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TitreDateDurée
The Last Episode. Elizabeth Saunders on How Democracies Wage War and Make Peace11 Jun 202400:52:51

We've often compared democratic national security and autocratic security making in terms of autocratic elites and democratic voters. My argument is not that all democracies are the same, but I do think we ought to be thinking about autocratic elites and democratic elites and voters.

Elizabeth Saunders

Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.edu

Proudly sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.org

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Elizabeth Saunders is a Professor of Political Science at Columbia University as well as a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She is also an editor of The Good Authority Blog formerly known as The Monkey Cage Blog. Her most recent book is The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • How Foreign Policy Works - 3:30
  • Politics at the Water's Edge - 18:13
  • Parties and Foreign Policy - 27:09
  • Contemporary Politics - 41:28

Key Links

The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace by Elizabeth Saunders

Good Authority Blog

Learn more about Elizabeth Saunders

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Rep Mikie Sherrill on Whether the Bipartisan Consensus on Foreign Policy Will Hold and on Threats to American Democracy

Grading Biden’s Foreign Policy with Alexander Ward

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Apes of the State created all Music

Email the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.com

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100 Books on Democracy

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When Democracy Breaks: Final Thoughts with Archon Fung, David Moss and Arne Westad04 Jun 202400:53:01

I think we've seen democracies can be unstable. Autocracies are even more unstable.

David Moss

Made in partnership with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

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Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.edu

Proudly sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.org

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

David Moss is the Paul Whiton Cherington Professor at Harvard Business School. He is also founder and president of the Tobin Project and the Case Method Institute for Education and Democracy.

Arne Westad is the Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University.

They are the editors of When Democracy Breaks: Studies in Democratic Erosion and Collapse, From Ancient Athens to the Present Day.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • Thinking about Democratic Breakdown - 3:51
  • What is Democracy - 19:26
  • Democratic Recovery - 26:36
  • Resilience and Fragility - 45:15

Key Links

When Democracy Breaks: Studies in Democratic Erosion and Collapse, From Ancient Athens to the Present Day edited by Archon Fung, David Moss, and Odd Arne Westad

"Introduction: When Democracy Breaks" by Archon Fung, David Moss, and Odd Arne Westad

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Democracy Paradox Podcast

When Democracy Breaks: Scott Mainwaring on Argentina

When Democracy Breaks: 1930s Japan with Louise Young

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Adam Casey on How Military Aid Can Stabilize and Destabilize Foreign Autocrats02 Apr 202400:51:48

We thought we were strengthening the militaries in the Cold War. In fact, the political effects of those strengthened militaries ended up leading to a longer-term deterioration and instability.

Adam Casey

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Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.edu

Sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.org

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Adam E. Casey is an analyst in the United States government. He wrote Up in Arms: How Military Aid Stabilizes―and Destabilizes―Foreign Autocrats while he was a research fellow at the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. All the content in the book and this interview reflects the views of the author and does not reflect the position of any US government agency or department, nor does it assert or imply US government authentication of information or endorsement of the author's views.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • Why Military Aid Destabilizes Some Autocrats - 4:23
  • The Soviet Approach to Military Aid - 21:50
  • Revolutionary Governments - 29:09
  • Modernization - 35:57

Key Links

Up in Arms: How Military Aid Stabilizes―and Destabilizes―Foreign Autocrats by Adam Casey

"The Origins of Military Supremacy in Dictatorships," by Dan Slater Lucan A. Way Jean Lachapelle and Adam E. Casey in Journal of Democracy.

Follow Adam Casey on X @adam_e_casey

Democracy Paradox Podcast

After a Coup, Can the Constitutional Order Be Repaired? Adem Abebe on Rebuilding Constitutions in West Africa

Naunihal Singh on the Myth of the Coup Contagion

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Scott Mainwaring on Argentina and a Final Reflection on Democracy in Hard Places12 Jul 202200:43:03

I think they're really important. But I don't think that they are a complete safeguard. Certainly, when you create democracies in hard places, you want to think very carefully about what institutions you want in place and how you strengthen them. But if you get illiberal governing parties in democracies in hard places, they can run over institutions.

Scott Mainwaring

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Scott Mainwaring is the Eugene P. and Helen Conley Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, where he previously served as director for 13 years and is a current Advisory Board member. He is the coeditor (with Tarek Masoud) of Democracy in Hard Places.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction 0:47
  • Why is Argentina a hard place for democracy? 2:35
  • Are democracies in hard places the exception or the norm? 9:19
  • Is Peronism a threat to democracy? 12:01
  • How can democracies strengthen institutions? 19:32
  • What role do citizens play? 33:27


Key Links

Learn more about Scott Mainwaring

"The Fates Of Third-Wave Democracies" by Scott Mainwaring and Fernando Bizarro in the Journal of Democracy

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Lucan Way on Ukraine. Democracy in Hard Places.

Rachel Beatty Riedl on Benin. Democracy in Hard Places.

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Democracy Group

Apes of the State created all Music

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Lucan Way on Ukraine. Democracy in Hard Places05 Jul 202200:40:14

The war is never going to really end. Because even in the most optimistic scenario where Ukraine regains its territory and it goes back to the 1991 borders, Russia is almost certainly going to present a permanent threat to Ukrainian sovereignty. I think objectively it will. But even if objectively it wasn’t, after such an invasion, you can imagine the political environment's going to treat it as one.

Lucan Way

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Lucan Way is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He coauthored (along with Steven Levitsky) Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War. He has a new book also coauthored with Steven Levitsky due this fall called Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism. He is the author of the chapter "Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine: Democratic Moments in the Former Soviet Union" in the book Democracy in Hard Places.

Key Highlights

  • What makes Zelensky such a special leader?
  • Why wasn't Ukraine considered more democratic before Russia's invasion?
  • How has the war impacted democracy in Ukraine?
  • What role did Ukraine's ethnic pluralism contribute to democratization?
  • What challenges will Ukrainian democracy face after its war with Russia?


Key Links

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way

Follow the Lucan Way on Twitter @LucanWay

"The Rebirth of the Liberal World Order?" by Lucan Way in the Journal of Democracy

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World

Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Michael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)28 Jun 202200:34:44

Democracy is a complex concept. It has to do with elections. It has to do with legislatures. It has to do with civil society organizations and courts and political styles of politicians. There's a lot packed into the concept and it's multidimensional, because some of these components don't move together.

Michael Coppedge

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Michael Coppedge is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, a principal investigator of the Varieties of Democracy project, and a faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. He is a coeditor (along with Amanda Edgell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, and Staffan Lindberg) of Why Democracies Develop and Decline.

