused and leaderless. They lacked the …
By Peter Jones
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“A parade like the one in France”: A Reflection on Militarism Today
- February 8, 2018
According to The Washington Post, US President Donald Trump has asked the Department of Defense to plan for a military parade later this year. The date is yet to be set, but it is likely to be either July …
By Srdjan Vucetic
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Scrooge in Paradise: Why Private Wealth is a Political Issue
- December 19, 2017
As global inequality grows to “extreme levels” — as revealed in the just-released World Inequality Report — it is hard not to wonder what it bodes for the health of liberal democracy — around the world and here in Canada.…
By Jacqueline Best
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Once More: What is Canada?
- December 11, 2017
In November 1964, the venerable American magazine The Atlantic published a special supplement on Canadian politics and society. It featured excellent, almost exclusively Canadian-authored articles: by John W. Holmes, the wordy Canadian diplomat, on “The Diplomacy of a Middle Power”; …
By Srdjan Vucetic
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Gender, Data, and High-Risk Environments
- December 6, 2017
Collecting reliable data on state and political processes in insecure environments is a necessary first step to understanding and ultimately reducing violence. Gender shapes the data we collect, the ways it is collected, and ultimately the findings we produce and …
By Gabrielle Bardall
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Zimbabwe: A Faustian Bargain with a Crocodile?
- November 28, 2017
After 37 years of rule, Robert Mugabe, the world’s oldest leader and one of Africa’s longest serving presidents, has finally lost power. In an unprecedented, unpredictable, and at times unbelievable series of events, the one-time liberation hero was deposed by …
By Rita Abrahamsen
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Ottawa Needs to Re-Evaluate the Mission in Iraq
- November 1, 2017
The Canadian government announced last Friday that it is temporarily suspending its mission to train Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish forces given growing tension between the two sides. Ottawa should take this opportunity to carefully consider its next steps: because of …
By Thomas Juneau
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Women in Political Life Say #MeToo: Here’s How Harassment and Violence Limit Their Political Lives Worldwide
- October 23, 2017
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal last week, millions of women and men took to social media to speak out against sexual harassment and violence. Facebook alone saw over 12 million posts as more than 4.7 million users …
By Gabrielle Bardall
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Merkel’s “Homelessness” of Power and the Future of the EU
- October 23, 2017
It has been very quiet in Berlin after the general election of 24 September. Yes, Angela Merkel officially won the election with 26.8% or 200 seats in the new Bundestag. However, her Christian Democrats (CDU) together with the Christian Social …
By Benjamin Zyla
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The German Election: A (Preliminary) Analysis
- September 28, 2017
Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière, of the Christian Democrats (CDU), had a hard time defending his seat in Sunday’s general election in Germany. This is rather surprising given that his riding in Saxony, close to Dresden, in the …
By Benjamin Zyla
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Why Taiwan is an International Issue
- September 20, 2017
China works hard to convince the world that any decision about Taiwan is entirely a Chinese domestic affair. This has not, however, always been the official line of the Chinese Communist Party. In 1936, when the Republic of China (ROC) …
By Scott Simon
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Crowded Out by “Big Man” Politics, Kenyan Women Still Struggle in 2017 Elections
- August 21, 2017
by Gabrielle Bardall, PhD, CIPS Research Associate

For all its progressive constitution, high-tech society, and exceptionally resourced Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kenya is the worst performer in the East African Community (EAC) regarding women in parliament. These failures …
By Gabrielle Bardall
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