In this edition, recent work by the ACDS team on domestic and international challenges to democracy and strengthening the transatlantic relationship, including the launch of Brookings New Transatlantic Bridge Initiative.
In late May, the Brookings Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) project co-hosted the "Democracy and Policy: Reimagining a Global Democratic Future” conference alongside the Cornell University Brooks School of Public Policy’s Center on Global Democracy, University of Michigan’s Center for Emerging Democracies, and Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy.
The event convened international scholars, practitioners, former public servants, and other key stakeholders for a series of panels exploring comparative and contemporary lessons for defending democracy; the role of political parties in maintaining democratic norms; the importance of institutional guardrails and citizen pressure in preventing autocracy; foreign policy and domestic regime strategies; democratic opportunities and risks from emerging technologies; and reimagining the future of democracy globally. The conversations centered around how to strengthen models of democracy rooted in dignity, freedom, fairness, and connection.
Since the release of the Democracy Playbook 2025, which outlines seven pillars to defend democracy, ACDS has continued its ongoing series of timely research and commentary on emerging threats to democratic institutions—and on the concrete steps stakeholders can take to address them. Our most recent pieces in this series include insights on:
At the twentieth anniversary of the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, Norman Eisen and Jonathan Katz launched Brookings’ New Transatlantic Bridge Initiative, an effort led by ACDS to address rising challenges to the transatlantic alliance. The initiative brings together diverse voices to help renew governmental and non-governmental bonds among the U.S., Europe, Canada, EU, NATO, and other stakeholders through research, convenings, and collaboration with other experts. Read the recent ACDS interviews with civil society leaders Jakub Klepal and Igor Blaževič on key transatlantic challenges and opportunities.
In Prague, Eisen and Katz highlighted the New Transatlantic Bridge Initiative at a high-level GLOBSEC dinner that explored how to strengthen transatlantic renewal. At GLOBSEC, Katz also served as a panelist at a session that examined how Russia’s internal politics and perceptions of Western division might shape the Kremlin's future geopolitical moves. Insights from these discussions and events will inform upcoming work from ACDS, including a future edition of the Democracy Playbook.
Katz joined Katie Dunn Tenpas in the Season 2 finale of Brookings' Democracy in Question podcast to discuss a positive vision of the future of U.S. governance and ACDS' Democracy Playbook 2025.
On June 4, Katz was featured on NPR's Up First podcast to discuss the consequences of Trump's rescission package for U.S. foreign aid and public media.
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