Key Highlights

  • Democracy as a multidimensional concept
  • How the conditions for democratization differ from those for backsliding
  • Ways researchers use information from V-Dem to discover new insights about democracy
  • New findings from V-Dem research regarding presidentialism, party system institutionalization, and anti-system parties
  • How has V-Dem changed research about democracy


Key Links

Learn more about the Varieties of Democracy Project

Follow the V-Dem Institute on Twitter @vdeminstitute

Why Democracies Develop and Decline edited by Michael Coppedge, Amanda B. Edgell, Carl Henrik Knutsen and Staffan I. Lindberg


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World

Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding

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Democracy Group

Apes of the State created all Music

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Rachel Beatty Riedl on Benin. Democracy in Hard Places.21 Jun 202200:46:04

So, at some level, a belief in democracy was necessary in Benin as in elsewhere. Support for it - Absolutely. But what's interesting in the Benin case is that you were lacking that level of political elite leadership that were committed democratic ideologues.

Rachel Beatty Riedl

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Rachel Beatty Riedl is the John S. Knight Professor of International Studies, Director of the Einaudi Center for International Studies, and professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University. She also cohosts the podcast Ufahamu Africa with Kim Yi Dionne. Her chapter "Africa’s Democratic Outliers Success amid Challenges in Benin and South Africa" appears in the forthcoming book Democracy in Hard Places.

Key Highlights

  • Details the story of Benin's democratization
  • How Benin has used consensus to govern
  • What makes Benin a democracy in a hard place
  • An overview of the current President Patrice Talon
  • Current threats to democracy in Benin


Key Links

Learn more about the Einaudi Center for International Studies

Listen to the Ufahamu Podcast

Follow Rachel Beatty Riedl on Twitter @BeattyRiedl

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Evan Lieberman on South Africa

Christophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Ashutosh Varshney on India. Democracy in Hard Places14 Jun 202200:53:30

Nehru is asked several times in those early years, ‘Aren’t you doing something which has never been done before? You are 17% literate. Half of your country is below the poverty line. Under such conditions no democracy has ever stabilize itself and perhaps has not emerged.’ And his argument repeatedly is that we shouldn't be constrained by the history of the West.

Ashutosh Varshney

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Ashutosh Varshney is the Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Brown University, where he also directs the Center for Contemporary South Asia. His chapter "India’s Democratic Longevity and Its Troubled Trajectory" appears in the forthcoming book Democracy in Hard Places.

Key Highlights

  • How India defied early theories of democratization
  • The role of leadership in India's early democracy
  • Why India returned to democracy after Indira Gandhi's emergency?
  • The eerie similarities between India's recent treatment of Muslims and the rise of the Jim Crow era in the American South
  • When will democratic backsliding in India become a democratic collapse


Key Links

"Modi Consolidates Power: Electoral Vibrancy, Mounting Liberal Deficits" by Ashutosh Varshney in Journal of Democracy

Learn more about Ashutosh Varshney at www.ashutoshvarshney.net

Follow Ashutosh Varshney on Twitter @ProfVarshney

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Dan Slater on Indonesia

Christophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism

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Evan Lieberman on South Africa. Democracy in Hard Places07 Jun 202200:47:51

When you hear people talk in such disparaging tones, that everything is broken, that nothing is possible, you need to ask yourself, is that right? When you look around, the answer is no. There are these examples where things do go right, where people work together and create a neighborhood or a community for themselves in which they can be prosperous and build better lives. And that's really what the democratic project is all about.

Evan Lieberman

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Evan Lieberman is a Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Director of the MIT Global Diversity Lab, and the faculty director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). He is the coauthor with Rorisang Lekalake of the recent article "South Africa's Resilient Democracy" in the Journal of Democracy and author of the forthcoming book Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid.

Key Highlights

  • Why is Evan Lieberman optimistic about democracy in South Africa
  • Role of Nelson Mandela on South Africa's democracy
  • Importance of South Africa for democracy in the world
  • Account of the housing community Ethembalethu
  • What the 2019 election says about democracy in South Africa


Key Links

Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid by Evan Lieberman

"South Africa’s Resilient Democracy" by Evan Lieberman and Rorisang Lekalake in Journal of Democracy

Learn more about Evan Lieberman at www.evanlieberman.org

Follow Evan Lieberman on Twitter @evlieb

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Dan Slater on Indonesia

Nic Cheeseman and Gabrielle Lynch on the Moral Economy of Elections in Africa

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Dan Slater on Indonesia. Democracy in Hard Places31 May 202200:50:01

This might sound like a cliche, but in Indonesia it's really, really true. My hope rests in the Indonesian people and the voters. I mean, the voters, they show up. The voters have been the ones to defend democracy. They've been the ones to reject the most anti-pluralistic candidates, not all Indonesian voters, but a slim majority. They've been managing to do it.

Dan Slater

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Dan Slater is the Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies in the Department of Political Science and director of the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. Dan is also the coauthor of the forthcoming book From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia with Joseph Wong.

Key Highlights

  • A brief account of how Indonesia democratized
  • What is democratization through strength
  • How elites held onto power after democratization
  • What makes Indonesia a hard place for democracy
  • The current state of Indonesia's democracy


Key Links

From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia by Dan Slater and Joseph Wong

Democracy in Hard Places edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud

Follow Dan Slater on Twitter @SlaterPolitics


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions

Sebastian Strangio Explains the Relationship Between China and Southeast Asia

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Kathryn Stoner on How Putin's War has Ruined Russia24 May 202200:39:37

Boeing is pulling out, DuPont, Erickson, Analog Devices, Bombardier. Eventually all of these things are going to cause supply and production chain issues and unemployment in Russia. So, Mr. Putin doesn't have an infinite amount of time before havoc is wrought.

Kathryn Stoner

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Kathryn Stoner is the Mosbacher Director at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, a professor of political science at Stanford University, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. She is also the author of the book Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order. Her article “How Putin’s War Has Ruined Russia” was recently published online at journalofdemocracy.org.

Key Highlights

  • How has Russia's invasion of Ukraine affected perceptions of Russia's military
  • How has it affected its economy both short-term and long-term
  • How has it affected Russia's international standing
  • The affects on Russia's citizens
  • What does Putin's unpredictability mean for peace in Ukraine


Key Links

"How Putin’s War in Ukraine Has Ruined Russia" by Kathryn Stoner in Journal of Democracy

Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order by Kathryn Stoner

Follow Kathryn Stoner on Twitter @kath_stoner


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Moisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political Power

Kathryn Stoner on Russia’s Economy, Politics, and Foreign Policy

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Scott Radnitz on Why Conspiracy Theories Thrive in Both Democracies and Autocracies17 May 202200:50:20

There's something natural and organic about perceiving that the people in power are out to advance their own interests. It's in part because it’s often true. Governments actually do keep secrets from the public. Politicians engage in scandals. There often is corruption at high levels. So, we don't want citizens in a democracy to be too trusting of their politicians. It's healthy to be skeptical of the state and its real abuses and tendencies towards secrecy. The danger is when this distrust gets redirected, not toward the state, but targets innocent people who are not actually responsible for people's problems.

Scott Radnitz

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

*Please note during the interview the host says "conspiracy" rather than "conspiracy theory." The transcript has been corrected.*

Scott Radnitz is an associate professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington and the director of the Ellison Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies. He is the author of Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region and coeditor with Harris Mylonas of the forthcoming book Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns. His article “Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories” was recently published in the Journal of Democracy.

