Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis Fear Autocracies Are Hijacking the International Order
There was an assumption that influence could only run one direction... but influence could run the other direction as well. Alexander Cooley...
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Democracy Paradox
The Democracy Paradox explores the diverse range of perspectives and insights about democracy through an interview format. Every week new scholars are invited to share their breakthrough res...
Episodes
20 of 237 episodesSuzanne Mettler Says the Rural-Urban Divide Threatens American Democracy
We barely disagree with each other, but we can't stand one another's party. Suzanne Mettler Suzanne Mettler is the John L. Senior Professor...
Rachel Beatty Riedl Says Economic Inequality Is Fueling Democratic Backsliding
I'm by nature optimistic, but am extremely worried because of the structural moment we live in. Rachel Beatty Riedl Political scientist Rach...
Kim Lane Scheppele on Hungary's Narrow Path Back to Democracy
You can only get to the point of restoring democratic institutions if you win the last election with such a huge majority that you really ha...
Jeffrey Kopstein Explains Why Polarization Turns Violent
The question is not whether polarization is dangerous, but the conditions under which it becomes violent. Jeffrey Kopstein Jeffrey Kopstein...
Pepper Culpepper Says Good Populism Can Save Democracy
We think the next ten years are going to be anti-billionaire. Pepper Culpepper Pepper Culpepper joins the Democracy Paradox to discuss when...
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 Slater Da...
Guillermo Trejo on Accountability, Impunity, and the Fate of New Democracies
What happens when the violent state forged under autocracy survives into democracy? Guillermo Trejo In this episode of The Democracy Paradox...
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 Roberts Kenneth Roberts is the Richard J. Sch...
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 Berman T...
Christopher Walker Revisits Sharp Power
Sharp power seeks to exploit the openness of free societies because their institutions are open. Christopher Walker Christopher Walker, a le...
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 Drochon Hugo Drochon join...
Milan Svolik Asks: Do Voters Really Support Democracy?
We are badly mismeasuring whether and how much people care about democracy. Milan Svolik In this episode of the Democracy Paradox , host Jus...
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 Pei In this episode of Democracy...
Erica Frantz says Personalist Parties are Democracy's Latest Threat
Traditional programmatic parties serve as a critical guardrail for democracy. Erica Frantz In this episode, Justin Kempf speaks with Erica F...
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 Sandoval In this episode...
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...
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, '...
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 Muirhea...
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 Schiu...