Who Would You Vote for as President of the World?
In 20 years China has become one of the most powerful countries in the world, with a huge economy and a population of 1.3 billion. But China is not a democracy - it has been ruled by the Communist Party since 1949 - and yet the rest of the world cannot ignore it. As the world becomes ever more integrated, socially, culturally and economically, we can ask questions about who holds power. We don't have a global government, and we're far from having a global democracy, but we can ask ourselves what we would want a global democracy to look like. Who would you vote for as President of the World?

Can terrorism destroy democracy?
Since the US declared war on terrorism in 2001 we have heard a lot about terrorism and terrorists: They could be anyone; they could live anywhere. In the US and around the world, special “anti-terrorism” laws have been implemented that make it easier for police to get information about people, arrest and detain them. Prisoners have been kept at Guantanamo Bay Prison in Cuba for years without access to a lawyer and without ever being put on trial - a violation of human rights. If we agree that individual rights are important in a democracy, how far can we fight an unidentifiable enemy without breaking the rules that make a democracy? Can terrorism destroy democracy?

What is wrong with democracy?
If you are a journalist or a human rights activist you probably agree that Vladimir Putin has not been good for Russia. Since Vladimir Putin came into power in 2000, journalists, activists and the political opposition have been harassed, tortured, abducted and even murdered. Yet, Putin is the most popular political leader Russia has had in decades. Around the world and over time many leaders have been voted into power by democracies and have then turned the country into something like a dictatorship. How are transitions like this possible? What is wrong with democracy?

Why bother to vote?
Since 1981, Hosni Mubarak has been the president of Egypt. Mubarak has been voted into office five times - but in elections where he was the only candidate! Some say Egypt is led by a military dictatorship, but Mubarak has insisted that he is committed to democratic progress. And in 2005 Mubarak said that Egypt would hold multi-candidate presidential elections for the first time since 1981. What he failed to mention was that the new law excluded the opposition leaders from running. Thus, in 2005 Mubarak was re-elected. If there is no real competition and if we know who's going to win, then why bother to vote?

Are women more democratic than men?
Angela Merkel, Pratibha Patil, Nancy Pelosi and of course Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf are just a few of the women that have been voted into power in recent years. But does gender really make a difference in politics? As more women enter politics, will the political system change? Will the world become better? Are women more democratic than men?

Is God democratic?
Church and state: Friends? Enemies? The status of the relationship between the two is rarely, if ever, clearly defined. Here's an example: the Danish constitution notes that the state supports the Evangelical-Lutheran church. This strengthens the role of that religion in the government's operation. But the same government grants freedom of religion to non-Evangelical-Lutheran church members. In some countries religious bodies dominate politics almost completely. So where do we draw the line? Can a state that is strongly defined by religion also be democratic? Are democracy and religion compatible or are they competitive? Is God democratic?

Is democracy good for everyone?
Picture a 19-year-old man in Mumbai, living in a makeshift hut in an urban slum, scraping by with money made scavenging garbage from a landfill site. Now ask yourself this: Is he happy with India's democracy? In the past two decades India has experienced steady growth, creating a larger middle class. Meanwhile, many of its 1.1 billion citizens are still burdened by extensive poverty. The disparity between different classes in India (and elsewhere) allows some to argue that democracy is an elitist system for the educated middle and upper classes. Has growth in India, the world's largest democracy, only been good for select segments of the population? Or is democracy good for everyone?

What would make you start a revolution?
It takes more than a Che Guevara t-shirt to be a revolutionary. It wasn't branded images of rebellion that inspired Che - it was experiences traveling around in Latin America and Africa and observing the realities of rural poverty. The living conditions of the destitute convinced him that radical change was necessary. Today, billions of people still live in poverty, without access to adequate healthcare, clean water and food. The world's ecosystems are under tremendous strain from human impact. Corruption and human rights violations still impact large parts of the human population. Is there a way to change these negative trends? Don't say it's a t-shirt. What would make you start a revolution?

Are dictators ever good?
It's pretty easy to hate General Pervez Musharraf, who staged a military coup in Pakistan in 2001. Or is it? Since he took office he has been described both as a military dictator and as a moderate and fairly progressive leader. Indeed, President Musharraf's government lacks the legitimacy that stems from popular approval because he was not democratically elected. But, since he took power, Pakistan has experienced moderate economic growth. Similarly, in other parts of the world, non-elected leaders such as Deng Xiaoping in China have enabled immense economic growth and stability through dictatorship. Even if they are not democratically elected, these leaders might still be acting in the best interest of a country and its citizens. By what do we measure a good leader? Are dictators ever good?

Can democracy solve Climate Change?
Things on this planet are getting warmer, but can politicians take the heat? The nature of political culture differs from one place to the next. For example, in Japan, internal hierarchies often define the political structure, and extensive experience, knowledge and a qualification is a prerequisite to the nature of Japanese politics. But this type of political culture is not prevalent in most democratic states. In terms of climate change, we might argue that the average politician is not necessarily the best informed, although most world leaders agree that it's a problem. So here's the hot-button issue: Can or will politicians act radically, intelligently and decisively enough to make a difference? Can democracy solve climate change?

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