Key Highlights

  • Conspiracy theories Russia uses to justify their invasion of Ukraine
  • Why Russia relies on conspiracy theories in its political rhetoric
  • The use of conspiracy theories in democracies and autocracies
  • The recent proliferation of conspiracy theories in the United States
  • How to mitigate the harmful effects of conspiracy theories in politics


Key Links

"Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories" by Scott Radnitz in Journal of Democracy

Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region by Scott Radnitz

Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns edited by Harris Mylonas and Scott Radnitz


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Ronald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational Repression

Moisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political Power

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Dan Banik is In Pursuit of Development13 May 202200:35:56

This bonus episode is part of a series of interviews available for monthly supporters of Democracy Paradox at Patreon. Other interviews feature guests like Julia Azari, Mila Atmos, and Bob Shrum. But more importantly you'll help the podcast cover important expenses and continue to grow. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter by clicking on the link here.

If you want to help the podcast in other ways, please email the host, Justin Kempf, at jkempf@democracyparadox.com.

Dan Banik is a professor of political science at the University of Oslo and Director of the Oslo SDG Initiative. He also hosts the podcast In Pursuit of Development. His podcast is among the most insightful on topics of democracy, modernization, and sustainability. Past guests have included Francis Fukuyama and Daron Acemoglu. But it's Dan's ability to help listeners understand complex ideas and subjects that sets his podcast apart.

In Pursuit of Development 

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Disinformation is a Threat to Democracy Says Barbara McQuade26 Mar 202400:49:01

We have to care more about truth than tribe. We have to care more about each other than about profit.

Barbara McQuade

This episode was made in partnership with the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy

Access Episodes Ad-Free on Patreon

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Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.edu

Sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.org

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. Her new book Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • Propaganda Today - 3:05
  • Disinformation and Polarization - 19:57
  • Free Speech - 24:29
  • Attack from Within - 37:14

Key Links

Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America by Barbara McQuade

Learn more about Barbara McQuade

Follow Barbara McQuade on X @BarbMcQuade

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Peter Pomerantsev on Winning an Information War

Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda

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Ronald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational Repression10 May 202200:50:43

So, if your aim is to get inside someone's device without their permission and gather up information, you could do that using a very sophisticated commercial spyware technology like Pegasus. The latest iteration of it employs zero click technology meaning that it can target and insert itself on any device without the owner of that device even knowing or being tricked into clicking on a link. That's very powerful, because there is no defense against it.

Ronald Deibert

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Ronald Deibert is a professor of political science at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and the Director of the Citizen Lab. He recently gave the 18th annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture at the National Endowment for Democracy. Its title was “Digital Subversion: The Threat to Democracy.” His article, “Subversion Inc: The Age of Private Espionage” in the most recent Journal of Democracy is based on this lecture.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

Key Highlights

  • How Black Cube tried to infiltrate Citizen Lab
  • How autocrats continue to repress political dissidents overseas
  • The privatization of espionage and spycraft
  • The link between surveillance capitalism and private espionage
  • What liberal democracies can do to defend civil society


Key Links

Citizen Lab

Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture "Digital Subversion: The Threat to Democracy" by Ronald Deibert

"Subversion Inc: The Age of Private Espionage" by Ronald Deibert in Journal of Democracy

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Can Democracy Survive the Internet? Nate Persily and Josh Tucker on Social Media and Democracy

Winston Mano on Social Media and Politics in Africa… And what America can Learn from Africa about Democracy

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Apes of the State created all Music

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Thomas Piketty on Equality03 May 202200:30:20

Pure economic factors or technological factors or the level of economic development or level of technological development cannot explain the diversity of levels of inequality and structure of inequality that we observe throughout history.

Thomas Piketty

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Thomas Piketty is Professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and the Paris School of Economics and Codirector of the World Inequality Lab. He is also the author of A Brief History of Equality.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Highlights

  • The Case for Reparations for Haiti
  • An Account of the Historical Movement Toward Greater Equality
  • Economic Inequality as a Political Construction
  • Should Economic Equality be the Goal of the State?
  • Is Thomas Piketty Optimistic for the Future?


Key Links

A Brief History of Equality by Thomas Piketty

Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty

Follow Thomas Piketty on Twitter @PikettyLeMonde


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Joseph Fishkin on the Constitution, American History, and Economic Inequality

Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party

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Marta Dyczok and Andriy Kulykov on the Media, Information Warriors, and the Future of Ukraine26 Apr 202200:53:03

I heard a verified story of a person who made his way with his family from an occupied town listening to our broadcast, because we were telling them where it was dangerous for them to go and where it was more or less safe to go. So, radio actually saves lives. I probably cannot save lives otherwise. But I can with the help of radio.

Andriy Kulykov

Recorded on April 19th, 2022.

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Marta Dyczok is an Associate Professor at the Departments of History and Political Science, Western University, Canada. She was the host of the podcast Ukraine Calling. Andriy Kulykov is co-founder and Chairperson of Hromadske Radio.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Highlights

  • A Short History of Hromadske Radio
  • Do Journalists in Ukraine Consider Themselves Information Warriors
  • The Importance of Media Literacy in a War
  • How Radio Can Saved Lives in Ukraine
  • Andriy's Thoughts on Ukrainian Identity


Key Links

Ukraine Calling: A Kaleidoscope from Hromadske Radio 2016–2019 edited by Marta Dyczok

Listen to the Ukraine Calling Podcast

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Democracy Paradox Podcast

Between Russia and China: Anja Mihr on Central Asia

Joshua Yaffa on Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia

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Yascha Mounk on the Great Experiment of Diverse Democracies19 Apr 202200:50:07

So, there's actually something about the basic mechanism of democracy that does make it harder to sustain diversity. In other ways, the principles of liberal democracy are the right solution. And so, obviously my vision for the future is that of a diverse democracy. But we shouldn't be at ease about the ways in which democracy can sometimes inflame ethnic and religious tensions as well.

Yascha Mounk

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Yascha Mounk is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Persuasion. Mounk is also a contributing editor at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

Key Highlights

  • Is a diverse democracy more democratic
  • Challenges for diverse democracies
  • Yascha's vision for diverse societies
  • The most dangerous idea in American Politics
  • Is it more difficult for diverse ideas to flourish?


Key Links

The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure by Yascha  Mounk

Read more from Yascha Mounk at Persuassion

Follow Yascha Mounk @Yascha_Mounk


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Elisabeth Ivarsflaten and Paul Sniderman on Inclusion and Respect of Muslim Minorities

Sara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic Threats

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Mark Beissinger on Contemporary Urban Civic Revolutions12 Apr 202200:49:24

I think the revolutionary process has become somewhat less consequential in some ways. The ability to bring about substantive change in the wake of revolution has deteriorated for one thing. We've gained certain things as well. I mean, revolutions are no longer as violent as they once were. They're more frequent than they once were, almost more normal in terms of being part of the political landscape in a way that they were not in the past.

