Global Scans · Democracy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Society is expressing its discontent with current democratic processes that leave the elites struggling to convince their voters of their good intentions and competencies. Read on to see how democracy is offering both great opportunities and risks while this period of volatility shakes out.

• [New] India, as the world's most populous democracy and the fourth-largest economy with a projected GDP of $4.19 trillion in 2026, plays a key role in the global landscape. PWOnlyIAS
• [New] Technological risks are rising globally, with misinformation and disinformation ranking 5th worldwide, reflecting growing threats to democratic processes and social trust. Drishti IAS
• [New] The history of freedom in America has always been expressed through space: who could own land, who could attend school, who could vote, who could occupy public spaces, who could secure a mortgage, and who could build wealth through homeownership. AIA Virginia
• [New] A woodwork teacher in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt has triggered a dispute over political expression in the classroom ahead of a regional election in two months that could produce radical changes in schools if the far-right AfD wins. Counter Extremism Project
• [New] Across the globe, existential opportunities, emancipative values, and liberal democracy have been rising in astonishing unison, promoting a more encompassing trend toward human empowerment. Journal of Democracy
• [New] Mexico's 2027 midterm elections will constitute the most consequential political contest since the 2024 presidential election. Texas Public Policy Foundation - TPPF's mission is to p
• [New] Allied governments committed to democratic values might require additional support when climate disasters strike, for instance when Boko Haram aims to exploit droughts in the Lake Chad region. Default
• [New] Pursuant to a recent change in Delaware law, individuals registering to vote through the DMV will soon be given the opportunity to select a political party affiliation as part of the voter registration process. Delaware Department of Elections
• [New] The Federal Communications Commission will vote to eliminate a rule that requires Internet service providers to list all of their so-called passthrough fees on an easily accessible broadband price label. Techdirt
• [New] While China might have the tools to exert influence over elections, it recognizes that attempts to do so would likely be exposed and lead to backlash, and thus sees little reason to take proactive measures against election infrastructure. Techdirt
• [New] As the US approaches the November midterm elections, who society chooses to elect in 2026 could shape vaccine policymaking for years to come. News-Medical
• [New] Iran could attempt to manipulate or attack election infrastructure as it has in elections in the Middle East and South Asia - but we do not have any information indicating that it intends to do so in the United States. ABC News
• [New] We assess that hostile actors could also manipulate systems that count or tabulate votes - such as voting machines - on a localized basis, but it probably would be difficult to coordinate a campaign to alter voting results on a wide scale. ABC News
• [New] By 2029, the likely year of the next general election, Labour risks finding itself out of step with British voters, more and more of whom want the economic, social, and cultural benefits of EU membership. The Christian Science Monitor
• [New] The crowdsourced model struggles with polarising content and leaves election disinformation undermoderated, a deficit reinforced by a Harvard study of 29 fact-checkers warning against treating AI Note Writers as reliable human moderation replacements. / Spain EU DisinfoLab
• [New] Today democratic governance is under greater external threat in Taiwan and across the Indo-Pacific than at any time since the most perilous days of the Cold War. The Washington Times
• [New] Across the globe, liberal democracy is under threat from populism. The London School of Economics and Political Science
• [New] Democratic lawmakers criticize the SEC under Atkins and Trump for dropping enforcement actions against firms like Binance and Coinbase, alleging an enforcement vacuum that could leave investors unprotected. TU News
• [New] A renewed wave of mass kidnappings has hit Nigeria in recent months, and insecurity remains a major issue ahead of 2027's general election. BBC News
• [New] Dismantling an entire nation's judicial branch to elect all judges at all levels is unprecedented worldwide and will place Mexico in a unique position in terms of its method for judicial selection. Jones Day
• [New] A report into social cohesion and the state of British democracy suggests a widespread view that the social contract between citizen and state has broken down, threatening democracy and posing a first order national security threat. Religion Media Centre

Last updated: 26 July 2026