Despite widespread claims that parliamentary systems with an indirectly elected president produce better outcomes for democratic governance, constitutional reform to move away from a directly elected president to an indirectly elected president is extremely rare.
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The Summit for Democracy is an initiative headed by the United States Government to discuss how to advance the Summit’s three broad themes: strengthening democracy and defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corruption; and advancing respect for human rights.
International IDEA’s Annual Review of Constitution-Building series provides a retrospective account of constitutional transitions around the world, the issues that drive them, and their implications for national and international politics.
In view of ongoing and recent contestations between the president and prime minister, and president and legislature in Tunisia and in Sri Lanka, International IDEA’s Constitution-Building Programme organised a webinar on the ‘Value and Perils of Semi-Presidentialism in Transitional Contexts’ on 2 August 2021.
When elections take place in countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, from deep political crises to stability, or from war to peace, their significance is greater than usual.
For democracies to thrive, a vibrant and actively engaged citizenry and civil society are essential. Civil society can monitor and hold the state to account, it can infuse a greater diversity of voices into the policy process, and it can act as a force for democratic reform or provide resistance to democratic backsliding.
Political parties are the centrepiece of political representation in democratic systems.
Gender equality is a cornerstone of a democratic and just society, and International IDEA is committed to supporting democratic processes that empower women.
The constitution-building process provides an extraordinary opportunity for women and gender equality advocates to participate in the framing of democratic institutions.
Post-conflict democratization has always been regarded as an ordeal, and democracy-building in the South Caucasus countries is no exception.
The countries of the region—Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia—are telling examples of the fact that elections are insufficient for the establishment of democracy.
On 25 November, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), in partnership with Vytautas Magnus University and the European Humanities University, will hold International Conference “Constitutionalism in Europe: Current Challenges and Prospects for the Future”.