International Forum for Democratic Studies

08/26/2026

Forum Director Kevin Sheives joined Jhanise Vaca Daza on the Kellogg Institute's Global Stage Podcast. They explored how today's dictatorships share tactics from surveillance models to online repression strategies, and why democracies must better understand how these forms of influence travel across borders.

Listen along: https://t.co/Q1odQ6YRRQ

08/24/2026

Today, we honor the unwavering resilience of the Ukrainian people on that nation's 35th Independence Day.

We are reminded of the vital role of Ukraine’s civil society and the everyday citizens who continue to strengthen their communities, uphold democratic values, and foster resilience in the face of Moscow’s war of aggression.

Forum Director Kevin Sheives joined the National Endowment for Democracy’s recent Reagan-Fascell Fellow Andriy Shevchenko to explain to Just Security the enduring significance of Ukraine’s independence and the strength of the people and communities working to preserve the freedoms and democratic values at its heart.

Read more:

https://www.justsecurity.org/149164/ukraine-democracy-enhances-national-security/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT5e1hwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUwyODNnRDhwRmZRT3pqaFpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEey7hsTa2o5XV6LjyPu5d5RezhJwaprXVy5ZCyvmWoS4chhBZn49o7hYga8W8_aem_8n6fgcT58zyhjZDQaeXmsA

08/20/2026

From journalist and social media crackdowns to AI-powered harassment campaigns, pro-democracy advocates are confronting cross-border repression from Beijing and Moscow. In this new era of autocratic impunity, democratic actors can't ignore these expanding tactics.

Watch highlights from the launch of our latest report, Testing the Limits. Hear key insights from the National Endowment for Democracy's Damon Wilson and Kevin Sheives, Alexander Cooley, Caroline Costello of the Atlantic Council, and Manpreet Singh Anand of the National Democratic Institute.

08/19/2026

In his essay, William Nee of the National Endowment for Democracy's East Asia program examines the growth of the PRC’s propaganda, with foreign journalists and influencers being recruited to manipulate news spaces in countries across the world.

Read more:

Every day, democracies are tested by authoritarianism. China and Russia, principally, test the limits of this new period of autocratic impunity.

08/17/2026

The Atlantic Council has released their 2026 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes- measuring 19 separate indicators related to freedom and prosperity in 164 countries.

While the Indexes have long tracked a global decline in political freedom, this year indicates another decline- rule of law. From Nicaragua to Belgium, judicial independence and clarity of the law are under threat. These indexes illustrate the importance of two trends we explore at the Forum: elected leaders eroding democratic institutions from within, and countries like Russia and China expanding authoritarian influence abroad.

Read the 2026 report here:

Adherence to the rule of law has declined sharply since 2020. Drawing on thirty years of data across 171 countries, the 2026 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes show why that matters: without strong legal foundations, economic reforms stall, democracies erode, and prosperity stays out of reach for millio...

08/03/2026

Forum Director Kevin Sheives joins the National Endowment for Democracy's recent Reagan-Fascell Fellow Andriy Shevchenko to explain to Just Security that Ukraine's national defense effort is not just in its tanks and drones, but also in the work of everyday citizens relying on civil society—and one another—to strengthen national resilience in the face of Moscow's war of aggression.

https://www.justsecurity.org/149164/ukraine-democracy-enhances-national-security/

07/22/2026

Every day, democracies are tested by authoritarianism. However, today’s moment is different. As China and Russia expand their authoritarian influence around the world, democratic institutions and civic leaders face mounting pressure and a more permissive international environment.

The Forum at the National Endowment for Democracy convened leading experts to launch its new report, Testing the Limits: China and Russia’s Authoritarian Influence at Scale in a New Period of Impunity.

Speakers, including Damon Wilson, Kevin Sheives, Caroline Costello, Alexander Cooley, Manpreet Anand, Miriam Lanskoy, Florindo Chivucute, William Nee, and Dr. Cassandra Emmons examined the growing challenges confronting pro-democracy actors worldwide, and how advocates can anticipate emerging challenges, strengthen resilience, and develop effective response strategies.

Watch the launch here: https://youtu.be/8_UxgWQVcqA?si=JTI550tgn6YVprrd

07/10/2026

Our essay, Freedom’s Framework, traces the values of democracy and citizen-governance that NED works to foster across the globe from America’s founding 250 years ago. This month, we are reminded that the values that America’s founding generation fought for in 1776 are the same the motivate our partners and allies working across the world for liberty, equality, and the rule of law.

https://www.ned.org/freedoms-framework-the-case-for-democracy/

07/09/2026

In Testing the Limits, Caroline Costello of the Atlantic Council explores the growth of the PRC’s influence abroad- and how the CCP has leveraged this influence to undermine human rights and rule of law in democracies.

Tune in to our launch event on July 16 to hear more from Caroline and other experts on the new era of authoritarian influence. https://rb.gy/rlnhql

07/08/2026

📆 July 16 | 🕤 9:30am ET

Join us for the launch of our latest report, “Testing the Limits.” Written by authors from civil society and academia, the report analyzes how Russia and China are taking advantage of growing digital tools and an eroding international system to export their models of authoritarianism abroad.

Panelists will explore how this influence is evolving and what democracy actors can do to respond.

Register here ➡️ https://rb.gy/rlnhql