What We Do

About the Forum

The International Forum for Democratic Studies is a leading center for analysis and discussion of the theory and practice of democracy around the world. Bridging the gap between academic research and the practice of democracy, Forum initiatives include publishing the Journal of Democracy, housing fellowship programs for democracy activists and researchers, and organizing events. Through its Power 3.0 blog and other products, the Forum also fosters discussion on modern challenges to democracy, from transnational kleptocracy and authoritarian influence to risks emanating from the evolving global information space.
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  • Power 3.0
    Blog and Podcast

    The Forum's blog and podcast explore how authoritarians survive and thrive in the globalized age and how democracies contend with this challenge.

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  • Latest
    Resources

    A selection of resources from the International Forum for Democratic Studies.

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  • Focus
    Areas

    Major themes explored by the Forum include authoritarian influence, transnational kleptocracy, the information space, and democracy and civil society.

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  • Democracy
    Challenges

    The series of four issue briefs highlight emerging global challenges to democracy, including integrity of the information space, transnational kleptocracy, emerging technology, and global authoritarian influence.

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WHAT WE’RE UP TO

LATEST Forum NEWS

Sep 16, 2024

Getting Ahead of Digital Repression: Authoritarian Innovation and Democratic Response

In April 2024, the Hoover Institution's project on China’s Global Sharp Power, Stanford University’s Global Digital Policy Incubator, and the National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies held a closed-door,...

Jun 05, 2024

Forum Q&A: Ethan Tu and Billion Lee on How Taiwan’s Civil Society Collaborates to Address Information Integrity Challenges from Beijing

2024 has been called the “year of elections” with over four billion people set to cast their ballots. The potential threat to the integrity of the information space is severe. For those concerned with how authoritarian powers might influence...

Apr 04, 2024

International Forum for Democratic Studies Celebrates 30th Anniversary

This month, the International Forum for Democratic Studies celebrates 30 years as a leading center for democratic thought and analysis. Under the leadership of Marc F. Plattner and Larry Diamond, the International Forum was established in...

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December 11, 2024

Twenty-First Annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture: Serhii Plokhii on “David vs. Goliath: Democracy and Autocracy in the Russo-Ukrainian War”

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM
The 2024 Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World was delivered by Serhii Plokhii, the Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and the Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University.

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Publications

  • The Struggle Against Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans: Montenegro as a Test Case

    A new report authored by Vanja Ćalović Marković explores how Montenegro has become an ideal testing ground for authoritarian actors, and how lessons learned from these influence experiments can be applied by authoritarian actors globally.

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  • Stronger Together: Coalitions as a Catalyst for Information Integrity

    A new report authored by Tim Niven explores how sweeping changes in the information environment are advancing the efforts of authoritarians in the information space and how coalitions provide civil society organizations with a powerful framework to fight back.

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  • Fighting Kleptocracy in an Era of Geopolitics

    In a new International Forum report, Ben Judah analyzes how the counter-kleptocracy agenda intersects with, and is at times superseded by, competing geopolitical priorities.

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  • Leveraging AI for Democracy: Civic Innovation on the New Digital Playing Field

    A new report by Beth Kerley, Carl Miller, and Fernanda Campagnucci outlines possible paths toward a prodemocratic vision for AI.

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