Democracy International’s Daniela Vancic

Barack Obama Is My Political Inspiration

Daniela Vancic is the European program manager at Democracy International. She is an expert on the European Citizens’ Initiative and is the co-author of Complementary Democracy: The Art of Deliberative Listening. Before sitting on a panel for the Zócalo event “Are Elected Presidents Bad for Democracy?”—presented in partnership with Democracy International and Metropolitan Autonomous University for the Global Forum for Modern Direct Democracy 2023—she joined us in our traveling green room to talk tacos, the Obamas, and our shared democratic future.

March 17, 2023

Is Something Rotten With the State of Presidencies? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Journalist Tess Bacalla

We’re in a Mess, but I’ve Not Given Up Hope

March 17, 2023

Tess Bacalla is editor-in-chief of Asia Democracy Chronicles. She is also a journalism lecturer at De La Salle University in Manila. Before sitting on a panel for the Zócalo event “Are …

An elderly man with white hair and glass and wearing a black jacket places a pink sheet of paper into a white ballot box. His other hand holds two other pieces of paper, one white and and one yellow. A younger man in a gray sweater stands behind him holding his own papers.

A Letter From Taiwan: Where Democracy Has Become a Rollercoaster

A Voting Activist on the Rocky Ride Toward Increased Citizen Participation

by Sam Chang | March 15, 2023

What are the obstacles and opportunities facing democracy today? Zócalo is publishing a series of letters to highlight how the world’s democratic ideals are faring in practice. From Taiwan: Negative …

Is Something Rotten With the State of Presidencies?

Zócalo Heads to Mexico City to Understand Executive Power—And Why It Isn’t Always Best for Democracy

by Talib Jabbar | March 6, 2023

Last week, Zócalo Public Square held our first-ever event just steps from our organization’s namesake and inspiration, Mexico City’s Plaza de la Constitución, otherwise known as the Zócalo, one of …

A Letter from the Virgin Islands: Where a U.S. Territory Can’t Get Its Own Constitution

A Self-Serving Legislature Drives the Plot in a Story of Democratic Failure

by J.H. Snider | March 2, 2023

What are the obstacles and opportunities facing democracy today? Zócalo is publishing a series of letters to highlight how the world’s democratic ideals are faring in practice. From the Virgin …

A man in a mask and sunglasses cast a vote into a box. In the background, poll workers wearing masks sit at a blue table.

You Can Find a Lot of Hope in Mexico’s Democracy

The Headlines Are Dire, But the Country’s Citizen-Run Elections Should Remain Trustworthy—And a Model for the Rest of the World

by Joe Mathews | February 28, 2023

In these times of misinformation and mistrust, where might we find a way to restore trust in our elections and in our democracies?

There are two answers: in Mexico. And in …

A Letter From Taiwan: Where Democracy Has Become a Rollercoaster

A Voting Activist on the Rocky Ride Toward Increased Citizen Participation

Democracy’s Diversity Problem

Does Diversity Make Democratic Transition Harder—Or Simply More Worthwhile?

Is Something Rotten With the State of Presidencies?

Zócalo Heads to Mexico City to Understand Executive Power—And Why It Isn’t Always Best for Democracy

A Letter from Mexico City: Can Polarization Build Democracy?

Too Often Disagreement Means Enmity. But Bridging Extremes Is the Best Bet for Our Future

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