Democracy Paradox

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Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.

Learn more about Jason Brownlee

Jason Brownlee Believes We Underestimate Democratic Resilience Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

71% of Americans are concerned about democracy. And apparently that number, roughly 71%, holds for both parties. So, if listeners are concerned about democracy, they can expect that there's someone from the other party who's also concerned about democracy from a different perspective.

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

Jason Brownlee is a professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Along with Kenny Miao, he is the author of "Why Democracies Survive" and "A Quiet Consensus" in the Journal of Democracy.
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:41
Democratic Decline and Resiliency - 3:40
National Income or Wealth and Democracy - 13:49
Democratic Backsliding - 21:53
More than Minimal Democracy - 32:02

Key Links

"Why Democracies Survive" by Jason Brownlee and Kenny Miao in the recent Journal of Democracy

"A Quiet Consensus" by Jason Brownlee and Kenny Miao in the recent Journal of Democracy

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Michael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)

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

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Learn more about Allie Funk

Allie Funk of Freedom House Assesses Global Internet Freedom Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

The Internet's a battle space. I think this year unfortunately we've seen that more than ever with Russia's brazen invasion of Ukraine about how the internet and digital platforms are used to pursue authoritarian ends or to promote democracy and freedom and help people stay safe during armed conflict.

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

Allie Funk is the Research Director for Technology and Democracy at Freedom House. She was deeply involved in this year's Freedom on the Net report and coauthored the executive summary "Countering an Authoritarian Overhaul of the Internet" along with Adrian Shahbaz and Kian Vesteinsson.
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:42
The Importance of Internet Freedom - 2:42
Where Internet Freedom Improved - 6:34
Internet Freedom in the China - 18:25
Internet Freedom as Transnational - 25:11

Key Links

Freedom on the Net 2022: Countering an Authoritarian Overhaul of the Internetby Adrian Shahbaz, Allie Funk, and Kian Vesteinsson

Follow Allie Funk on Twitter @alfunk

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Sarah Cook on China’s Expanding Global Media Influence

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

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Lynn Vavreck on the 2020 Election and the Challenge to American Democracy

Jeremi Suri on America's Unfinished Fight for Democracy Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Our democracy is an evolving machine. The machine was built by a small group of people who were all men and looked the same. Over time the strength of American society is that it has grown and become more diverse and become very different. Our democracy has in an inefficient, episodic way been able to adjust and been able to at least account for some of that. But it hasn't done that in about a generation, and it's long time we do that.

Jeremi Suri
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Order Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracyby Jeremi Suri
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He cohosts the podcast This is Democracy with his son Zachary. His latest book is Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy.
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:50
Reconstruction and American Democracy - 3:21
Contradictions in American Reconstruction - 15:25
How Reconstruction Era Issues Shape Democracy Today - 23:25
Democracy and Political Reform - 32:18

Key Links

This is Democracy a podcast from Jeremi and Zachary Suri

Follow Jeremi Suri on Twitter @JeremiSuri

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

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Frank Dikötter on the History of China After Mao Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

This is a party absolutely determined to maintain a monopoly of power and absolutely determined to crush any attempt by any group to suggest that there ought to be anything like separation of powers. No labor unions. No civil society. No freedom of press. No judicial independence. The mere suggestion of it seems to be so offensive that people end up in jail and that’s a constant theme that runs throughout this entire period.

Frank Dikötter
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Order China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower by Frank Dikötter (Available in the UK now. Available in the US November 15th, 2022.)
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.

Frank Dikötter is the author of three books about China under Mao called the People’s Trilogy. He is currently the Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong. His latest book is China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower.
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:52
Life in China After Mao - 3:06
How much did China Reform After Mao - 13:20
What do the Chinese People Want from Reform - 25:38
Is Political Reform Necessary for Deeper Economic Reforms - 29:33
Why is China's Reform Overstated - 36:18

Key Links
Learn more about Frank Dikötter at Wikipedia
The People's Trilogyby Frank Dikötter
Democracy Paradox Podcast
Sarah Cook on China’s Expanding Global Media Influence
Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way on the Durable Authoritarianism of Revolutionary Regimes
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Apes of the State created all Music
Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com
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100 Books on Democracy
Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.

Check out Larry Diamond's Greatest Hits at the Journal of Democracy

Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

The world can't wait for us to counter Russian and Chinese disinformation, support democratic struggles abroad, help to stabilize and improve democratic institutions, forge partnerships between our democratic organizations and actors and parties and theirs, and otherwise promote democracy around the world. The world can't wait for us to do that.

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

Larry Diamond is widely considered the leading scholar of democracy. He is a professor at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was a co-founder of the Journal of Democracy with Marc Plattner in 1990. His influence on the thought and practice of democracy is incalculable. His recent article in Foreign Affairs is titled "All Democracy is Global."

