Opinion: Toward a more assertive and humble pro-democracy agenda

The past four years have been a time of soul searching for those in the business of deploying U.S. taxpayer resources for the promotion of democracy, human rights, and good governance overseas.

The rise of anti-democratic populist movements, the spread of disinformation, and the erosion of overall global freedom meant that supporting democratic actors has never been more urgent. Thanks to the dedication of career civil servants and individual political appointees in the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, the U.S. government retained and crafted new initiatives that advanced important democracy and governance objectives.

Under the Trump administration, USAID implemented regional and global programs aimed at countering resurgent authoritarianism. USAID and the State Department promoted innovation in addressing the phenomenon of disinformation. Multisector initiatives like the New Partners Initiative built on longstanding efforts by USAID to augment direct investment in local changemakers.

This article was originally published on Devex. Read the full version here.