// Contents 

Democracy’s Past and Future
The Struggle for Freedom and the Democratic Advantage
NED’s Role as a Catalyst for Freedom
NED’s People-Driven Approach to Democracy
Helping Courageous People Help Themselves
An Inflection Point
Repressive Regimes and Suppression of Freedom
The Enduring Quest for Freedom
Endnotes

Democracy’s Past and Future 

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a handful of revolutionaries in Great Britain’s North American colonies had a radical vision for a new and independent, self-governing state. Angered by the abuses of a far-off monarch, they pledged themselves to a new project based on individual rights and popular sovereignty: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”  

In 1776, there was little hint of the global power that the soon-to-be United States would one day become. Sage observers gave dismal odds to the scrappy upstarts who launched the American Revolution, and their seemingly utopian political project. In the face of bitter hardship, however, the determination of the early Americans to secure better, freer lives for themselves, their people, and their children won the day against what was then the greatest military power on earth. 

In the wake of their victory, these revolutionaries established a new experiment in governing:  a representative democracy set up with checks, balances, and guarantees to help protect individual freedom and competitive politics against excessive concentrations of power. The road ahead to securing this new nation and realizing its ideals remained perilous. Yet America’s long-ago leap into the unknown—and the choices of every subsequent generation that kept the faith of freedom in the face of doubt—have fundamentally transformed the world.  

The Struggle for Freedom and the Democratic Advantage 

Today, an estimated 2 billion people around the globe enjoy the benefits of representative democratic systems.1 These systems are diverse in their details, reflecting the unique visions, cultures, and needs of the people they serve. They are united, however, by representative political structures that give citizens a say in how their country is governed.  

Representative governments provide levers that enable people to hold their officials accountable, whether online, in print, on the streets, or at the ballot box. They protect civic breathing space—free from government coercion or control—where people can mobilize politically and share independent information. This space allows them to build associations, political parties, independent media, unions, free enterprise, and other civic institutions that enable a genuine contest of politics and ideas. And—much to the chagrin of autocrats, who build up firewalls and close down media outlets to shut off the flow of information from the outside world—people who live outside these systems have the chance to look across borders and see that a different reality is possible.  

With support from the National Endowment for Democracy, we created a platform where the North Korean defector community can unite for the cause of human rights and democracy in our homeland. Through this solidarity, we have gained the strength to raise a united voice against the North Korean dictatorship…For me, and for all those fighting for North Korean democratization and human rights, our unwavering aspiration and ultimate goal remain the same:  to help the people of North Korea reclaim their rights and freedom and to ensure they can live in a democratic nation where they can pursue their dreams without fear.

– Sungju Lee, North Korean democracy activist and NED grantee

The case for democracy is not just an abstract ideal—it offers tangible benefits for individuals and societies alike. Democracies also benefit their neighbors. Countries with rule of law, political freedoms, and open markets tend to perform better than their closed counterparts in providing high levels of economic well-being across society. (Despite China’s vaunted economic progress, it lags well behind neighboring Taiwan and South Korea, which threw off authoritarian rule in the late 1980s.)2 By just about any measure, a comparison of South Korea’s free and prosperous society with the dismal, poverty-stricken North Korean example lays bare the stark contrast between freedom and dictatorship. 

Democracy helps to ensure that wealth goes to benefit the public, rather than to a narrow elite. Democracies occupy a median of 41st place out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index versus 142nd for autocracies. Democracy decentralizes power in ways that hedge against economic instability, creating a better climate for doing business and therefore greater pathways to prosperity.3 Democracies are likelier to be at peace with other democracies. And, most critically, democracy recognizes the fundamental, inalienable dignity of each person—as someone with a mind, a voice, and a choice in the future of his or her country. In essence, democracy vests sovereignty of a nation in its people, not in a ruler or a ruling elite.  

NED’s Role as a Catalyst for Freedom

In the face of growing authoritarianism, the NED has the honor of supporting people around the world who are making their own leap of faith in freedom. Where the deck is stacked against people who sit outside of ruling power structures, we help to make their voices heard. Where governments strangle freedom of expression, demand ideological conformity, and impose censorship, NED supports those who seek an alternative.  

