Strength Without Weight: Ideas For A Post-Bureaucratic State
Geoff Mulgan reimagines the state as a lean, agile force that delivers power without the drag of bureaucracy.
State Debate
This is an article series on global discussions about the state and government produced in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
Chile’s Democracy Faces Its Gravest Test Since Pinochet
A far-right candidate threatens to dismantle decades of democratic progress in Latin America's most celebrated success story.
Uruguay’s Enduring State: From Century-Old Consensus to Twenty-First Century Trials
A nation built on public provision faces new tests as crime, inequality and demographic shifts challenge its foundational social contract.
Brazil in the Labyrinth: State, Democracy and Inequality
As Brazil approaches crucial elections, the country must confront deep structural challenges that have undermined democratic progress for decades.
Time to Move Forward So We Don’t Go Back
In a world gripped by far-right populism, Spain's progressive government proves that advancing the welfare state—not merely defending it—is the best vaccine against reactionary politics.
Estonia’s Digital Frontier: When Perfect E-Government Meets the Paradox of Trust
Efficiency without empathy risks turning citizens into data points—Estonia's digital frontier reveals the human limits of technological perfection.
Albania’s AI Minister Cannot Fix What Citizens No Longer Trust
Bold reforms and EU progress ring hollow when inequality deepens and Albanians choose to leave the country.
When Democracy and Liberalism Collide: America’s Governance Crisis
The United States is dismantling the very institutions designed to solve its problems—a paradox that reveals a deeper conflict between democratic will and liberal principles.
Botswana’s Critical Transition: From Parental Provider to Democratic Enabler
As diamond revenues collapse and public trust erodes, Botswana's new government attempts a fundamental reimagining of the state-citizen relationship.
Portugal’s Democratic Paradox: How A Democracy Confronts The Crisis Of Trust
Fifty years after dictatorship, Portugal faces the challenge of rebuilding faith in democratic institutions while delivering on citizens' rising expectations.
Paradise Lost: New Zealand’s Crisis Of State And Identity
As economic stagnation meets constitutional discord, the remote archipelago faces fundamental questions about its future as a unified nation.