World Affairs: Democracy on Trial

In much of the world, China is admired—or feared—as the rising new model of economic achievement under ruthlessly effective government direction. In the eyes of many others, the Chinese model is increasingly showing its contradictions and limits: economic, environmental, social, and political. Two of the world’s leading exponents of these respective views discuss where they disagree, and why—and what the next stage is most likely to hold for the world’s most populous and (until recently) fastest-growing nation Speakers: Eric X. Li, Minxin Pei, James Fallows

Remarkable women leaders from Tunisia, Argentina, and Cameroon discuss their challenges and successes in the quest for democratic change. As part of the Vital Voices network, these women and others around the world are increasing women’s involvement in politics and sharing their experiences from the front lines. Speakers: Amira Yahyaoui, Kah Walla, Laura Alonso, Steve Clemons

Four global leaders discuss emerging leadership models led by women and how these models are redefining the concept of power. Will these women reshape our world? Speakers: Alyse Nelson, Kah Walla, Laura Alonso, Amira Yahyaoui

Our constitution serves as the foundation and charter to the United State’s system of government. It has created a resilient and adaptive system, but there are signs of stress emerging in that system. Some question whether the centuries-old system is up to facing today’s global issues, and if perhaps it is time for significant reform. Speakers: Pamela S. Karlan, Sanford Levinson, Richard A. Pildes, Jed Rubenfeld, Richard Wilhelm

From the Greek, “rule of the people,” “democracy” is a form of government wherein all the citizens of a nation determine policy: laws and actions. Does it work? Speakers: David Gergen, Sanford Levinson, Russell Muirhead, David M. Kennedy

In Conversation with Pervez Musharraf and David Bradley

In Conversation with Ehud Barak with Tom Friedman

An interview with Google’s executive chairman. Speakers: Eric Schmidt, Jeffrey Goldberg

What's at stake politically in several of the world's hot spots including Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Pakistan? Speakers: Jane Harman, Jeffrey Goldberg, Nicholas Burns, Richard Haass

What has happened to our own system of government? Is America the gold standard for the exercise of democracy? Has American democracy been captured by economic interests? Has hyper-individualism rendered us fractured and stuck? Do individual votes matter? Speakers: David Rothkopf, E. J. Dionne Jr., Elliot Gerson

Where are we 18 months in? Could an observer of the Arab World two years ago have envisioned a presidential election in Egypt with a Muslim Brotherhood candidate winning in the presidency, a state of civil war in Syria, an overthrown dictatorship in Tunisia, Muammar Gaddafi killed? No one predicted what is going on. But more importantly, is the Arab World on a path to democracy? Is it going toward a better future? Or is it hitting stumbling blocks that are going to delay this process for many, many years to come? Speakers: Hala Gorani, David Rothkopf, Nicholas Burns, Toni Verstandig

The EU’s economic crisis has brought its member nations to a historic moment. The present limited pooling of sovereignty is failing. Either the Union moves closer to becoming the United States of Europe, or it risks breaking up altogether. Unfortunately, Europe’s citizens don’t like either choice. Speakers: Beppe Severgnini, Clive Crook, Simon Johnson,Richard Haass