National Endowment for Democracy - Report Launch: ‘A Full-Spectrum Response to Sharp Power: The Vulnerabilities and Strengths of Open Societies’ - 18 June 2021, 11.00-12.30 (EDT)

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Globalization has deepened integration between democracies and autocracies, tethering them to one another in complicated ways that have exposed democracies’ vulnerabilities that authoritarian powers are exploiting. The compromising effects of sharp power—which impairs free expression, neutralizes independent institutions, and distorts the political environment—have grown apparent across crucial sectors of open societies, including the media and information space, the knowledge sector, norms and standards surrounding emerging technologies, and commerce. A response from the full spectrum of institutions within open societies is essential, and civil society—broadly understood—in this regard is a crucial part of democracies’ competitive advantage over authoritarian states. Democracies must shift from an awareness-raising phase to more concerted action. Join the International Forum for Democratic Studies for a discussion launching its final report, A Full-Spectrum Response to Sharp Power: The Vulnerabilities and Strengths of Open Societies, and reflecting on lessons learned from its series examining Sharp Power and Democratic Resilience.

Bingham Centre: ‘The Rule of Law and Authoritarian Ascendance: the Nature and Scale of the Threat, and the Legal, Policy and Societal Responses to It’ - 8 June 2021, 13.00-16.00 (EDT)

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The rise of authoritarian or authoritarian-leaning governments and political parties is a trend affecting nations across the globe. In the United States, we have witnessed an undermining of democratic norms and institutions that previously constrained the reach of the Executive Branch. The steady erosion of these norms coupled with an aversion to the rule of law culminated in the January 6 assault on the United States Capitol. However, the U.S. is not alone in this struggle, with populist authoritarian movements gaining support across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. These movements have their roots in ideologies spanning the political spectrum, from right-wing extremism in the United States and Europe to leftist movements in Latin America. They are commonly fueled by disinformation, propaganda, and extremist hate speech spread on social media, and they manifest themselves in similar ways, including contempt for minorities and immigrants, digital repression, glorification of violent ideologies, and the undermining of independent judiciaries. These disparate political movements share many characteristics, most notably that they are antithetical to properly functioning democracies, they weaken human rights protections, and they are hostile to the rule of law.

What do we mean by the "rule of law"? How should the United States respond to these movements, both domestically and internationally? What tools already exist, legally or in terms of policies and programs that can help to counter these anti-democratic and often violent movements? How big a threat does authoritarianism pose to western democracy in the long term? Domestically, is the current Congressional proposal for a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation - in response to the January 6th insurrection - sufficient? Or are other law enforcement measures required? What is the role of the legal profession in defending and advancing democracy at a time of competing philosophies of governance?