Democracy Paradox – Details, episodes & analysis

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Democracy Paradox

Justin Kempf

Government

News

Science

Frequency: 1 episode/10d. Total Eps: 236

Is it possible for a democracy to govern undemocratically? Can the people elect an undemocratic leader? Is it possible for democracy to bring about authoritarianism? And if so, what does this say about democracy? My name is Justin Kempf. Every week I talk to the brightest minds on subjects like international relations, political theory, and history to explore democracy from every conceivable angle. Topics like civil resistance, authoritarian successor parties, and the autocratic middle class challenge our ideas about democracy. Join me as we unravel new topics every week.

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Score global : 83%

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Killian Clarke Warns Counterrevolution is a Threat to Nascent Democracies

Season 2 · Episode 5

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 • Duration 51:54

For democratic revolutions to survive counterrevolution, they have to make certain choices that can undermine the quality of their democracy.

Killian Clarke

Political scientist Killian Clarke joins The Democracy Paradox to discuss his new book, Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. He explains why democratic revolutions are especially vulnerable to reversal, how elites and citizens can align in counterrevolutionary movements, and what these dynamics reveal about democracy’s fragility and endurance today. Amanda Waterhouse, a postdoctoral democracy researcher at the Kellogg Institute also joins to help introduce the episode.

The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Read the full transcript here.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:20
Counterrevolutions as Mass Movements - 9:59
Prevalence and Success of Counterrevolution - 19:08
Is Counterrevolution Always Bad? - 33:22
Why Some Revolutionaries Join the Counterrevolution - 41:12

Links

Learn more about Amanda Waterhouse.

Learn more about Killian Clarke.

Learn more about Clarke's book Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed (Cambridge University Press, 2025)

Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.

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Amel Ahmed Says the Regime Question Has Returned

Season 2 · Episode 4

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 • Duration 49:06

The regime question at its core is about how we should govern ourselves... This is an enduring question that is essential to democratic politics.

Amel Ahmed

This episode begins with host Justin Kempf and Javier Pérez Sandoval setting the stage for a deep dive into the “regime question,” highlighting its significance in democratic theory and contemporary politics. Their introductory discussion explores foundational divides in political systems and frames the questions that will be pursued, particularly the tensions between institutional arrangements and party cleavages. The heart of the episode follows as Kempf interviews Amel Ahmed, who draws on her comparative research to examine historical battles over parliamentary power, suffrage, and executive authority in the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany. Ahmed connects these cases to present-day concerns about legislative dysfunction and polarization, demonstrating that ongoing contestation over the rules of democracy is both persistent and essential to democratic governance.

The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Read the full transcript here.

Amel Ahmed is an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of the book The Regime Question: Foundations of Democratic Governance in Europe and the United States.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:20
What is the Regime Question - 8:42
Electoral Authoritarianism - 25:05
Resolving the Regime Question - 36:03
Implications for Democracy - 44:47

Links

Learn more about Javier Pérez Sandoval

Alexander Keyssar on Why We Still Have the Electoral College

Season 1 · Episode 203

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 • Duration 50:20

I think that if you got rid of the Electoral College, in the short run, there would be losers. But it hasn't always been the same group and it hasn't always been the same party.

Alexander Keyssar

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

Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.

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.

Alexander Keyssar is the Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard University and the author of the book Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:20
Origin of the Electoral College - 3:05
Proportional or District Electoral Votes - 17:37
Race and Civil Rights - 27:02
Why No Reform - 41:44

Key Links

Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? by Alexander Keyssar

Watch Electoral College Symposium: What’s to be Done?

Follow Alexander Keyssar on X @AlexKeyssar

Democracy Paradox PodcastMore InformationEmail the show at Follow on Twitter , , Instagram

Kim Lane Scheppele on Hungary, Viktor Orbán, and its Democratic Decline

Season 1 · Episode 113

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 • Duration 48:49

So, I came back from that trip and said to one of my good friends back in Budapest, ‘I think I've met the most dangerous person I've ever met personally.’ And she said, ‘Oh Viktor, he's nothing. He's like a kid. He's in his thirties.’ I mean, he was an aspiring politician at this point. His party was at the bottom of the polls. It didn't look like he had any future. And I said, ‘No, this guy has something. It's hard to define what it is, but we're going to be hearing from him.’

Kim Lane Scheppele

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

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

Kim Lane Scheppele is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:50
Kim Lane Scheppele meets Viktor Orbán - 2:45
Viktor Orbán as Prime Minister 1998-2002 - 9:21
Hungary Changes its Constitution 15:56
Orbán Undermines Democracy Legally - 26:32
Why do Voters Support Orbán and Fidesz - 41:48

Key Links

Learn more about Kim Lane Scheppele

"How Viktor Orbán Wins" by Kim Lane Scheppele in the Journal of Democracy

9/11 and the Rise of Global Anti-Terrorism Law: How the UN Security Council Rules the World edited by Kim Lane Scheppele and Arianna Vedaschi

Jessica Pisano on How Zelenskyy Changed Ukraine

Season 1 · Episode 112

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 • Duration 34:47

There were lots of opportunities for a certain part of Ukrainian society to encounter Zelenskyy and to feel that they knew him. He was not an unknown quantity when he ran for president. So, I think that's important for us to keep in mind. I would say the so-called Western World is still discovering who he is, but his loyalty, his integrity, his ideas or his group's ideas about Ukrainian political nationhood have been in the works for a long time.

