Internet access and powerful communication technologies are spreading around the world at an extraordinary rate, transforming the way citizens live and interact with each other. Social media drives a global conversation of ideas. Smartphone cameras produce on-the-scene reporting of events that can be put up for international analysis. Massive amounts of data are collected and made accessible in compelling visualizations.
This guide aims to identify areas of disconnect between political parties and citizens, and highlights possible areas of party reform. The document includes: key recommendations for reform-minded parties; case studies and personal experiences from party practitioners; and worksheets and critical questions to help parties think through practical applications for the suggestions provided.
The increased presence of electronic technologies in our daily lives has brought considerable and concrete benefits. We can communicate with friends, family and colleagues seamlessly through email, social media or messenger apps, send or receive money on our mobile devices, have access to a wealth of information, and conduct our work more efficiently and with fewer mistakes.
Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) is an election day observation methodology that allows nonpartisan citizen organizations to systematically assess the quality of opening, voting, closing, and counting – as well as official results and, indirectly, the tabulation process – at a national scale and independently verify official results.
Parliaments play an essential role in preventing corruption, including through a sound legislative process and rigorous legal drafting. The risk of corruption increases when the legislative process is opaque or the resulting laws include imprecise definitions, weak enforcement powers, ambiguous accountabilities, or excessive exemptions. There is also the possibility that the law itself was written with corrupt intent or to benefit a select group or harm others.
This guideline was produced by the National Democratic Institute and the Parliament of Malaysia in collaboration with the Attorney General's Chambers Malaysia, the Public Service Department, the Malaysia Office of the Chief Government Security Officer, and the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia.
Civil society organizations are increasingly undertaking social media monitoring initiatives as a part of their efforts to analyze the information environment and how it impacts democratic norms and civic participation in their communities and across the globe. Digital platforms play particularly profound roles in closing spaces, allowing for information exchange when traditional media is often captured or state-sponsored. Unfortunately, these platforms can also be weaponized as instruments of propaganda, censorship, surveillance, and control.
Swift access to trustworthy information is critical for first responders, governments, and the general public during crises and other critical democratic moments. However, crises often present unique and heightened risks to the information space. During recent crises like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Tigray War in Ethiopia, and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, for example, information manipulation, hate speech, and other malicious online content have shaped and exacerbated armed conflict and civil unrest.
The National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Democracy and Technology, and Gender, Women, and Democracy teams collaborated on a submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion (SRFoE), Irene Khan, in response to her call for inputs to her report on gendered disinformation.