Democracy Paradox
Justin Kempf
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About This Podcast
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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Recent Episodes
S2E20 Dan Slater Says Authoritarian Ideologies Still Matter
We think of World War II as this global democratizing event, but what it really did was strengthen left-wing authoritarianism.Dan SlaterDan Slater is the James Orin Murfin Professor of Political…
S2E19 Guillermo Trejo on Accountability, Impunity, and the Fate of New Democracies
What happens when the violent state forged under autocracy survives into democracy?Guillermo TrejoIn this episode of The Democracy Paradox, Kellogg faculty fellow Guillermo Trejo discusses his new…
S2E18 Kenneth Roberts Says the Left Pays a Steep Price for Breaking with Democracy
The left pays a very steep price when they break with democratic norms and procedures.Kenneth RobertsKenneth Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University. He is…
S2E17 Sheri Berman Says the Democratic Recession Was Not a Surprise
If democracy wants to regain the upper hand, it has to not only do a better job than the other guys, but in fact, a good job.Sheri BermanThis episode features a conversation with political scientist…
S2E16 Christopher Walker Revisits Sharp Power
Sharp power seeks to exploit the openness of free societies because their institutions are open.Christopher WalkerChristopher Walker, a leading expert on authoritarian influence, returns to the…
S2E15 Hugo Drochon Says Elites Are Inevitable
I don't think populism is necessarily a challenge to democracy. I think it's part and parcel of it.Hugo DrochonHugo Drochon joins The Democracy Paradox to explore why elites are an unavoidable part…
S2E14 Milan Svolik Asks: Do Voters Really Support Democracy?
We are badly mismeasuring whether and how much people care about democracy.Milan SvolikIn this episode of the Democracy Paradox, host Justin Kempf speaks with political scientist Milan Svolik, the…
S2E13 Minxin Pei Warns China Has Descended into Totalitarianism
The paradox of dictatorship is that dictatorships do well when they do not have a genuine dictator.Minxin PeiIn this episode of Democracy Paradox, Justin Kempf speaks with China scholar Minxin Pei…
S2E12 Erica Frantz says Personalist Parties are Democracy's Latest Threat
Traditional programmatic parties serve as a critical guardrail for democracy. Erica FrantzIn this episode, Justin Kempf speaks with Erica Frantz about her book The Origins of Elected Strongmen and…
S2E11 Javier Pérez Sandoval Reveals Democracy’s Hidden Vulnerability: The Hollowing of the State
By dismantling certain capacities today, you're making the democratic choices of tomorrow harder.Javier Pérez SandovalIn this episode, Javier Pérez Sandoval discusses his Journal of Democracy essay,…
S2E10 Kate Baldwin Explains Why Christianity Fights for Democracy in Africa
The group of people who have an interest in defending liberal democracy might be broader than many academics, and maybe even liberals, would have shown.Kate BaldwinThis episode features Yale…
S2E9 Natalie Wenzell Letsa Describes the Autocratic Voter
You can take a cognitive bias so far down the road that you can live in an objectively very clear dictatorship and sit there and say, 'I live in a democracy.'Natalie Wenzell LetsaIn this episode of…
S2E8 Russell Muirhead Warns Ungoverning Threatens Democracy
The heart of ungoverning is going after expertise - eradicating expertise - and replacing it with the power of the great ruler.Russ MuirheadRussell Muirhead is the Robert Clements Professor of…
S2E7 Luis Schiumerini on Incumbency Bias
Decreasing incumbent capacity and affective polarization are making incumbency salient, but also more of a curse than a blessing.Luis SchiumeriniIn this episode of The Democracy Paradox, host Justin…
S2E6 Adam Przeworski Asks Who Decides What is Democratic
The biggest disappointment is that democracies do not reduce social and economic inequality.Adam PrzeworskiIn this episode, host Justin Kempf talks with political scientist Adam Przeworski about what…
S2E5 Killian Clarke Warns Counterrevolution is a Threat to Nascent Democracies
For democratic revolutions to survive counterrevolution, they have to make certain choices that can undermine the quality of their democracy.Killian ClarkePolitical scientist Killian Clarke joins The…
S2E4 Amel Ahmed Says the Regime Question Has Returned
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 AhmedThis episode begins with host Justin Kempf…
S2E3 Tom Carothers Says We Misunderstand Democratic Backsliding
After an introductory conversation with Kellogg Faculty Fellow Marc Jacob, Democracy Paradox host Justin Kempf explores the dynamics of global democracy with renowned expert Thomas Carothers.…
S2E2 Javier Corrales on Intentional Polarization
Javier Corrales, professor of political science at Amherst College, discusses his recent research on democratic backsliding and intentional polarization. The discussion explores how leaders employ…
S2E1 Susan Stokes on Democratic Backsliders
In this episode, Justin interviews Susan Stokes, the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Director of the Chicago Center…
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Democracy Paradox has published 231 episodes since June 2020, covering topics in Government, News.
Democracy Paradox is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 48m.
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