Mark Beissinger

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Mark Beissinger is a professor of politics at Princeton University and the author of the new book The Revolutionary City: Urbanization and the Global Transformation of Rebellion.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Highlights

  • An Account of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine
  • Description of Urban Civic Revolutions
  • Why are Revolutions more Successful than in the Past?
  • Why are Revolutions Less Violent?
  • How do Revolutions Continue to Change?


Key Links

The Revolutionary City: Urbanization and the Global Transformation of Rebellion by Mark Beissinger

Learn more about Mark Beissinger at Princeton University

Learn more about Mark Beissinger at Wikipedia

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Erica Chenoweth on Civil Resistance

George Lawson on Revolution

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Craig Whitlock on the Lessons Learned in Afghanistan05 Apr 202200:58:13

It's still shocking to me to read a lot of these documents and interviews in, The Afghanistan Papers, things that most people would think are obvious. What's the plan to end the war? What benchmarks do we have to achieve so that we know we can leave? You know, none of those things were thought out or articulated.

Craig Whitlock

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter at The Washington Post and the author of The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

Key Highlights

  • When did the War in Afghanistan Go Wrong
  • The Lies and Deception in Communications on the War
  • Differences in the Approach to the War Between Bush and Obama
  • Failures to Provide a Long-Term Political Solution
  • Lessons for Involvement in Ukraine and Beyond

 
Key Links

The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War by Craig Whitlock

Afghanistan Papers Document Database at The Washington Post

"At War With Truth" by Craig Whitlock

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili on Afghanistan, Local Institutions, and Self-Governance

Karen Greenberg on the War on Terror, Donald Trump, and American Democracy

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Miles Rapoport on How We Can Achieve Universal Voting29 Mar 202200:45:48

I have worked on voting issues for 35 years, for same-day registration and for opening up the process to younger people and preregistration, and, you know, nevertheless 35 years later we're still at 60 and 65%. 2020 was the highest turnout election ever and it was at 66%. So, I started to think what is it that could really, really move the needle and change the game.

Miles Rapoport

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting  here.

Miles Rapoport is also the Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. He formerly served as secretary of the state of Connecticut.  He is the coauthor of the book 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting with E.J. Dionne.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Highlights

  • What is Civic Duty Voting?
  • Why Should We Require Citizens to Vote?
  • Is Voting a Right or a Duty?
  • Australia's System of Civic Duty Voting
  • How Would it Change How Citizens Think About Themselves?


Key Links

100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting by Miles Rapoport and E.J. Dionne

Learn about Miles Rapoport at Harvard University

Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting 

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Shari Davis Elevates Participatory Budgeting

Lee Drutman Makes the Case for Multiparty Democracy in America

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Between Russia and China: Anja Mihr on Central Asia22 Mar 202200:52:02

Russia... will lose ground here in the region over the next decade and China will fill it, because the Europeans are not doing it. The United States is not doing it. Iran is not doing it and Turkey cannot do it either.

Anja Mihr

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region  here.

Anja Mihr is an associate professor of Political Science at the OSCE Academy at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the founder and program director of the Center on Governance through Human Rights at the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform (gGmbH) in Berlin. Recently, she edited the volume Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

Key Highlights

  • How do Central Asian countries feel about Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
  • Differences and similarities between Central Asian nations
  • Why has China become so influential in the region?
  • Sadyr Japarov and his rise to power
  • What is Glocalism?


Key Links

Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West: Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region  edited by Anja Mihr

Learn more about Anja Mihr

Follow Anja Mihr on Twitter @AnjaMihr

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili on Afghanistan, Local Institutions, and Self-Governance

Timothy Frye Says Putin is a Weak Strongman

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Moisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political Power15 Mar 202200:36:34

But what we have now is something that has not been sufficiently discussed, sufficiently understood, which is a criminalized state of which Russia is an example, in the Balkans we have some examples, in Latin America Venezuela stands out as an example. And that is essentially that the state becomes an organized criminal organization. An organization that essentially uses the structure, strategies, tactics, modalities of organized crime.

Moisés Naím

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century  here.

Moisés Naím is a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an internationally syndicated columnist. He served as editor in chief of Foreign Policy, as Venezuela's trade minister, and as executive director of the World Bank. He is the author of The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn't What It Used to Be and most recently, The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 

Key Highlights

  • How 3P Autocrats Use Polarization, Populism, and Post-Truth to Consolidate Power
  • Why Do People Elect Autocrats
  • Naím's Personal Evolution in his Ideas on Power
  • The Rise of the Criminal State
  • Naím discusses Putin, Russia, and the War in Ukraine


Key Links

The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century by Moisés Naím

Learn more about Moisés Naím

Follow Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili on Twitter @MoisesNaim


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World

Caitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic Movements and Personalistic Leaders

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Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili on Afghanistan, Local Institutions, and Self-Governance08 Mar 202200:47:41

It wasn't because Afghan social norms don’t support democracy. They do. And Afghans understood darn well what they were supposed to have. But they never even got the minimum of what they were promised in the constitution.

Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan  here.

Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili are associate professors at the University of Pittsburgh and the authors of the recent book Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan. Jen is also the founding director and Ilia is an associate director of the Center for Governance and Markets.

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Highlights

  • Description of the role of shuras, maliks, and mullahs in local governance
  • How property rights help explain local governance
  • Why has the state always been ineffective in Afghanistan
  • A little history on Afghanistan
  • Are local, self-governing institutions in Afghanistan democratic?


Key Links

Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan by Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili

Learn more about the Center for Governance and Markets

Follow Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili on Twitter @jmurtazashvili

Follow Ilia Murtazashvili on Twitter @IMurtazashvili


Democracy Paradox Podcast

David Stasavage on Early Democracy and its Decline

Donald F. Kettl on Federalism

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Grading Biden's Foreign Policy with Alexander Ward19 Mar 202400:52:44

Whoever you vote for, Biden or Trump at this point, you are voting for a radically different vision of American foreign policy.

Alexander Ward

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Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.edu

Sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.org

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Alexander Ward is a national security reporter at Politico and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of the book The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy after Trump.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • A Foreign Policy for the Middle Class - 2:47
  • Crises - 20:13
  • Ukraine - 27:56
  • The Grade - 40:32

Key Links

The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy after Trump by Alexander Ward

Learn more about Alexander Ward

Follow Alexander Ward on X @alexbward

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Can America Fight Back Against the Authoritarian Economic Statecraft of China? Bethany Allen Believes We Can

Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home

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Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World01 Mar 202200:40:19

You can't protect basic human rights if you don't have democracy. If you're going to protect basic human rights, you need to have things like credible institutions that hold abusers to account. You need to have opportunities for the least advantaged in a society. The people whose rights are most at risk to be able to choose their leaders and choose leaders who will represent them and serve their interests. You need leaders that serve for the common good, not for their own personal gain.

Sarah Repucci

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule  here.

Sarah Repucci is the Vice President of Research and Analysis at Freedom House. She coauthored (along with Amy Slipowitz) Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule.

Key Highlights

  • Global freedom has declined for 16 consecutive years
  • How Russia's invasion of Ukraine is part of a broader expansion of authoritarianism
  • Myanmar and other countries with major declines in freedom
  • Bright spots like Ecuador and Peru
  • How we can support democracy in the world


Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. 


