In the days following Iran’s contested presidential Iran’s Internet speed slowed to a tenth of its normal speed. What’s causing the slow-down? Western-developed technology that allows the Iranian government to analyze networks of information: who is transmitting, what exactly they are saying, and who is consuming it. While Iran grabs headlines, the US Congress is…
The United States Supreme Court ruled today to side-step the challenge of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1964. To recap a March post to the Commons, Section 5 limits the autonomy of voting districts (mainly across the South) with histories of discriminatory policies to curtail the African-American vote. According to today’s ruling,…
The widespread misuse of state allowances by British legislators still has the public outraged. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has promised reform. But David Leigh, a Guardian reporter and Global Integrity contributor, is skeptical. Leigh argues that auditors may have trouble keeping Prime Minister Brown’s mandate that every claim made by an MP be checked due…
Yesterday in Washington, Johns Hopkins-SAIS sponsored a presentation by Afrobarometer announcing the results to the end of their fourth round of surveying. Here we offer key findings and thoughts on methodology. Afrobarometer is an investigative project which conducts survey-based research in twenty African countries. These countries tend to be the most politically and economically liberal…
If you follow this blog, then there’s a good chance you have an interest in how to measure fuzzy concepts such as governance and corruption; it’s an issue Global Integrity tracks closely. If so, then you should read Gerardo L. Munck’s recently published Measuring Democracy. It’s a hard-hitting critique of the conventional wisdom (and widely…
On Friday, President Obama abruptly announced the replacement of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General for Americorps. The reasons for this decision were not made clear, raising questions as to what motivated the firing. As a result, Rush Limbaugh and associated media are screaming cronyism. The fired IG Walpin recently concluded an investigation of Sacramento Mayor…
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