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Elizabeth Shackelford explains why press freedom is more than an important feature of democracy—it's a foreign policy priority.

“Those who want democracy to succeed must help make the case,” argues Elizabeth Shackelford in the Chicago Tribune. Case in point: the US impact on coups.

Council President Ivo Daalder, former US ambassador to NATO, examines how the events at the US Capitol influence US standing abroad.

“A series of radical rulings makes America’s exhortations about promoting democracy ring hollow,” write Senior Fellows Elizabeth Shackelford and Dina Smeltz.

"Kenyan elections have a troubled history, but with democracy declining across the globe, Kenya this year stands out as a possible ray of hope," writes Elizabeth Shackelford.

"Even when 'people power' succeeds in ousting oppressive leaders, there is no guarantee that what comes next is peace or democracy," Elizabeth Shackelford writes.

"To be a credible champion of good governance and democracy, America must make fighting corruption a higher priority," writes Elizabeth Shackelford in the Chicago Tribune.

"The year we’re leaving behind was a bad one for democracy — a reminder that progress is fragile and not inevitable, and that history doesn’t always take a linear path," Elizabeth Shackelford writes.

In Africa, “supplying and supporting abusive security forces often directly undermines democracy,” writes Elizabeth Shackelford in the Chicago Tribune.

“If the United States can’t lead by example as a defender of democracy and the rule of law at home, we’ll have a hard time defending them elsewhere,” says Elizabeth Shackelford.