Key Links

Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule by Sarah Repucci and Amy Slipowitz

Learn more about Freedom House

Follow Freedom House on Twitter @freedomhouse


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Freedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the World

Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding

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Elisabeth Ivarsflaten and Paul Sniderman on the Inclusion and Respect of Muslim Minorities22 Feb 202200:45:06

If you're actually a real person and you're living your life and you're going into stores and you're riding on a bus or your kids are going to school, what matters is that you be treated with respect. That you have a dignity. And that, I think, at every point that matters most to us is what the book has wound up being about. It’s an essay on respect as a condition of a liberal democracy.

Paul Sniderman

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos  here.

Elisabeth Ivarsflaten is a professor of political science and scientific director of the Digital Social Science Core Facility at the University of Bergen, Norway. Paul Sniderman is the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr., Professor of Public Policy at Stanford University. They are the authors of The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos.

Key Highlights

  • Western societies show greater openness towards Muslim immigrants than previously recognized
  • Where are there opportunities for real inclusion for Muslim immigrants
  • How innovative research designs led to unexpected results
  • The difference between recognition respect and appraisal respect
  • The limits to inclusion for liberal societies that remain today


Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Links

The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos by Elisabeth Ivarsflaten and Paul Sniderman

Learn more about the Digital Social Science Core Facility including The Norwegian Citizen Panel

Learn more about Paul Sniderman


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic Threats

Mike Hoffman on How Religious Identities Influence Support for or Opposition to Democracy

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Debasish Roy Chowdhury and John Keane on the Decline of Indian Democracy15 Feb 202200:53:28

You treat votes as equal. My vote is equal to your vote. But the state treats our bodies as unequal. That logically makes no sense and it is farcical to call it a democracy in the first place. Forget what implications this will have for democracy in the long-term, but to be called a democracy and to have your bodies treated differently is a farce in itself.

Debasish Roy Chowdhury

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism  here.

Deb Chowdhry is a journalist who has published in Time, South China Morning Post, and Washington Times. John Keane is a Professor of Politics at the University of Sydney. They are the authors of the recent book To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism.

Key Highlights

  • Who is Mamata Banerjee?
  • How does political violence undermine democracy?
  • How does the failure to tackle social problems affect democracy?
  • Why is Indian democracy in decline?
  • What does India's experience teach other democracies?


Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information.


Key Links

To Kill A Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism by Debasish Roy Chowdhury and John Keane

Learn more about Debasish Roy Chowdhury

Learn more about John Keane


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Bilal Baloch on Indira Gandhi, India’s Emergency, and the Importance of Ideas in Politics

Christophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism

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Lisa Disch on Representation, Constituencies, and Political Leadership08 Feb 202200:49:11

The tension in what we want from democratic representation is that we want control over our representatives and we want creativity from them. If we control them, they are delegates. They're not representatives. They do what we want. They act in our place instead of us. They act as we would in our place. If they give us creativity, they will bring things out of us and do things for us that we may not have imagined.

Lisa Disch

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Making Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy  here.

Lisa Disch is a professor of political science at the University of Michigan and an elected member of the Ann Arbor City Council. She is the author of the book Making Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy.

Key Highlights

  • Should elected officials serve as delegates or opinion shapers?
  • What is the line between leadership and manipulation?
  • What is the constituency paradox?
  • Does representation facilitate citizen mobilization?
  • Can realists be idealists?

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information. 


Key Links

Making Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy by Lisa Jane Disch

Learn about Lisa Disch at the University of Michigan

Lisa Disch for City Council


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic Threats

Caitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic Movements and Personalistic Leaders

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Joseph Fishkin on the Constitution, American History, and Economic Inequality01 Feb 202200:48:23

For many Americans, for the first many generations really up through the mid 20th century, the constitutional order seemed to rest on and depend on an economic order in which people had enough economic clout to be independent citizens and voters. Not serfs dependent on some kind of master.

Joseph Fishkin

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy  here.

Joseph Fishkin is a Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. He is the coauthor (along with William E. Forbath) of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy.

Key Highlights

  • How did Montana reform its laws to limit the influence of Amalgamated Copper?
  • When do questions of inequality become constitutional questions?
  • How did the courts undermine labor laws in the early 20th century?
  • What are the affirmative obligations and duties in the constitution?
  • What is the proper role of the courts in American politics?

Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information.

Key Links

The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy by Joseph Fishkin and William E. Forbath

Follow Joseph Fishkin on Twitter @joeyfishkin

Learn more about Joseph Fishkin at UCLA Law

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions

Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party

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Bilal Baloch on Indira Gandhi, India's Emergency, and the Importance of Ideas in Politics25 Jan 202200:45:08

We have core ideas that form a part of our worldview, but those core ideas are not fixed in the way in which we talk about rationality and interest in that they can evolve. And we have to, when we think about human behavior, political behavior, we have to give serious attention to those ideas and go beyond just fixed material interests.

Bilal Baloch

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of When Ideas Matter: Democracy and Corruption in India  here.

Bilal Baloch is the Co-Founder and COO of Enquire, formerly GlobalWonks. He is also a non-resident visiting scholar at the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of When Ideas Matter: Democracy and Corruption in India.

Key Highlights

  • What was the Jayaprakash Narayanan Movement?
  • Why did the State of Emergency happen in India?
  • How do ideas influence governance?
  • The differences between technocratic and political leadership
  • Is it more important to foster a diversity of ideas or support the best ideas?

 
Key Links

When Ideas Matter: Democracy and Corruption in India by Bilal Baloch

Follow Bilal Baloch on Twitter @bilalabaloch

Learn more about his company Enquire


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Christophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism

Kajri Jain Believes Democracy Unfolds through the Aesthetic

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Sara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic Threats18 Jan 202200:42:23

If I could say one thing to every citizen, it's to put country before party. Which is, you know, at this time it almost feels like a hollowed phrase, because we we've kind of heard it so often. But it's like actually true.

Sara Wallace Goodman

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Citizenship in Hard Times: How Ordinary People Respond to Democratic Threat  here.

Sara Wallace Goodman is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine and the author of Citizenship in Hard Times: How Ordinary People Respond to Democratic Threat.

Key Highlights

  • How much agency do citizens have in democracy?
  • The important differences between citizenship and partisanship and their implications
  • The role of both rights and duties for citizenship
  • Differences between citizenship in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany
  • What can citizens do to protect democracy?


Key Links

Citizenship in Hard Times: How Ordinary People Respond to Democratic Threat by Sara Wallace Goodman

Learn about Sara Wallace Goodman from Wikipedia

Follow Sara Wallace Goodman on Twitter @ThatSaraGoodman

 
Democracy Paradox Podcast

Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding

Jan-Werner Müller on Democracy Rules

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Joseph Wright and Abel Escribà-Folch on Migration's Potential to Topple Dictatorships11 Jan 202200:45:31

This is money that flows between individuals and families and largely circumvents governments and that's a hugely important point, because the real take home of the book is that when these financial flows are controlled by citizens, it tips the balance of power in favor of citizens. When the international financial flow goes to governments, it tips the balance of power in terms of governments.

