Democracy & Government

Reading
What Is Fascism?
In this free resource, learn how Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler rose to power and the lessons their political journeys hold for today.
Reading
Laws, Norms, and Democratic Backsliding
Are countries less democratic than they used to be? Learn how democratic principles like checks and balances, free elections, and freedom of the press are under threat around the world.
Video
What Is Government?
From direct and parliamentary democracy to authoritarianism, learn how rulers take power—and who decides.
Interactive
Convene the Council
This free online game prompts students to make decisions about foreign policy challenges faced by the leaders of fictional countries.
Reading
What Is the National Security Council?
Learn how the president’s advisors protect U.S. national security and help with foreign policy decision-making and coordination across the executive branch.
Reading
Politics: Sub-Saharan Africa
By the late 1990s, most countries in the region had transitioned from being European colonies to becoming independent countries.
Reading
Geopolitics: Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan African countries hold roughly 25 percent of the seats in the UN General Assembly, making the region’s voice important on global issues such as climate change and drug trafficking. 
Reading
Politics: Middle East and North Africa
In 2011, millions of protesters in places like Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia rose up to demand political, economic, and social reforms from their highly repressive governments, which for decades had ruled with unchecked power.
Reading
Geopolitics: Europe
In the aftermath of the Cold War, East-West relations had a chance at a reset.
Reading
Politics: Europe
Europe’s claims on liberal, democratic traditions date back centuries.
Reading
What Are the Origins of Communism?
Explore the different ways Marx, Lenin, and Stalin interpreted communism and dive into the history of translating an ideology into policy.
Reading
Geopolitics: The Americas
Throughout the modern history of the Americas, the United States has been the region’s preeminent economic, military, and political power. 
Reading
Politics: The Americas
After years of dictatorships that ruled nearly every Latin American country during the 1970s, the region experienced a wave of democratization beginning in 1979. 

Learning Journeys

A learning journey is a student facing, curated collection of resources that explore a topic from a specific perspective.

Learning Journey
What Does Fascism Really Mean?

Learn about the history of fascist movements and explore democratic backsliding to determine just how history informs the present.

Learning Journey
Forms of Government: Change

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how citizens can influence change in their government.

Learning Journey
Forms of Government: Introduction

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how a country's form of government determines whether citizens' voices are magnified or minimized