Abigail Bellows
@abigailbellows.bsky.social
I do repair work on the Social Contract. Former NSC Director for Anti-Corruption & civil servant at USAID, State Dept. Former @CarnegieEndowment.org. Lifelong Community organizer.
Harnessing public concern over rising #corruption makes sense for U.S. #democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope. Read my latest via @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️.
🆕Fear-based messages about corruption often backfire, leading to apathy, acquiescence, or even authoritarianism.
@abigailbellows.bsky.social offers lessons and best practices for advocates pushing back on worsening corruption in a new piece for @carnegieendowment.org
@abigailbellows.bsky.social offers lessons and best practices for advocates pushing back on worsening corruption in a new piece for @carnegieendowment.org
Forging Effective Corruption Narratives to Counter Democratic Erosion
Harnessing public concern over rising corruption makes sense for U.S. democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope.
carnegieendowment.org
September 2, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Harnessing public concern over rising #corruption makes sense for U.S. #democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope. Read my latest via @carnegieendowment.org ⬇️.
When we talk about elite #corruption in purely abstract terms, it seems like an elite problem. My new piece for @justsecurity.org lays out the real-world impacts that systemic corruption can have, in people's daily lives, and how we chart a way forward.
Next up in our series: @abigailbellows.bsky.social explains the toll of corruption 👇
1/ Kickbacks, conflicts of interest, and collusion may seem abstract, but their impact on people’s health, livelihoods, and security is all too real.
@abigailbellows.bsky.social explains the human costs of systemic corruption:
www.justsecurity.org/118796/human...
@abigailbellows.bsky.social explains the human costs of systemic corruption:
www.justsecurity.org/118796/human...
August 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM
When we talk about elite #corruption in purely abstract terms, it seems like an elite problem. My new piece for @justsecurity.org lays out the real-world impacts that systemic corruption can have, in people's daily lives, and how we chart a way forward.