Rethinking Democracy – Details, episodes & analysis

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Rethinking Democracy

Middle East Institute

Government

Frequency: 1 episode/21d. Total Eps: 27

This is a critical time for the future of democracy as citizens in America and across the globe are losing faith in democratic institutions. We often view the rollback of democracy and threats to the liberal international order as separate problems, but in reality they are closely interlinked. In this podcast series, MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol examines the interplay between democracy's domestic and international foes as well as how to counter them.

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From Ballots to Bargains: The Struggle for Iraqi Democracy

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • Duration 33:19

Iraqis have just gone to the polls in a pivotal parliamentary election that could redefine the country's political trajectory. What do the results tell us about the state of Iraqi democracy? What happens next? And is there still space for meaningful democratic reform? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, Gonul Tol speaks with Renad Mansour, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House and Director of the Iraq Initiative, to unpack the election's aftermath, Iraq's deeply fragmented political landscape, and the entrenched system of corruption, elite bargaining, and ethno-sectarian power sharing.

Recorded November 14, 2025

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From Protest to War: How October 7 Reshaped Israeli Democracy

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 47:01

For years, Israeli populist politicians have chipped away at the country's democratic guardrails. But the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 accelerated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's drive to consolidate power. The kind of societal pushback that once blocked his efforts to expand executive authority is now under severe strain. Israel's multi-front conflict with Iran, Hamas, and other Iranian proxies has blunted protest movements and sidelined those who once filled the streets in defense of democracy. Defending checks and balances has been eclipsed by wartime priorities. Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and fellow at Century International, and author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel: Promise Unfulfilled, joins host Gönül Tol to discuss how the October 7 attacks have transformed Israel's political landscape, and what the future may hold for its democracy.

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Can Ukraine's Fight for Democracy Survive Without US Support?

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 • Duration 54:56

Ukraine faces a pivotal year in its fight against Russian aggression — and for its democratic future. With fears mounting that President Trump could abandon peace talks with Kyiv and Moscow, the risk grows that US disengagement could tip the balance toward Russia and fracture the global democratic order.

Is Ukraine's resistance a last stand for democratic values in Europe? How should the democratic world respond as political will in Washington fades? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, host Gönül Tol is joined by Ivan Krastev, permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, and Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, to explore what Ukraine's struggle reveals about the resilience — and fragility — of democracy worldwide.

Episode recorded April 16, 2025.

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The Protests and Political Crisis Shaping Turkey's Democratic Future

Season 1 · Episode 7

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 • Duration 56:45

Turkey has plunged into turmoil after authorities arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, President Erdoğan's strongest opponent, on charges of corruption. Mass protests, the largest in over a decade, have erupted nationwide after İmamoğlu was removed from office and jailed just hours before the opposition was set to declare him its presidential candidate.

Political scientists warn this is a defining moment for the future of democracy in the country. Is it indeed a turning point? How did we get here and where do we go next? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, experts break down Turkey's latest turmoil and what it means for the country's democratic future and democracy worldwide.

Dr. Karabekir Akkoyunlu, research associate at the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS University of London, and Dr. Senem Aydın Düzgit, professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabancı University in Istanbul, join host Gönül Tol to explore the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead for Turkey.

Episode recorded March 28, 2025

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Shariah, Democracy, and the Future of Governance in Syria

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 • Duration 55:01

For the first time in decades, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed Islamist group with former ties to al-Qaeda, has left Syria in uncharted territory. Its de facto leader, Ahmed Al Shaara, has pledged a vision of a pluralistic Syria governed by civil institutions rather than dictatorship or ideology.

But can Syria's new rulers deliver on that promise? Will this moment mark the beginning of an inclusive, secular democracy, or will Islamist rule take hold? And can Syria's fractured society—divided by years of war and sectarian tensions—unite around a new national identity?

Dr. Olivier Roy, Professor of Political Science at the European University Institute, and Ziad Majed, Professor of International Relations at the American University of Paris, join host Gonul Tol to explore the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead for Syria.

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Impact of Donald Trump's Election on American Democracy and the World with Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Larry Diamond

Season 1 · Episode 5

Thursday, December 5, 2024 • Duration 48:54

Last month, the US electorate voted President-Elect Donald Trump back into the White House. His victory was seen by some experts as part of a global trend and a move towards anti-incumbency attitudes and populism.

How will Trump's rhetoric impact the United States domestically and internationally? Will he govern as a strongman during his second term? What can we expect to be different from his first term?

Dr. Larry Diamond, Mosbacher Senior Fellow of Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and author of Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University and author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, join host Gonul Tol to discuss Trump's election.

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The US Role in Democracy Promotion: Continuity or Collapse?

Monday, October 20, 2025 • Duration 40:25

For much of the past eighty years, the United States has seen itself — and often acted — as a global champion of democracy. Through the power of example, and through its diplomacy, security alliances, and aid programs, Washington has sought to strengthen democratic institutions and push back against authoritarianism.

The record, of course, has never been perfect. The US has at times backed autocratic leaders in pursuit of strategic or economic gain. But overall, it has been a net force for democracy worldwide.

Today, that legacy is in question. A new administration is challenging democratic norms at home while dismantling the very tools once used to support democracy abroad.

Thomas Carothers, director of the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins the program to look at how the Trump administration is reshaping global democracy — and what scholars and analysts should be watching to understand the full impact of Trump's policies on democratic trends around the world.

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Can Lebanese Democracy Be Saved?

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 • Duration 53:27

Once hailed as a rare democracy in the Middle East, Lebanon has now slipped into the ranks of closed autocracies. Decades of corruption, sectarian rule, and foreign meddling have left the country reeling — and the past year brought assassinations, mass displacement, and Israel's full-scale war against Hezbollah in the south. With its economy in free fall and its political system on life support, Lebanon stands at a crossroads: could shifts in regional power, efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and a change in leadership pave the way for recovery, or will instability deepen?

Featured Guests:

Randa Slim
Senior Non-resident Fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced and International Studies (SAIS) Foreign Policy Institute

Ayman Mahanna
Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation (SKF)

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Markets, Mayors, and Crackdowns: Erdoğan's High-Stakes Gamble

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 • Duration 01:02:29

Turkey's main opposition, the CHP, is facing its toughest test yet: mass arrests, sham court rulings, and the ouster of key leaders—including Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan's chief rival. With trials looming that could replace CHP leadership with government loyalists, the party warns of a legal 'coup.' What does this crackdown mean for Turkey's fragile economy, its 2028 elections, and the future of democracy itself? We break it down in this episode of Rethinking Democracy with featured guests Selva Demiralp, Professor of Economics at Koç University, and Seda Demiralp, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at Işık University.

Recorded September 8, 2025

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Iran at a Crossroads: War, Survival, and the Future of the Islamic Republic

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 • Duration 58:37

Could this be the beginning of a new chapter for Iran's foreign policy—and for its pro-democracy movement?

Gönül Tol speaks with Dr. Vali Nasr, one of the world's leading experts on the Middle East, to unpack the aftermath of the 12-Day War. Together, they examine the war's domestic and regional fallout, the resilience of Iran's regime under fire, and the shifting public sentiment that may shape the country's political future. Does survival alone count as success for Tehran? And what becomes of protest movements and democratic aspirations when a nation is consumed by existential external threats?

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Rethinking Democracy – Details, episodes & analysis

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Rethinking Democracy – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Amazon2

Other1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Amazon2

Other1