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George W. Bush Institute

Freedom and Democracy

Supporting democratic values around the world by elevating institutions that serve their people and promote human dignity, human rights, and market economies.

“Since World War II, America has encouraged and benefited from the global advance of free markets, from the strength of democratic alliances, and from the advance of free societies…. The 20th century featured some of the worst horrors of history because dictators committed them. Free nations are less likely to threaten and fight each other.”
–President George W. Bush

Freedom is under attack worldwide as many countries contend with democratic backsliding and authoritarian regimes flex their muscles in and beyond their own borders.

Now is the moment to reaffirm and expand our commitment to the democratic principles that have enshrined individual, political, and economic rights in free societies. Such principles have fostered relative peace and prosperity previously unknown throughout human history.

Experts

Read David J. Kramer's biography.
David J. Kramer
David J. Kramer

Executive Director, George W. Bush Institute and Vice President George W. Bush Presidential Center

Read Igor Khrestin 's biography.
Igor Khrestin

Bradford M. Freeman Managing Director, Global Policy George W. Bush Institute

Read Jessica Ludwig's biography.
Jessica Ludwig photo.
Jessica Ludwig

Director, Global Policy George W. Bush Institute

Read Chris Walsh's biography.
Chris Walsh

Director, Global Policy George W. Bush Institute

Read Albert Torres's biography.
Albert Torres
Albert Torres

Program Manager, Global Policy George W. Bush Institute

Read Nicole Bibbins Sedaca's biography.
Nicole Bibbins Sedaca

Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow George W. Bush Institute

Read Victor Cha's biography.
Victor Cha

Senior Fellow George W. Bush Institute

Read Joseph Kim's biography.
Joseph Kim
Joseph Kim

Research Fellow George W. Bush Institute

Read Ellen Bork's biography.
Ellen Bork

Fellow George W. Bush Institute

Read William McKenzie's biography.
William McKenzie

Senior Editorial Advisor George W. Bush Institute

Read Monica Vegas Kladakis's biography.
Monica Vegas Kladakis

Senior Advisor George W. Bush Institute

Tom A. Bernstein, Chair

President and Co-Founder, Chelsea Piers, L.P.; Former Chairman, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Mike Abramowitz

President, Freedom House

Elliot Abrams

Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Scott Carpenter

Managing Director, Jigsaw

Paula Dobriansky

Former

Carl Gershman

Founding President, National Endowment for Democracy

Michael Gerson

Syndicated Columnist, Washington Post

Carlos Gutierrez

Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, EmPath

Allan Holt

Managing Director, The Carlyle Group; Vice Chairman, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Melanie Kirkpatrick

Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Maribeth Kuenzi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Cox School of Business, SMU

Nancy Cain Marcus, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor, SMU

Derek Mitchell

President, National Democratic Institute

Natan Sharansky

Chair, Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP)

Craig Stapleton

Former U.S. Ambassador to France and the Czech Republic

Dan Twining

President, International Republican Institute

Kenneth Wollack

Former President, National Democratic Institute

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