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Our Issues

Freedom House works to defend human rights and promote democratic change, with a focus on political rights and civil liberties. We act as a catalyst for freedom through a combination of analysis, advocacy, and action. Our analysis, focused on 13 central issues, is underpinned by our international program work. Browse our work and analysis by issue below.

Humanitarian activists hold a poster with a picture of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was killed in Turkey. Makassar, Indonesia. 18 October 2018. Editorial credit: Herwin Bahar / Shutterstock.com

Authoritarian Reach

The world’s authoritarian regimes understand that domestic repression alone will not ensure their survival. Over the past two decades, they have extended their influence beyond their own borders in an attempt to silence critics, subvert democratic governments, and reshape international norms and institutions to serve their own interests.

coronavirus ukraine military officers testing

Democracy during Pandemic

The coronavirus outbreak presents a range of new challenges to democracy and human rights. Repressive regimes have responded to the pandemic in ways that serve their political interests, often at the expense of public health and basic freedoms. Even open societies face pressure to accept restrictions that may outlive the crisis and have a lasting effect on liberty.

Men using their mobile phones on a sidewalk. Johannesburg, South Africa. Editorial credit:  Sunshine Seeds / Shutterstock.com

Technology & Democracy

Rapidly advancing information and communication technologies have had a profound impact on democracy around the world. They have provided new platforms for civic mobilization and the dissemination of news and commentary, but they are also subject to censorship, surveillance, and exploitation by antidemocratic forces.

Hungarian people living in the English city marched silently through the streets in a show of solidarity with protesters in Hungary.  Bristol, England. 16 December 2018. Editorial credit: tviolet / Shutterstock.com

Democracies in Decline

In every region of the world, democracy is under attack by populist leaders and groups that reject pluralism and demand unchecked power to advance the particular interests of their supporters, usually at the expense of minorities and other perceived foes.

United States Capitol Building. Washington, DC. Editorial credit: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock.comL:

Promoting U.S. Leadership

Freedom House believes that the United States has an essential part to play in the global struggle for liberty. The US has a unique capacity and a moral obligation to cultivate alliances with free nations and lend support to democracy advocates in authoritarian or transitional settings. As the world’s most influential democracy, the US has an essential part to play in the global struggle for liberty. Doing so ultimately protects the freedom, security, and prosperity of Americans by promoting stable democratic governance, preventing armed conflicts and failed states, and ensuring an international order based on human rights and the rule of law.

A man inserts the inserts a voted ballot into the ballot box. Puglia, Italy. 26 May 2019. Editorial Credit: Editorial credit: Massimo Todaro / Shutterstock.com

Election Integrity

Free and fair elections are a foundational component of political freedom. There is more to democracy than free and fair elections, but there can be no democracy without them. Constant vigilance is required to protect this foundational component of political freedom from the threats arrayed against it, which range from old-fashioned fraud on election day to media manipulation and regulatory obstacles during the campaign period. 

Two young indigenous men protesting holding banner "Stop the indigenous genocide", in march for the rights of the indigenous people.  São Paulo, Brazil. 1 January 2019. Editorial Credit: PARALAXIS / Shutterstock.com

Equality & Human Rights

Democracy depends on the guarantee of equal rights under law and freedom from discrimination for all individuals in a society. If the rights and freedoms of one segment of the population are violated with impunity, the same sorts of abuses are likely to be visited on others. Those forced to endure a subordinate status have less incentive to play by the rules, creating a vicious circle of defiance and repression.

Memorial to murdered journalist Daphne Carunana Galizia. Valletta, Malta. 16 November 2019. Editorial credit: Paul Mendoza / Shutterstock.com

Media Freedom

The ability of journalists to report freely on matters of public interest is a crucial indicator of democracy. A free press can inform citizens of their leaders’ successes or failures, convey the people’s needs and desires to government bodies, and provide a platform for the open exchange of information and ideas. When media freedom is restricted, these vital functions break down, leading to poor decision-making and harmful outcomes for leaders and citizens alike.

Detail of a copy of the Constitution of Venezuela. In the hands of a demonstrator against the government of Nicolás Maduro.  Venezuela.  Decmeber 2016. Editorial credit:  StringerAL / Shutterstock.com

Government Accountability & Transparency

A well-functioning democracy requires strong safeguards against official corruption, which erodes public services as well as public faith in the democratic system. Corruption can also give unfair advantages to incumbent politicians and create pathways for malign interference by foreign powers.

Nanette Castillo, mother of a victim of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.  The Hague, Netherlands. 24 September 2019.  Editorial credit: Jofelle Tesorio / Shutterstock.com

Strengthening Civil Society

When governments fail to act in the public interest, and opposition parties are unwilling or unable to offer a credible alternative, it is up to civil society organizations to identify abuses and advocate for reforms. Freedom House works around the world to provide local civic groups with the tools they need to advance democratic governance in their own countries.

Police confrontation with civilians, as people are trying to get to the protest on Tverskaya Street.  Moscow, Russia. 27 July, 2019. Editorial credit:  Aleksandr Beliakov / Shutterstock.com

Freedom of Assembly

The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental prerequisite for any open and self-governing society. While most countries’ constitutions promise freedom of assembly, far fewer governments uphold this basic right without undue restrictions.  

Teenaged man with taped mouth protesting censorship at demonstration against a new copyright law by European Union, "Artikel 13." Erfurt, Germany. 23 March 2019. Editorial credit:  Timo Nausch / Shutterstock.com

Freedom of Expression

Free speech and expression is the lifeblood of democracy, facilitating open debate, the proper consideration of diverse interests and perspectives, and the negotiation and compromise necessary for consensual policy decisions. Efforts to suppress nonviolent expression, far from ensuring peace and stability, can allow unseen problems to fester and erupt in far more dangerous forms.  

Two indian muslim women with poster protests against controversial anti-muslim Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB CAA).  Mumbai, India. 19 December 2019. Editorial credit:  arun sambhu mishra / Shutterstock.com

Religious Freedom

Freedom of worship—of belief and nonbelief—is an important element of democracy, contributing to social peace, encouraging full political participation, and strengthening pluralism more broadly. 

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Regional Programs

Freedom House is on the front lines in promoting freedom and democracy in some of the most repressive societies around the world. 

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Emergency Assistance Programs

Around the world, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists and organizations come under threat because they stand up for their fellow citizens.

protest in kong kong umbrella movement

Human Rights Support Programming

Implemented by the PROGRESS consortium of core partner organizations, the Human Rights Support Mechanism deploys programs that promote universally recognized human rights.

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