Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks with FSI director Michael McFaul, senior fellow Larry Diamond, and CDDRL Mosbacher Director Francis Fukuyama about the global struggle for democracy in anticipation of her new book, Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom.

At a time when scholars question whether democracy is in decline, Prof. Rice shares insights from her experiences as a policymaker, scholar and citizen, in order to put democracy’s challenges into perspective. Using America’s long struggle as a template, she draws lessons for democracy around the world—from Russia, Poland and Ukraine, to Kenya, Colombia and the Middle East.

About the Panelists
Condoleezza Rice is a senior fellow by courtesy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). She is also the Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution; and a professor of political science.

Michael McFaul is the director and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor of political science at Stanford University.

Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at FSI and at the Hoover Institution. He was formerly the director of FSI's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

Francis Fukuyama is the Mosbacher Director of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at FSI.

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Thursday, September 10, 2026
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