Stories

Member Story
Shadows of the Past: How Soviet Inferiority Narratives Hinder Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine
Post-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Moldova are deeply influenced by inferiority narratives — pervasive beliefs of national inadequacy rooted in Soviet-era legacies. This article examines how these narratives shape...
IDC Theme of the Month
From Backsliding to Breakthrough: Civil Society as Democracy's Last Line of Defence
Democracy does not vanish overnight; instead, it erodes step by step. Authoritarianism grows in the cracks, but so does civic resistance. Around the world, civil society is proving that when democratic institutions weaken,...
CHICAGO
NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE: Local Governments and Community Foundation
Potential Partners? And a Meeting on Sept. 30 in Chicago.
BOULDER
NATIONAL CIVIC REVIEW: Reimaginging the Local Public Meeting
A Case Study of Strengthening Local Democracy in a Colorado City
GEDANGROWO
ASIA DEMOCRACY CHRONICLES: Not Our Trash
East Java Villages Struggle to Manage World's Plastic Waste
SACRAMENTO
COLUMN: FIGHTING 'FIRE WITH FIRE' AND ALL-CAPS
Does being tyrannical really topple a tyrant?
HONG KONG
ASIA DEMOCRACY CHRONICLES: Weaponizing Bureaucracy to Stifle Dissent
Hong Kong Uses Tax Audits, Licensing, Inspections
DECATUR
NATIONAL CIVIC REVIEW: A City Charter Commission Brings In the People
Georgia City Charter Effort Employs Democratic Innovation
NEWPORT BEACH
LOCAL SNAPSHOTS: Mayor Joe Stapleton
A Long, Gnarly Paddle for a Fallen Lifeguard—And Local Community
KUNIGAMI, OKINAWA
COLUMN: A Planetary Game of Local Warnings
6,500 Miles Away From Home, a Possible Tsunami Taught Local Lessons
TOKYO
NEWSLETTER: Local Is Not a Level; Growing Grätzloasen; Democracy Camping
Also: Pati's Revolt, Viennese Parks, Taiwanese AI
Digital Democracy and e-Governance
Digitalisation Can Divide Us or Empower Democracy — We Decide
Town halls are moving online, we are able to sign petitions from the comfort of our own homes, and collective...