Editor Christian Caryl reviews the first twelve months in the Legatum Institute-Foreign Policy joint venture.
Democracy Lab, a unique online partnership between the Legatum Institute and
Foreign Policy magazine was launched in January 2012 to cover political and economic transitions around the world.
Democracy Lab aims to illuminate the mechanisms behind political and economic transitions from authoritarianism to democracy. Reflective of this ambitious agenda, the debut edition of the Legatum Institute-Foreign Policy joint venture included features on the power of the
drive for dignity (Francis Fukuyama), and the
longing for property rights (Hernando de Soto). Bloggers from Egypt, Burma, Venezuela, Indonesia, and Uganda tackled the problems of transition in their respective countries.
Since then, there has been a lot of ground to cover. Legatum Institute Senior Fellow and Democracy Lab Editor
Christian Caryl writes:
“Over the past 12 months we’ve scrutinised
uprisings,
elections, and
civil wars. We’ve eavesdropped on
activists and we’ve peeked over the shoulders of
leaders at work. We’ve surveilled
secret policemen and celebrated
unsung heroes. We’ve explored the immense problem of
corruption and its potential to frustrate the
rule of law."
Read Caryl’s full review of
Democracy Lab’s first year
here.
Some of the most read stories from Democracy Lab's first year include:
•
The Myth of Africa’s Rise /
Sorry But Africa's Rise is Real /
We Have No Idea if Africa is Rising: a debate on the state of development of Africa
•
16 Ways To Fix Burma: a unique set of policy prescriptions published at the time of last year’s historic elections
•
Asia's Next Tiger: a piece examining the impact of President Aquino's anti-corruption program on the Philippines economy
•
The Big Bang Theory of Education: a look at why authoritarian countries don't do well in the knowledge business
•
The Ground Truth from Benghazi: evidence from the crime scene following the attack on the US consulate in Libya
•
A Recipe for Freedom: five lessons from South Africa's transition by the country's ex-president FW De Klerk
As a new feature this year,
Democracy Lab is introducing a series of in-depth country studies called "Lab Reports." Looking beyond the headlines, the reports will provide systematic analysis of the complexities involved in economic and political transitions. The first report looks at the
Ukraine. Further
Lab Reports scheduled for the first half of this year will feature Burma, Kenya, Libya, and Venezuela.
Stay tuned for
Democracy Lab’s unique coverage of the political and economic challenges facing countries that are striving to make the transition from authoritarianism to democracy. You can follow Democracy Lab
online, on
Facebook, on
Twitter, or sign up for
Democracy Lab's weekly brief
here.
For more information about the
Democracy Lab partnership with
Foreign Policy, click
here.