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Jan-Werner Mueller

Jan-Werner Mueller

56 commentaries

Jan-Werner Mueller, Professor of Politics at Princeton University, is the author, most recently, of Democracy Rules (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021; Allen Lane, 2021).

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  1. The Zombification of Political Parties
    mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Mar 15, 2024 Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.

  2. The Case for Banning Anti-Democratic Candidates
    mueller50_ Martin Schuttpicture alliance via Getty Images_hocke protest Martin Schutt/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The Case for Banning Anti-Democratic Candidates

    Feb 1, 2024 Jan-Werner Mueller explains how, and under what conditions, disqualifying individuals from elections is justified.

  3. Liberalism’s Forever Crisis
    op_mueller5_Brett CarlsenGetty Images_liberalism Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

    Liberalism’s Forever Crisis

    Jan 5, 2024 Jan-Werner Mueller argues that some recent critiques misunderstand the liberal project and its objectives.

  4. Is Europe Broken?
    mueller_JOHN THYSPOOLAFP via Getty Images John Thys/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    Is Europe Broken?

    Dec 20, 2023 Jan-Werner Mueller considers the implications of the European Union's latest failure to enforce its rules against Hungary.

  5. When Election Losers Pretend to Be Winners
    mueller48_Omar MarquesGetty Images_duda Omar Marques/Getty Images

    When Election Losers Pretend to Be Winners

    Dec 13, 2023 Jan-Werner Mueller warns that outgoing governments, like that in Poland, are adopting subtler means to avoid handing over power.

  1. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  2. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  3. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  4. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  5. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  6. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  7. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  8. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
  9. op_mkurz3_Spencer PlattGetty Images_rustbelt Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How Capitalism Became a Threat to Democracy

    Mordecai Kurz examines the economic policies and market dynamics that have ushered in America's Second Gilded Age.

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