How different people around the world understand democracy – and why it matters

By Scott Williamson, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Eddy S. F. Yeung, PhD Candidate in Political Science, Emory University
Jonathan A Chu, Assistant Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Most people in most countries say they want to be governed democratically. Because democracy’s appeal is so powerful, governments and political leaders everywhere claim to be supporters of democracy.

Take China, for instance. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ruled for decades under a single-party system, a system that contrasts sharply with traditional definitions of democracy. Democratic systems emphasise competitive elections for key leaders,…

Read complete article

~	Why is Latin America's birth rate declining?

~	Kenya has moved people out of the country illegally: what the law says about extraordinary rendition

~	The UK’s booming creative industries could employ even more people – if they attract fresh international investment

~	Queer: Daniel Craig is superb in this courageous William Burroughs adaptation

~	Russia and Ukraine face off at European security conference as all sides wait for Trump presidency

~	Israel government’s boycott of left-wing Haaretz newspaper is understandable for an administration in wartime

~	Poliovirus found in wastewater in Spain, Germany and Poland – what you need to know

~	The hidden benefits of birdsong

~	Eighteen sad Christmas songs that will help you ease the festive blues

~	We’ve found an answer to the puzzle of how the largest galaxies formed