Political Movements | Council on Foreign Relations

Palestinian Territories

What Is Hamas?

The Palestinian militant group struggled to govern the Gaza Strip before launching a surprise attack on Israel in 2023. Now facing Israel’s military campaign to destroy it, Hamas’s future is in doubt, as is Gaza’s.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson August 19, 2024
Lebanon

What Is Hezbollah?

Military experience gained fighting in Syria’s civil war and generous support from Iran have made the Shiite militant group a formidable foe for Israel. But at the same time, its political clout among Lebanon’s populace may be waning.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson July 30, 2024
Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down

Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong March 19, 2024

Experts in this Topic

Steven Levitsky

Senior Fellow for Democracy

Ebenezer Obadare

Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies

Somalia

Somaliland: The Horn of Africa’s Breakaway State

The would-be independent state strikes a contrast with Somalia as a place of relative stability, and despite its lack of international recognition, Somaliland continues to push its own foreign policy.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista January 25, 2024
Democracy

A Democratic Inquest

Pervasive despondency about democracy in Africa urges the imperative to strengthen democratic institutions and practices.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare September 18, 2023 Africa in Transition
Women and Women's Rights

Virtual Roundtable: Addressing Threats to Women Political Leaders

Rising threats and online abuse affect political officials at the highest levels in many countries; studies have documented that women politicians are disproportionately targeted. Sigrid Kaag, deputy prime minister of the Netherlands and leader of the D66 party, recently announced her resignation from Dutch politics after several years of such threats. Minister Kaag and Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO, discussed threats to women politicians and the growing phenomenon of toxic politics and how to address these issues.

Virtual Event by Sigrid Kaag, Rose E. Gottemoeller and Linda Robinson September 6, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program

Sudan

Security Infighting Drives Delays in Sudan

Though the military claims to be a stabilizing force for Sudan’s transition to democracy, divisions amongst the security elite continue to hinder progress toward civilian rule.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin April 10, 2023 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

Peter Obi and a Dream Deferred

Peter Obi may have lost the Nigerian presidential election, but he and the movement he leads may yet win the political war.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 22, 2023 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

What Now for the Igbo?

The Igbo political elite faces the challenge of transforming an unimpeachable moral argument into a winning political coalition.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 13, 2023 Africa in Transition
United States

The Violent Far-Right Terrorist Threat to American Law Enforcement

In addition to minority communities and those on the political left, far-right and white supremacist extremism threatens violence against law enforcement as well.

Blog Post by Jacob Ware January 24, 2023 Renewing America
Nigeria

Obi Goes for Broke

Whether he wins the presidency or not, Peter Obi has already changed the course of Nigerian politics for good.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare January 17, 2023 Africa in Transition
United States

The Violent Far-Right Terrorist Threat to the Republican Party and American Conservatism

In addition to minority communities and those on the political left, far-right and white supremacist extremism threatens violence against Republicans as well.

Blog Post by Jacob Ware January 17, 2023 Renewing America
Nigeria

Will Obi Reinvigorate the Nigerian Labor Movement?

The alliance between Peter Obi and the Labour Party in Nigeria disguises a fundamental conflict in their political and economic outlook.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare September 19, 2022 Africa in Transition
Energy and Environment

How Green-Party Success Is Reshaping Global Politics

Once a fringe movement, green parties are increasingly shaping the debate in countries around the world. How influential are they, and what comes next?

Backgrounder by James McBride May 5, 2022
Nigeria

Nigeria’s Struggle for Gender Equality Gathers Pace Amid Protests

Women’s activism in Nigeria has forced the government to take a second look at proposals that would grant women greater freedoms.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 8, 2022 Africa in Transition