Joseph Wright

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Migration and Democracy: How Remittances Undermine Dictatorships  here.

Joe Wright is a professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University. Abel Escribà-Folch is an associate professor of political science at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. They cowrote the book Migration and Democracy: How Remittances Undermine Dictatorships along with Covadonga Meseguer.

Key Highlights

  • How Remittances Break Clientelistic Relationships
  • The Size and Importance of Remittances in Developing Economies
  • Why Financial Remittances Facilitate Protest Movements
  • Can Remittances Really Contribute to Democratization
  • Implications for Immigration Policies

Key Links

Migration and Democracy: How Remittances Undermine Dictatorships by Abel Escribà-Folch, Joseph Wright, and Covadonga Meseguer

Learn more about Joseph Wright

Learn more about Abel Escribà-Folch


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Michael Miller on the Unexpected Paths to Democratization

Bryn Rosenfeld on Middle Class Support for Dictators in Autocratic Regimes

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Robert Lieberman, Kenneth Roberts, and David Bateman on Democratic Resilience and Political Polarization in the United States04 Jan 202200:57:09

So, the question is how do you respond to that? If you are the party that sees itself as being on the side of democracy and on the side of maintaining democratic norms and procedures and maintaining this kind of democratic accountability, how do you respond? Do you respond in kind? Do you respond with hardball tactics of your own?

Robert Lieberman

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization?  here.

Robert C. Lieberman is the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Kenneth M. Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government and Binenkorb Director of Latin American Studies at Cornell University. David A. Bateman is an associate professor in the Government Department at Cornell University. Robert and Kenneth (along with Suzanne Mettler) coedited the book Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization?  David is a contributor to the volume. His chapter is "Elections, Polarization, and Democratic Resilience."

Key Highlights

  • Why did polarization become so severe in the United States?
  • When did pernicious polarization start in America?
  • Is polarization the fault of just one party or both?
  • Discussion on possible judicial reforms as a solution
  • Can America overcome this episode of severe polarization?


Key Links

Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization? by Suzanne Mettler, Robert C. Lieberman, and Kenneth M. Roberts

Follow Robert C. Lieberman on Twitter @r_lieberman

Follow David Bateman on Twitter @DavidAlexBatema


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Can America Preserve Democracy without Retreating from it? Robert C. Lieberman on the Four Threats

Thomas Carothers and Andrew O’Donohue are Worried About Severe Polarization

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Angus Deaton on Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism28 Dec 202100:46:16

It's this sort of persistent loss of wages, which causes things like loss of marriage, people not living with their kids anymore, disintegration of communities with all of the things in those communities whether it's churches or union halls or society, just friendship that used to be there. And those are the things that cause people to lose meaning or, if you like, lose hope in their lives.

Angus Deaton

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism  here.

Angus Deaton is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at Princeton University, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics, and the coauthor (with Anne Case) of Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism.

Key Hightlights

  • What are deaths of despair and what causes them
  • How did the Pandemic and the Great Recession affect deaths of despair
  • Why does a four year college degree affect life expectancy in the United States
  • How has health care policy in the United States contributed to deaths of despair
  • Are deaths of despair an inevitable consequence of capitalism


Key Links

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Angus Deaton and Anne Case

Nobel Prize

National Bureau of Economic Research


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sheryl WuDunn Paints a Picture of Poverty in America and Offers Hope for Solutions

Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party

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Peter Pomerantsev on Winning an Information War12 Mar 202400:48:22

All this stuff about half of America just won't listen to this. You're just not trying. You're just not trying. I fear in America people don't try to reach people in echo chambers.

Peter Pomerantsev

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Peter Pomerantsev is a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins University where he co-directs the Arena Initiative. His past books include Nothing is True and Everything is Possible and This is Not Propaganda. His most recent book is called How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • Sefton Delmer - 3:37
  • Der Chef - 11:34
  • Communication and Propaganda - 25:27
  • Winning an Information War - 37:45

Key Links

How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler by Peter Pomerantsev

This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality by Peter Pomerantsev

Follow Peter Pomerantsev on X @peterpomeranzev

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda

Allie Funk of Freedom House Assesses Global Internet Freedom

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Zeynep Pamuk on the Role of Science and Expertise in a Democracy21 Dec 202100:52:42

Science is never offering the whole truth. It may be offering us something accurate. Scientific findings may be reliable for now, but they are always incomplete.

Zeynep Pamuk

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society  here.

Zeynep Pamuk is an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego and the author of the book Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society.

Key Highlights

  • Why is there a tension between science and democracy
  • The limits of science for public policy
  • The Proposal for a Science Court
  • Ways to provide greater democratic involvement in scientific funding
  • How have experts performed in the pandemic


Key Links

Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society by Zeynep Pamuk

Learn more about Zeynep Pamuk at scholar.harvard.edu/zpamuk

Read Zeynep Pamuk's article "The Contours of Ignorance," in Boston Review


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Susan Rose-Ackerman on the Role of the Executive in Four Different Democracies

Chris Bickerton Defines Technopopulism

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Caitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic Movements and Personalist Leaders14 Dec 202100:49:53

Charismatic leaders who are intent on governing solely using their charismatic authority and subverting other things to their personal power are inherently bad for democracy and inherently illiberal. They're anti-pluralist. They don't want to share their power with others even within their own movement or their own party. They don't tolerate dissent.

Caitlin Andrews-Lee

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Emergence and Revival of Charismatic Movements: Argentine Peronism and Venezuelan Chavismo  here.

Caitlin Andrews-Lee is an Assistant Professor in Ryerson University’s Department of Politics and Public Administration. She is the author of the book, The Emergence and Revival of Charismatic Movements: Argentine Peronism and Venezuelan Chavismo.

Key Highlights

  • A profile on Juan Perón, the prototypical charismatic leader
  • Why has Peronism survived its founder?
  • Why do the anointed successors of charismatic leaders fail?
  • How do new personalist leaders arise out of charismatic movements?
  • Is Donald Trump a harbinger of future charismatic leaders or was he an historical aberration?


Key Links

The Emergence and Revival of Charismatic Movements: Argentine Peronism and Venezuelan Chavismo by Caitlin Andrews-Lee

Learn more about Caitlin Andrews-Lee at www.caitlinandrewslee.com

Follow Caitlin Andrews-Lee on Twitter @caitlineandrews


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Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding

James Loxton Explains Why Authoritarian Successor Parties Succeed in Democracies

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Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic Backsliding07 Dec 202100:44:28

The way we conceive of democracy is being challenged by these regimes and, by that I mean, because the process of backsliding is so incremental, it's difficult to see where these boundaries are.

Stephan Haggard

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World  here.

Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman are the authors of the new book, Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World. Stephan is the Lawrence and Sallye Krause Distinguished Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. Robert Kaufman is a distinguished professor of political science at Rutgers University.

