Publications - Democracy
Study
Climate Change and Democratisation
July 12, 2010 - The paper examines whether democracy at the country level and global climate change matter for another. It raises the question of how to support democracy’s advance in the face of multiple challenges that include the adverse effects of global warming and extreme weather events merits much more attention than it has received so far. Peter Burnell more»
FY2011 Appropriations and Middle East Democracy Report
Report
FY2011 Appropriations and Middle East Democracy – The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) has become a centerpiece of the administration's efforts to engage civil society and support democracy in the region.  Following a 30% increase in funding in FY10, the new budget requests an additional 32% increase up to $86 million. Stephen McInerney, Project on Middle East Democracy more»
Policy Paper
Von Filibustern, Cloture und Reconciliation – Gesetzgebungsstau in den USA – How can the current legislative back lock be overcome? This policy paper discusses Filibuster Reform, Cloture and Reconciliation as means to improve legislative outcome in the American Senate. Philipp Bleckmann more»
report
Sudan – No Easy Ways Ahead – As the interim period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) draws to a close during 2010–11, Sudan faces two critical tests of its nationhood: the general elections and the referendum on self-determination for Southern Sudan. more»
Conference and dossier
Palestine and the Palestinians 60 Years after the "Nakba" – The geographic and social fragmentation of the Palestinian people is essentially a result of the conflict in the Middle East. This topic represents the main focus of our two-day conference with international experts in March 2010. Our dossier provides further information about the conference and the invited experts. more»
report
Transatlantic Information Sharing: At a Crossroads – January, 2010
Information Sharing and Data Protection in an Age of Terrorism: Report Highlights Challenges and Proposes Way Forward for United States and Europe more»
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Religion, Politics and Gender Equality – September 2009
The United States has been dominated by a political coalition in which conservative evangelical Protestants have played a major role leading to a vociferous conservativism in U.S. policy on issues of both gender and sexuality. Although the elections in 2008 ushered in a new alliance toward more progressivism, the result on questions of gender and sexuality is by no means obvious. By Janet R. Jakobsen and Elizabeth Bernstein more»
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Afghanistan's Parliament in the Making – June 2009
The involvement of women in Afghanistan’s public life is decreasing. Attacks, vigilantism, and legal processes that contradict the basic principles of human and women’s rights are the order of the day. By Andrea Fleschenberg more»
Dossier
Power Struggle in Iran. Where is My Vote? – Power Struggle in Iran. Where is My Vote?
web dossier (partly in German)
more»
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The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010. Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle East – July 2009
In May, President Obama submitted to Congress the full details of his first budget request, for Fiscal Year 2010.
This report offers an in-depth analysis of Obama’s attempts to support democracy, governance, and human rights in the Broader Middle East and North Africa.
By Stephen McInerney more»
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Beyond Guantánamo. Restoring U.S. Credibility on Human Rights – May 2009
Thomas C. Hilde outlines several post-Guantánamo detainee policy proposals – and their difficulties – that address these distinctive sets of issues, such as military commission trials, continued preventive detention, a national security court or U.S. criminal court trials. In the long run, however, restoring credibility through a reformed detainee policy is only one component of post-Guantánamo credibility; the second indispensable element is accountability By Thomas C. Hilde more»
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Learning from Each Other: The Integration of Immigrant and Minority Groups in the United States and Europe – April 2009
The United States and the European Union share much in common, including a similar religious and cultural heritage, strong democratic institutions, and a commitment to civil society. One thing they do not share, however, is a common set of political attitudes and attendant policies on how best to integrate immigrant and minority groups into their larger societies.
By Spencer P. Boyer more»
Essays and Interviews
1968 revisited. 40 Years of Protest Movements – May 2008
2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the worldwide protests of 1968. The events of that time such as the protests against the war in Vietnam, the Prague Spring and the student protests in Western Europe and the U.S. are closely connected – it was truly a global movement! more»
policy paper
Perception of U.S. Democracy Promotion – May 2008
Though Middle Easterners desire democracy and seek to reform their own political systems, public opinion data show that they are also unhappy with American democracy promotion efforts, and that they believe the U.S. does not genuinely and consistenly support democratic reform. Analysis of this polling data suggests that the U.S. needs to seriously reassess its impact on political reform in the region. By David M. DeBartolo more»