Jessica Pisano

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

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

Jessica Pisano is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics at the New School for Social Research. She is the author of "How Zelensky Changed Ukraine" in the Journal of Democracy and Staging Democracy: Political Performance in Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:49
Early Career of Zelenskyy - 2:58
What is Political Theater? - 10:30
Zelenskyy Changes Politics in Ukraine - 17:26
Zelenskyy as President - 22:43
Future of Ukraine - 30:41

Key Links

Learn more about Jessica Pisano

"How Zelensky Changed Ukraine" by Jessica Pisano in the Journal of Democracy

Staging Democracy: Political Performance in Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond by Jessica Pisano

Neil DeVotta on the Protests in Sri Lanka

Season 1 · Episode 111

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 • Duration 38:08

As long as people are able to cast their ballot, irrespective of the illiberalism, irrespective of all these other shortcomings, democracy, at least from a voting standpoint, has the capacity to surprise.

Neil Devotta

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

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

Neil DeVotta is professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University. His article "Sri Lanka's Agony" was published in this July's issue of Journal of Democracy.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:38
Overview of the Protests - 3:15
Protests After the Rajapaksas - 15:16
Background on the Rajapaksas - 24:58
Sri Lanka and Democracy - 30:31
Future of Sri Lanka - 34:11

Key Links

Learn more about Neil DeVotta

"Sri Lanka's Agony" by Neil DeVotta in the Journal of Democracy

"Sri Lanka: The Return to Ethnocracy" by Neil DeVotta in the Journal of Democracy

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Ashutosh Varshney on India. Democracy in Hard Places

Aynne Kokas on the Intersection Between Surveillance Capitalism and Chinese Sharp Power (or How Much Does the CCP Already Know About You?)

Season 1 · Episode 110

Tuesday, July 26, 2022 • Duration 43:58

The US consumer system is uniquely exploitative. US consumers are exploited by American companies, by French companies, by German companies, by Chinese companies, because there aren't laws protecting consumer data privacy that extend widely across the US consumer ecosystem. The main difference with Chinese companies is that the Chinese government has established an entire framework that pressures Chinese firms to share their data with Chinese government regulators.

Aynne Kokas

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

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

Aynne Kokas is an associate professor of media studies and the C.K. Yen Chair at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Her most recent book is Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty. Her article "How Beijing Runs the Show in Hollywood" was published in this April's issue of Journal of Democracy.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:50
Video Games as Social Media - 3:02
Chinese Brands in the US Tech Market - 11:34
Party Control of China's Tech Industry - 19:40
America's Lack of Tech Regulations - 28:36
The Big Picture - 37:03

Key Links

Learn more about Aynne Kokas

Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty by Aynne Kokas

Michael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in Ukraine

Season 1 · Episode 109

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 • Duration 34:27

There are a lot of people quietly who are deeply frustrated with this war. Every rich person in Russia with one or two exceptions are frustrated with this war. I think many of the so-called liberal technocratic elites in the government are frustrated with this war. Lots of regional leaders are frustrated with this war. It's not just the vocal opposition. I think there's a quiet minority and maybe even majority that is exhausted with what Putin has done.

Michael McFaul

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

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

Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, is professor of political science at Stanford University, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. His most recent book is From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia (2018). Robert Person is associate professor of international relations at the U.S. Military Academy, director of its international affairs curriculum, and faculty affiliate at its Modern War Institute. Their essay "What Putin Fears Most" was published as an online exclusive from the Journal of Democracy in February and was included in the April 2022 issue.

Key Highlights

Introduction 0:48
Personal Account from Michael McFaul 3:16
Putin's Objectives 7:44
What would Russia be like without Putin? 12:22
Challenges for democracy in Ukraine 20:10
Effectiveness of sanctions 24:15
Where is the Russian Revolution going? 27:11

Key Links

Learn more about Michael McFaul

"" by Robert Person and Michael McFaul in the

Scott Mainwaring on Argentina and a Final Reflection on Democracy in Hard Places

Season 1 · Episode 108

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 • Duration 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

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

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

edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud

Lucan Way on Ukraine. Democracy in Hard Places

Season 1 · Episode 107

Tuesday, July 5, 2022 • Duration 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

Democracy Paradox – Details, episodes & analysis

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Democracy Paradox – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

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Twitter74

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

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Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

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