The work that NED does is often done on the front lines, in places where few others dare to venture. NED grantees, for instance, work to combat authoritarian propaganda, challenge censorship, and uphold freedom of expression. This includes increasing access to uncensored information and leveraging technology to bypass firewalls and other barriers to free speech. In Tibet, where Chinese authorities tightly restrict media and suppress dissent, NED has supported groups that bring uncensored news into the region, helping people learn about global events and their own community’s struggles. These brave groups document human rights abuses, amplify activists’ voices, and strengthen the resilience of the Tibetan diaspora. In North Korea, NED-backed initiatives broadcast independent radio programs, deliver USB drives loaded with news and cultural content, and support networks that gather firsthand accounts of the regime’s atrocities—providing the foundation for critical thinking among North Koreans and a vital link between isolated citizens and the outside world.  

Where young democracies with limited resources struggle to overcome challenges like systemic corruption and impunity for human rights abuses, NED stands behind leaders who are working to defend their fellow citizens and help critical institutions take root that can enable greater freedom and prosperity.  

Distinct from many international funders, NED’s grantmaking reflects the bottom-up spirit of democracy. Our setup ensures we are empowering our partners and their own ideas, not telling them where to go or what to do, but supporting their own vision for change. Relying on staff with language skills and local expertise cultivated over years, we reach beyond the usual networks that engage with DC-based institutions to connect with grassroots leaders—whether in rural villages, remote cities, or national capitals. We identify partners from all walks of life who possess a compelling vision to challenge authoritarian elites and give their communities greater voice.  

Our modest grants serve as venture capital for freedom. We support civic entrepreneurs whose projects have the potential to challenge censorship, expand public participation, and increase government transparency and accountability—helping them turn bold ideas into action. This approach is critical to the work we do. The courageous individuals who stand up to despots—sometimes risking their freedom and even their lives—don’t need outside donors dictating their next steps. They need partners who trust their vision and support their leadership. 

 

Helping Courageous People Help Themselves 

NED stands with people who are taking risks to stand up for themselves, and their societies. Deeply entrenched systems do not change overnight, and no outsider can dictate the roadmap of another country’s development. But we see, every day, firsthand the extraordinary power of the human thirst for freedom.  

In places like Armenia, Bangladesh, and Moldova, we have witnessed democratic transitions emerge despite challenging regional dynamics. Even in countries where transitions have faltered or failed—such as Afghanistan, Tunisia, and Ethiopia—the experience of political and civic freedom provides a stronger foundation for future democratic development. These experiences with freedom leave a lasting impression, fueling future aspirations for democracy.  

We are inspired by our partners’ courage in the face of authoritarian threats, and their bold and innovative approaches to making it easier for their compatriots to speak their minds, practice their faiths, connect their communities, and demand better from their governments. These individuals take risks driven by their own desire for freedom, not because of NED support. But with NED support, they can pursue their democratic aspirations more securely and more effectively. 

Civic groups are harnessing technologies once designed to repress them, using AI-powered tools to investigate abuses, communicate at scale, and build coalitions for change. These locally anchored, mission-driven organizations—strengthened by early investments from NED and others—have become vital forces for freedom in their societies. 

We are committed to the quintessentially American belief that freedom and fundamental rights belong to everyone. That’s why we support those who are working to plant the seeds of freedom, nurture them over time, and help them grow. In so doing, we also raise a shield against authoritarian winds that are blowing ever more forcefully across the world. 

An Inflection Point 

We are at a critical moment in history, in which the fight for freedom is more urgent than ever. The power and example of democracy in today’s world are strong. Democratic societies are innovative and dynamic, and digital tools are offering compelling new opportunities for people to raise their voices, connect and organize, and monitor as well as contribute to government decisions. NED partners are at the cutting edge of the fight for democratic principles, using technology to hold government leaders accountable and demonstrate what responsive, people-centered governance can look like in the twenty-first century.  

The democratic framework where individual rights help sustain accountable government, however, is not the only vision competing to shape the twenty-first century. In 1967, Ronald Reagan remarked that freedom is “never more than one generation away from extinction.” Although the global geopolitical context has changed drastically, the fundamental truth of his observation remains more relevant than ever.  

Today, autocrats in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran are aggressively expanding their influence to strengthen authoritarian rule worldwide. Moreover, they are increasingly working in common cause to advance their interests, which they believe are threatened by the universal appeal of freedom to individuals. They also believe they have the upper hand. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, for example, have characterized the friendship between their countries as one with “no limits.” In Moscow in March 2023, during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at a meeting between the leaders, Xi and Putin pledged to drive changes in the world that have “not been seen in 100 years.”  Working together, autocrats seek to make the world safe for autocracy and to undermine democracy and the rule of law. 

