There were huge hopes for democracy at the end of the Cold War. But the West has squandered its leadership, leaving the world rudderless. A Muscovite woman leaves a food store with empty shelves in downtown Moscow, 28 October 1991. (AP Photo/Yuri Romanov) Below are...
A candidate can win the U.S. presidency without winning the most votes. Americans don’t like the Electoral College, but it seems here to stay. Senate pages carry presidential electoral ballots to a joint session of Congress, Washington, DC, 6 January 2017....
To understand our world of today, students need to know where we came from. But history in a vacuum can be a turnoff if it’s not connected to current events. Bernd Debusmann’s decoder offers a historical look at the curious institution of the U.S. Electoral College, while connecting the dots to today’s political events in that country. The article links to documents that open the door to further study and poses three questions at the end that are fodder for classroom discussion.
Donald Trump and Boris Johnson won power as populists, backed by angry voters. Now COVID-19 is exposing their shortcomings in the U.S. and UK. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) and U.S. President Donald J. Trump (L) in London, 4 December 2019 (EPA-EFE/PETER...
Hong Kong youth are protesting again against the city’s rulers in China. The stakes are sky-high for the world’s economy and, potentially, security. A protester in Hong Kong, China, 24 May 2020 (EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE) Is capitalist, free-wheeling Hong Kong...
Protesters upset over economic inequalities have thrown free-market darling Chile into disarray, prompting a crackdown decried by rights advocates. Demonstrators protest against the Chilean government, Santiago, Chile, 10 January 2020. (EPA-EFE/ELVIS GONZALEZ) This...