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:49
Importance of Democracy - 2:34
Strategies to Promote Democracy - 11:30
American Policies - 19:59
Using Democracy's Strengths - 30:32

Key Links

Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency by Larry Diamond

Follow Larry Diamond on Twitter @LarryDiamond

"All Democracy is Global" by Larry Diamond

Democracy Paradox Podcast

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

Moisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political Power

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Robert Lieberman, Kenneth Roberts, and David Bateman on Democratic Resilience and Political Polarization in the United States

Lynn Vavreck on the 2020 Election and the Challenge to American Democracy Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

The people who win get to enact policy and they get to change the world we live in. But we're at this moment where the candidates who lose, if they think that they don't have to abide by election outcomes, that's very important and that affects the kind of world we live in.

Lynn Vavreck

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

OrderThe Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy by Chris Tausanovitch, John Sides, and Lynn Vavreck

Lynn Vavreck is the Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics and Public Policy at UCLA. She’s a contributor for The Upshot at The New York Times. She recently coauthored (with John Sides and Chris Tausanovitch) The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:39
Lessons from 2016 - 3:05
Political Calcification - 14:31
Why Did the Democrats Nominate Joe Biden? - 18:51
Forecasting the 2020 Election - 25:52
Implications for American Democracy - 29:39

Key Links

Follow Lynn Vavreck on Twitter @vavreck

Learn more about Lynn Vavreck

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

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

Sarah Cook on China's Expanding Global Media Influence Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

In country after country - we've counted over 130 news outlets of 30 countries that were republishing content that was produced by Chinese state media outlets or the Chinese embassy. So, these state media outlets are actually formally under the control of the Communist Party's propaganda department.
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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.
Sarah Cook is the Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House. She also directs their China Media Bulletin and authored the executive summary of this latest report, "Beijing's Global Media Influence 2022: Authoritarian Expansion and the Power of Democratic Resilience."
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:38
China and its Media Influence - 2:58
Chinese Influence Tactics - 12:48
The Effectiveness of Chinese Influence - 18:30
Resiliency of Democracies - 27:47

Key Links

Read the report "Beijing's Global Media Influence 2022: Authoritarian Expansion and the Power of Democratic Resilience"

Follow Sarah Cook on Twitter @Sarah_G_Cook

Follow Freedom House on Twitter @freedomhouse

Democracy Paradox Podcast

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

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Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com

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

Constitution Makers on Constitution Making: Hassen Ebrahim on South Africa's Constitution Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Back then as a child, when it was normal that we couldn't ride on all buses and sit on all park benches and be allowed to go and watch a movie in a cinema together. Today, our children simply don't know that we had those experiences. But in it lies the wonders of the successes of what we have achieved. And if we managed to change that, then I think we have the ability to change from where we are currently into the future.

Hassen Ebrahim

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

Hassen Ebrahim was Executive Director of the Constitutional Assembly of South Africa, and is an advisor on constitution building. He participated in the construction of South Africa's constitution. He is the author of the chapter "Decisions, Deadlocks and Deadlines in Making South Africa’s Constitution" in the forthcoming book Constitution Makers on Constitution Making.

Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:50
Meaning of a Constitution - 2:54
Hassen's Political Journey - 10:07
Constitutional Process - 20:22
Unifying Event - 29:15
Areas of Disagreement - 36:48
Future of South Africa's Democracy - 46:18

Key Links

Read the Constitution of South Africa

Constitution Makers on Constitution Making: New Cases edited by Tom Ginsburg and Sumit Bisarya

Democracy Paradox Podcast

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

Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions

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Simon Usherwood
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Order The Nested Games of Brexit here.

Simon Usherwood on Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and the Nested Games of British Politics Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

Politics requires complex and ongoing engagement by all of us. There are lots of elements that hang together. The Brexit process has really highlighted that whatever we decide to do that has knock-on consequences and those knock-on consequences have knock-on consequences of their own which might come back and affect our original decision. Everything is connected and we are never going to have something that's going to make everybody happy.

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

Simon Usherwood is a Professor of Politics & International Studies at the Open University, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Surrey's Centre for Britain & Europe and a National Teaching Fellow. Simon coauthored (along with John Pindar) The European Union: A Very Short Introduction. He recently coedited (along with Agnès Alexandre-Collier and Pauline Schnapper) The Nested Games of Brexit.
Key Highlights

Introduction - 0:48
The Rise of Boris Johnson - 3:44
Why Boris Johnson Resigned - 16:40
What are Nested Games - 23:48
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - 31:55
What Have we Learned about Democracy? 40:23

Key Links

European Union: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by John Pindar and Simon Usherwood

Learn more about Simon Usherwood

Follow Simon Usherwood on Twitter @Usherwood

Democracy Paradox Podcast

Amory Gethin on Political Cleavages, Inequality, and Party Systems in 50 Democracies

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

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