Key Highlights

  • Describes democratic backsliding
  • How polarization contributes to backsliding
  • The role of legislatures in backsliding episodes
  • What it means when authoritarians "reform" judiciaries
  • How can citizens reverse democratic backsliding?


Key Links

Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World by Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman

Learn more about Stephan Haggard at www.stephanhaggard.com

Learn more about Robert Kaufman at https://fas-polisci.rutgers.edu/kaufman/

 

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Freedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the World

Thomas Carothers and Andrew O’Donohue are Worried About Severe Polarization

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Joshua Yaffa on Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia30 Nov 202100:48:43

‘What would you prefer? Would you prefer that this boy, Vasya, die because he couldn't get dialysis? Would you prefer that this girl, Katya, die from her shrapnel wounds that she suffered during the war that was obviously not her fault? Right? Like would it be better if I held my nose and refuse to engage in these compromises so these kids died? Would you be sort of happier, so you could write about how awful the bloody Putin regime is?’

Joshua Yaffa explaining the perspective of Russian humanitarian Elizaveta Glinka

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia here.

Joshua Yaffa joins the podcast to discuss his new book Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia. He is a correspondent for The New Yorker based primarily in Moscow, Russia.

Key Highlights

  • Who was Dr. Liza?
  • The types of compromises must Russians make with the state to pursue their dreams
  • The role of the Russian state in the arts through the story of theater director Kirill Serebrennikov
  • Legal challenges for business owners in Russia through the experience of zookeeper Oleg Zubkov
  • The limited space for human rights activism in Chechnya through the experience of Heda Saratova


Key Links

Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia by Joshua Yaffa

Learn more about Joshua Yaffa at www.joshuayaffa.com.

Follow Joshua Yaffa on Twitter @yaffaesque

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Timothy Frye Says Putin is a Weak Strongman

Bryn Rosenfeld on Middle Class Support for Dictators in Autocratic Regimes

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Zoltan Barany on the Ineffectiveness of the Gulf Militaries23 Nov 202100:51:33

The last time, and luckily this hasn't really happened since 1990, there was minimal resistance from the Kuwaiti and the Saudi forces. So, this obviously is 30 years ago, but there is little reason to believe that in spite of the hundreds of billions of dollars that is spent on armaments, this state of affairs has changed. Let me just put it this way. Nobody in Tehran is losing any sleep over the prowess of any of the Gulf militaries.

Zoltan Barany

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Armies of Arabia: Military Politics and Effectiveness in the Gulf here.

Zoltan Barany is the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Armies of Arabia: Military Politics and Effectiveness in the Gulf.

Key Highlights

  • What should be expected of the militaries of the Gulf countries?
  • Would the Gulf countries be threatened without the American security guarantee?
  • What types of military investments do the Gulf countries make?
  • What has the Yemeni War taught us about armies of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries?
  • How does the leadership of MBS differ from MBZ?


Key Links

Armies of Arabia: Military Politics and Effectiveness in the Gulf by Zoltan Barany

Robert Strauss Center For International Security and Law

Center for Strategic & International Studies


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Daniel Brinks on the Politics of Institutional Weakness

Elizabeth Nugent on Polarization, Democratization and the Arab Spring

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Amory Gethin on Political Cleavages, Inequality, and Party Systems in 50 Democracies16 Nov 202100:52:29

Indeed, the moderation of left-wing party’s economic policy proposals in the eighties and in the nineties and the decision to promote an unregulated capitalism with no kind of proper compensation and no tax harmonization leading to greater offshore wealth and rising inequality. All these decisions have played a role in leading the working class to take distance from these parties and, at the same time, enabling these new issues to take a growing importance.

Amory Gethin

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Political Cleavages and Social Inequalities: A Study of 50 Democracies, 1948-2020 here.

Amory Gethin is a PhD candidate at the Paris School of Economics and a research fellow at the world Inequality Lab. He is a coeditor (along with Clara Martinez-Toledano and Thomas Piketty) of Political Cleavages and Social Inequalities: A Study of 50 Democracies, 1948-2020.

Key Highlights Include

  • Why have multi-elite party systems emerged in Western democracies?
  • Describes the divide between the "Brahmin Left" and "Merchant Right"
  • How do party systems differ between Western and Non-Western democracies?
  • Descriptions of party systems in India, Eastern Europe, and Brazil
  • Why have party systems changed?


Key Links

Political Cleavages and Social Inequalities. A Study of 50 Democracies, 1948-2020 edited by Amory Gethin, Clara Martinez-Toledano and Thomas Piketty

Follow Amory Gethin on Twitter @amorygethin

Learn more about Amory Gethin at his personal website


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James Loxton Explains Why Authoritarian Successor Parties Succeed in Democracies

Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party

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Daniel Brinks on the Politics of Institutional Weakness09 Nov 202100:52:37

We don't think about institutions until they fail and we think of institutions as being really strong when maybe they've never been challenged. They've never really tried to do anything.

Daniel Brinks

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Politics of Institutional Weakness in Latin America here.

Daniel Brinks joins the podcast to discuss his new book The Politics of Institutional Weakness in Latin America. He is the coeditor along with Steven Levitsky and María Victoria Murillo. Dan is a professor of Government and of Law at the University of Texas at Austin and a Senior Researcher & Global Scholar of the Centre on Law and Social Transformation.

Key Highlights

  • What is institutional weakness?
  • How does it differ from state capacity?
  • How does civil society affect political institutions?
  • What is the role of constitutions?
  • How do Presidential systems affect other political institutions?

Key Links

The Politics of Institutional Weakness in Latin America edited by Daniel M. Brinks, Steven Levitsky, and María Victoria Murillo

Department of Government at The University of Texas at Austin where Daniel Brinks teaches

Centre of Law and Social Transformation at the Christian Michelsen Institute in Norway where Daniel Brinks is a Senior Researcher & Global Scholar

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Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions

William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe on the Presidency

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Elizabeth Perry and Grzegorz Ekiert on State-Mobilized Movements02 Nov 202100:50:09

What we are doing in this volume is blurring the boundaries between this older conception of top-down mobilized movements and this newer conception of bottom-up organic, spontaneous civil society propelled movements and discovering that there's an awful lot in the middle there.

Elizabeth Perry

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Ruling by Other Means: State-Mobilized Movements here.

Elizabeth Perry and Grzegorz Ekiert join the podcast to discuss their new book Ruling by Other Means: State-Mobilized Movements (coedited with Xiaojun Yan). Elizabeth is the Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government at Harvard University and Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute. Grzegorz is the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government at Harvard University and Director of Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies.

Key Highlights

  • What are state-mobilized movements?
  • Why do authoritarian regimes mobilize supporters?
  • The role of violence in state-mobilized movements
  • Why do people mobilize to support dictators?
  • What does it teach us about civil society?

