Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law is housed in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
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New Administration Inherits a Democracy in Crisis, Explains FSI Panel
January 2021
Scholars say there is much work to be done to restore confidence in democracy in America and around the world.
Statement from CDDRL Leadership on the Events of Jan. 6
January 2021
The leadership of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law would like to express its horror and dismay at the violent attack on Congress that occurred on January 6, as well as the...
Stanford Scholars React to Capitol Hill Takeover
January 2021
FSI scholars reflect on the occupation of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and suggest what needs to happen next to preserve democracy.
Open Letter in Support of Nicholas Opiyo and Ugandan Human Rights Defenders
December 2020
The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law expresses its grave concern over the politically motivated arrests of our 2019 Draper Hills Summer Fellow, Nicholas Opiyo, and four other...
Scholars and Human Rights Advocates Speak out in Support of Egyptian Civil Society
November 2020
Statement in Support of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) [The following statement was issued by a group of scholars and human rights advocates in support of the Egyptian...
In Their Own Words: Why Should You Choose CDDRL
November 2020
Our 2020-21 Post-Doctoral Scholars explain why they chose to complete their fellowship at CDDRL.
The Presidential Election Confirmed How New Demographics Will Shape Politics for Many Years Ahead
November 2020
Following the U.S. election, FSI experts analyze the results, explain the challenges, and discuss what we can expect between now and Inauguration Day.
Paul Wise: Special Expert for the U.S. Federal Court Overseeing Treatment of Migrant Children at Border
October 2020
With unaccompanied minors being detained in hotels during COVID-19, Stanford professor of pediatrics Paul Wise is among the few external people with full access to the facilities, detained children,...
Israel-Emirates: Neither Betrayal nor History-Making Deal
September 2020
[This article originally appeared in Orient XII.] Political observers have voiced contrasting opinions about the peace treaty between Israel and the Arab Emirates.
'In Being Together, We Had the Power' - A Belarusian Activist Describes Life on the Front Lines of Minsk Protests
August 2020
On the World Class Podcast, Belarusian scholar and activist Aleś Łahviniec explains why people are protesting, and what it feels like to be out on the streets in Minsk.
Update on the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program
August 2020
A short update from the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program, including our reveal of the next cohort of fellows.
Police Reform in Brazil and Mexico: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What the U.S. Can Learn
June 2020
On the World Class Podcast, Beatriz Magaloni discusses how community-oriented policing and constitutional reform can impact violence committed by police.
What Protests For Racial Justice Tell Us About U.S. Democracy
June 2020
American democracy is facing its most serious challenge in decades, says Larry Diamond on the World Class Podcast. But there are signs of hope.
New Research from the Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab Examines Police Brutality
June 2020
For the last 10 years, a team of social scientists at the Poverty, Violence, and Governance (PovGov) lab at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) have been developing action-...
Amr Adly Explains Market-Making Failure in Egypt [VIDEO]
June 2020
In a webinar dated June 8, 2020, American University in Cairo Scholar Amr Adly presented findings from his new book Cleft Capitalism: The Social Origins of Failed Market Making in Egypt (Stanford...
Ziad Abu-Rish Analyzes the Trajectory of Lebanon's Uprising [VIDEO]
May 2020
In a webinar dated, May 27, 2020, Ohio University Historian Ziad Abu-Rish analyzed the trajectory of Lebanon's Uprising and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the contemporary political scene....
Our Democracy Depends on a Safe Election in November
May 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the effects could be potentially devastating to global democracy and the upcoming U.S. election. On the World Class podcast, Larry Diamond and Nathaniel Persily...
Samer Abboud Examines the Politics of Exclusion in Syria [VIDEO]
May 2020
In a webinar dated May 12, 2020, Villanova University Scholar Samer Abboud examined the emergent "illiberal peace" in Syria.
The COVID-19 Crisis Can Be A Historic Opportunity for Morocco
May 2020
[The following article originally appeared in French in Le Soir]Over the past 20 years of exile, I returned to Morocco sporadically to visit family and friends.
Covid-19 Crisis: Is a Showdown Between Public Health Imperatives and Civil Liberties Inevitable?
April 2020
David Studdert addresses the tradeoff between basic liberties and societal health in the current coronavirus pandemic in a New England Journal of Medicine perspective.
People
Didi Kuo Senior Research Scholar, CDDRL, Associate Director for Research, CDDRL Academic Research & Program Manager, American Democracy in Comparative Perspective 
Michael A. McFaul Director, Senior Fellow Professor, Political Science, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution 
Francis Fukuyama Senior Fellow Director, Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy, Professor, by courtesy, Political Science 
Saumitra Jha Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Research Affiliate at the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, Associate Professor of Political Economy, GSB Senior Fellow, SIEPR 
Anat R. Admati Affiliated Faculty George G.C. Parker Professor of Finance and Economics at Stanford University Graduate School of Business (GSB), Senior Fellow, SIEPR, Director of the GSB Corporations and Society Initiative , Professor by Courtesy, Department of Management Science and Engineering and Department of Economics