As democracy faces rising threats, we must recognize that the cost of inaction is high. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), for example, is actively promoting the supposed benefits of China’s governance approach. As Xi Jinping put it at the 19th National Congress of the CCP in 2017, this approach offers a “new option for nations that want to speed up their development while preserving their independence.” It is a false message that China’s lavishly funded global propaganda machine relentlessly pushes. By some estimates, China’s outward-facing communications spending eclipses $10 billion annually. 

These authoritarian regimes make a range of promises to their supporters. Some cloak themselves in a technocratic promise of modernity. What they share, however, is a basic approach to their people as objects to be controlled, rather than citizens in charge of their country’s destiny.  

Repressive Regimes and Suppression of Freedom  

Authoritarian regimes today are using cutting-edge technology to suppress their citizens. Centralizing data flows and covering the country with a range of AI-powered surveillance tools, the CCP has leveraged emerging technologies to impose unprecedented social control in everyday life. These range from state-of-the-art censorship and manipulation of online discussion to digital platforms that control movements and penalize religious worship in Xinjiang—where over a million people have been arbitrarily detained and subject to brainwashing, forced sterilization, and other abuses.  

In Russia, the Kremlin exploits similar tactics. Russia’s rulers extort independent businesses, track down protesters, and sentence ordinary citizens to draconian prison terms for expressing themselves online. In February 2024, opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison after years spent exposing large-scale corruption by top Russian officials.  

In Iran, Islamist rulers have brutally suppressed successive mass protest movements that sought greater personal freedoms for the country’s population. The nearly 1,000 people executed in the country in 2024 included dozens of political prisoners. Mahsa Amini’s story ignited the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran. Thanks to NED grantees, her sadly unremarkable story was not among those lost. Rather, NED partners were able to amplify the news of her death, which mobilized activists within the country and internationally. 

China-based companies with massive global footprints—especially in the tech domain, where Chinese vendors supply the “pipes” through which information travels across much of the world—take advantage of their heft to subvert other countries’ rules around transparency and competition in high-figure deals. High-tech exports provide these companies with access to enormous volumes of data on foreign citizens, which can be repurposed for manipulative influence campaigns, blackmail, and more.  

At the same time, they supply the instruments of authoritarianism to foreign governments:  Venezuela’s ruling party, for instance, uses a Chinese-sourced digital ID system to tie citizens’ resource access to political compliance. As a recent report by NED’s International Forum noted, such developments are a public relations and political win for the CCP: “With each new country that takes up the tools and tactics of the Chinese repressive state, the world looks more like China.” 

China, Russia, Iran, and other global autocrats actively prop up fellow authoritarian regimes. For example, they have helped Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro cling to power for more than a decade despite throwing his country’s once relatively prosperous people into crushing poverty. The Venezuelan case under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez is part of a larger pattern of unfree systems draining prosperity and opportunity from their societies, often leaving their people in poverty and causing them to vote with their feet. This mass migration, in turn, creates significant challenges for the prosperous, free societies to which such migration invariably flows. 

The Enduring Quest for Freedom

As the founders of the United States well recognized, the human thirst for freedom is enduring. 

Just as authoritarian regimes coordinate to undermine human rights and freedom, it is equally vital for democracies to support their counterparts who are fighting for those same rights. If we accept the idea that authoritarian regimes can exert influence freely and without challenge, we risk a world where freedom itself is undermined.  

With modern technologies providing unprecedented tools of control—such as AI-driven surveillance and mass data collection—authoritarian regimes are tightening their grip in ways that would have been unimaginable a generation ago. Make no mistake: Xi is perfecting the repression algorithm. The stakes of this contest have never been higher. No single institution, or set of institutions, can decide its outcome. But through NED, the United States of America is placing its bet on freedom.  

In the end, the fight for democracy is not just a political struggle—it is a moral one, centered on the belief in the inherent dignity of every individual. NED is helping to foster the growth of democratic movements and institutions around the world, enabling those who yearn for freedom to turn their aspirations into tangible change.  

 

 

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Endnotes 

1 Democracy Report 2024: Democracy Winning and Losing at the Ballot, V-Dem Institute, March 2024, https://v-dem.net/documents/44/v-dem_dr2024_highres.pdf

2 Dan Negrea and Joseph Lemoine, Prosperity that lasts: The 2023 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes, Atlantic Council, June 15, 2023, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/prosperity-that-lasts-the-2023-freedom-and-prosperity-indexes/

3 Carl Henrik Knutsen, The Business Case for Democracy, V-Dem Institute, 2020, https://v-dem.net/media/publications/wp_111_final.pdf