 
Key Links

Ruling by Other Means: State-Mobilized Movements edited by Grzegorz Ekiert, Elizabeth J. Perry, and Yan Xiaojun

Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies 

Harvard-Yenching Institute 


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Erica Chenoweth on Civil Resistance

Jonathan Pinckney on Civil Resistance Transitions

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Susan Rose-Ackerman on the Role of the Executive in Four Different Democracies26 Oct 202100:43:40

Many of these things that you and I are talking about are simply initiatives put forward by the chief executive or maybe by a cabinet minister. Something they want to do and rather than something that they're required to do. And it seems to me that that's a rather fragile base on which to build a more effective participatory process, which doesn't give up on the role of technocracy and expertise.

Susan Rose-Ackerman

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Democracy and Executive Power: Policymaking Accountability in the US, the UK, Germany, and France here.

Susan Rose-Ackerman joins the podcast to discuss her new book Democracy and Executive Power: Policymaking Accountability in the US, the UK, Germany, and France. Susan is the Henry R. Luce Professor Emeritus of Law and Political Science at Yale University.

Key Highlights Include

  • How have executives handled the pandemic
  • Differences between the executives of Germany, France, UK and US
  • How different executives make rules to implement public statutes
  • Description of deliberative democracy used in France to create environmental policies
  • Is the administrative state democratic


 Key Links

Democracy and Executive Power: Policymaking Accountability in the US, the UK, Germany, and France by Susan Rose-Ackerman

Susan Rose-Ackerman on Wikipedia

EPuM Interview with Susan Rose-Ackerman on YouTube


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Lee Drutman Makes the Case for Multiparty Democracy in America

William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe on the Presidency

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Tom Ginsburg Shares his Thoughts on Democracy and International Law19 Oct 202100:51:19

At the end of the day, I am optimistic despite all the evidence. First of all, I think there are a lot of resources that democracies can use. A lot of areas of law, where as long as we recognize what it is we're fighting for, democracy is worth fighting for and have a common view as to what that means that we can advance it in many places, not just here but abroad. And this might sound a little hokey, but there really is a genuine human demand for freedom and that's not going away.

Tom Ginsburg

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Democracies and International Law here.

Tom Ginsburg is a professor of international law and political science at the University of Chicago. He is the coauthor of How to Save a Constitutional Democracy with Aziz Huq and the author of Democracies and International Law.

Key Highlights Include

  • How is international law made and enforced?
  • How do democracies approach international law differently than authoritarian regimes?
  • Is there a right to democracy?
  • Differences and similarities between the approach of China and the United States towards international law.
  • How do regional organizations support democratic norms?


Key Links

Democracies and International Law by Tom Ginsburg

Follow Tom Ginsburg on Twitter @tomginsburg

How to Save a Constitutional Democracy by Tom Ginsburg and Aziz Huq


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Charles Kupchan on America's Tradition of Isolationism

John Ikenberry on Liberal Internationalism

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Is Democracy Still in Decline? Yana Gorokhovskaia on the Freedom in the World Report05 Mar 202400:46:00

Without an elected government, without a government that truly represents... a lot of things are imperiled - rights, democracy, freedom, certainly peace. I think that's another kind of challenge as we go into this year of widespread elections. It's not just about preserving democracy. It's also laying the foundation for peace.

Yana Gorokhovskaia

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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Yana Gorokhovskaia is the Research Director at Freedom House and one of the lead authors of this year’s Freedom in the World report titled, The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction - 0:20
  • Nagorno-Karabakh - 2:15
  • Gaza and Israel - 7:46
  • Freedom in Decline - 13:18
  • Autocratic Elections - 35:43

Key Links

Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict

Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence

Follow Freedom House on X @freedomhouse

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Staffan Lindberg with a Report on Democracy in the World

Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World

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Robert Meister Believes Justice is an Option12 Oct 202100:50:03

So, now I've developed a way of talking about revolution as an option that can't be exercised, but that still has present value and I've set up a mechanism for saying what that present value is. Namely the value of the liquidity premium that a democracy that consents to maintaining accumulated wealth can extract for guaranteeing that the wealth continues to accumulate.

Robert Meister

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Justice is an Option: A Democratic Theory of Finance for the Twenty-First Century  here.

Robert Meister is the author of the new book Justice is an Option: A Democratic Theory of Finance for the Twenty-First Century and a Professor of Social and Political Thought in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California Santa Cruz.

Key Highlights Include

  • What is historical justice?
  • An overview of financial terms
  • How is justice an option?
  • Is capitalism compatible with justice?
  • Will historical justice happen or is it just an option?


Key Links

Justice Is an Option: A Democratic Theory of Finance for the Twenty-First Century by Robert Meister

A Theory of Justice by John Rawls

Spheres of Justice by Michael Walzer

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sheryl WuDunn Paints a Picture of Poverty in America and Offers Hope for Solutions

Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party

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Martin Conway Believes "Democracy Owes its Durability Not to its Principles but to its Flexibility." Democracy in Western Europe from 1945 to 196805 Oct 202100:53:20

Where you and I and, I think, many others start from an assumption that somehow there is a thing called democracy and we sort of know what it is. But the diversity within democracy is far larger than that. You know, there's clear big institutional temperamental differences between visions of representatives ruling, people ruling, and so on. All these sorts of things are different models of democracy and therefore the word democracy in some respects becomes rather meaningless.

Martin Conway

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Western Europe’s Democratic Age: 1945—1968  here.

Martin Conway is the author of the new book Western Europe’s Democratic Age: 1945—1968 and a Professor of Contemporary European History at the University of Oxford.

Key Highlights Include

  • Why Democracy Became Part of Western Europe's Identity
  • How Democracy was a Process of Continual Negotiation
  • The Distinct Characteristics of Democracy in Western Europe
  • An Account of the Transition from the Fourth to the Fifth Republic in France
  • Lessons for Democracy Today from Western Europe's Past


Key Links

Western Europe's Democratic Age: 1945-1968  by Martin Conway

Learn more about Martin Conway at Balliol College at the University of Oxford

Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe  by Sheri Berman

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Kurt Weyland Distinguishes Between Fascism and Authoritarianism

Michael Hughes on the History of Democracy in Germany

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Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions28 Sep 202100:49:26

The most beautiful thing that happened in Indonesia, by the way, which was a polarized society along religious lines more than anything else, was that by the end of the proceedings, everybody knew what everybody else's problems were, what everyone else's constituencies wanted. They knew if X noticed that Y was making a demand, before long X figured out what was behind the demand and why Y had to make it and whether it was a real demand or whether it was made just for the sake of being on record.

Donald Horowitz

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment here.

Donald Horowitz is the James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus at Duke University.

Key Highlights Include

  • Accounts of constitutional formation in Tunisia, Indonesia, and Malaysia
  • The role of consensus
  • The challenges of negotiated constitutions
  • The need for an inclusive process
  • Why citizen participation is not always beneficial


Key Links

Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment  by Donald Horowitz

"Ethnic Power Sharing: Three Big Problems"  by Donald Horowitz in the Journal of Democracy

Reconsidering Democratic Transitions Francis Fukuyama, Donald Horowitz, Larry Diamond on YouTube


Democracy Paradox Podcast

Aldo Madariaga on Neoliberalism, Democratic Deficits, and Chile

Hélène Landemore on Democracy without Elections

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