Your Daily Ten@10

This is edition 2024/212 of the Ten@10 newsletter.

Welcome to the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.

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•  🌍 The world has witnessed a decline in democratic institutions and a rise in authoritarian leadership, as indicated by global surveys from Freedom House and International IDEA.
• 📊 Surveys also show increased dissatisfaction with democracy and a trend of democratic "deconsolidation" or backsliding.
• 🎥 Morteza Sharifi and I have completed our discussion on "Democracy vs. Authoritarianism: A Global Tug of War," available on YouTube.
• 🏛️ Authoritarianism, often linked with populism, is not inherently anti-democratic but can threaten civil liberties when used to crack down on dissent.
• 🤝 Populism exploits dissatisfaction with elites, claiming to restore power to the people, sometimes targeting minorities like immigrants.
• ⚖️ Governments balance security needs with freedoms under the social contract theory, aiming for a fair rule of law and societal norms.
• 🚔 Authoritarianism undermines democratic institutions like free elections, independent judiciary, and a free press, using state power illegitimately.
• 🌐 Support Politics Happens for independent analysis of political events and ideas.