ASD convenes transatlantic policymakers, elected officials, academics, technical experts, and leaders from civil society and the private sector to address the urgent need to secure our democracies, create a common understanding of the techniques used to undermine democracies, and share lessons learned about effective defensive and deterrent strategies.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and former acting CIA director Michael Morell discuss ASD’s Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on June 26, 2018.
Past Events
David Levine Breaks Down Foreign Interference in Elections with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Is the public discussion in our democracies an open dialogue, or do malicious actors manipulate the debate for their own purposes? META (the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) published a report in September 2022 about “Coordinated Inauthen [...]
Why Do Foreign Actors Want to Erode U.S. Democracy?
In 2016, 2018, and 2020, America’s foreign adversaries, such as Russia and Iran, attempted to influence the U.S. elections. Just last month, FBI officials warned of potential interference from Russia and China in the upcoming midterms, providing a t [...]
Laura Thornton Analyzes Backsliding Democracies and Rising Autocracies in Europe with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
In its 2022 Nations in Transit report, Freedom House observed an ongoing 18-year decline of democracies in Central Europe and Eurasia. With the electoral victories of the Brothers of Italy and the Sweden Democrats, both far-right parties with neo-fa [...]
Bryce Barros Breaks Down the Geostrategic Implications of Secondary Sanctions with the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents
This educational program, developed by The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (AFPC-USA) in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, provided foreign correspondents with the opportunity to learn from four well-known experts and gain a deepe [...]
David Levine Discusses the Importance of Nonpartisan Election Observation with SMART Elections
The Carter Center & the Alliance for Securing Democracy both leading organizations in election observation, say it's time for nonpartisan observation in U.S. elections. Join a timely and intimate conversation with them on: Why this is the time f [...]
Laura Thornton on Information Wars at the Tbilisi International Conference 2022
Panelists Jamie Fly, President, RFE/RL Shota Gvernia, Non-Resident Fellow, EPRC Laura Thornton, Director and Senior Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy Brian Whitmore, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council Stefan Meister, Head of Program, [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Discuss How Authoritarian Governments are Influencing Pennsylvania Elections with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
Exacerbating polarization in America is a strategic move for authoritarian governments like Russia, China, and Iran. A democracy entangled in its own disagreements is a weakened player on the world stage and a boon for competitor nations. Iran and R [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Unpack the Rise of Mis/Disinformation and its Effects on Pennsylvania Voters with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
From fervent attacks on US political campaigns to mis, dis, and mal-information targeting trust in our elections, autocratic interference in democracy is truly a global challenge with local implications. As voters in a key swing state, Pennsylvanian [...]
David Levine on Evolving Election Threats with the USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
2022 University of Southern California Regional Workshop: AK ID OR WA with David Levine, Elections Integrity Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy, German Marshall Fund of the United States. For more information about the USC Election Cybersecurit [...]
Brussels Forum Day 2 // Rebuilding Trust in Elections
It takes more than superb election officials and secure processes to build trust in elections – it is truly a whole of society effort. Democracies need engaged leadership from government, the private sector, the media, and civil society to push back [...]
Brussels Forum: Day 2 // Democracy at Home and Abroad
China is implementing a multifaceted pressure campaign against Taiwan aimed at undermining the confidence of the people of Taiwan in their democratically elected government and weakening their will to resist integration with China. Beijing’s toolkit [...]
Bret Schafer on EU-U.S. Cooperation on Addressing Hybrid Threats
Featuring: Jennifer Bachus, Senior Bureau Official and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, US Department of State Rasmus Hindrén, Head of International Relations, European Centre of Excellence for Counterin [...]