Democracy Paradox

Democracy Paradox

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.

  1. 1 day ago

    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 joins the Democracy Paradox to discuss when polarization turns violent. Drawing on his Journal of Democracy essay “When Polarization Turns Violent” and his book with Stephen Hanson, The Assault on the State, Kopstein explains why affective polarization, struggles over belonging, and the weakening or politicization of state authority can create the conditions for organized political violence. The conversation ranges from Charlottesville to lynching in the American South, pogroms in Eastern Europe, communal violence in India, and the rise of patrimonial leaders who treat the state as personal property rather than an impersonal rule-of-law institution. 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 - 0:20From Disagreement to Hate - 2:55Who Owns the Polity? - 13:51When the State Steps Aside - 26:32The Assault on the State - 36:10Links: Learn more about Jeffrey Kopstein. Read his Journal of Democracy article "When Polarization Turns Violent.” Learn more about his co-authored book The Assault on the State. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    46 min

  2. 24 Jun

    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 populism can strengthen democracy. Drawing on his Journal of Democracy article “When Populism Can Be Good” and his book with Taeku Lee, Billionaire Backlash, Culpepper argues that corporate scandals can channel public anger toward billionaires and large corporations in ways that reinforce democratic accountability. The conversation explores good and bad populism, economic unfairness, AI, regulation, and whether democratic governments can still stand up to concentrated corporate power. 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 - 0:20Good Populism - 3:05Latent Opinion - 12:33The Next Progressive Era - 20:42Regulation vs. Abundance - 35:48Links Learn more about Pepper Culpepper. Learn more about his Journal of Democracy article “When Populism Can Be Good.” Learn more about his book Billionaire Backlash: The Age of Corporate Scandal and How It Could Save Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2026). Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    49 min

  3. 10 Jun

    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 Dan Slater is the James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Center of Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. He is the coauthor (with Joseph Wong) of the book From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. More recently, he authored the article "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave" in the Journal of Democracy.  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 - 0:20Why Scholars Stopped Taking Ideology Seriously - 3:02The Difference Between Authoritarian Left and Right - 5:31Why the Third Wave Narrative Gets the History Wrong - 20:45Can Democracy Survive Ideological Extremes - 33:43Links Learn more about Dan Slater. Read his article in the Journal of Democracy, "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave." Learn more about the Center for Emerging Democracies. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    47 min

  4. 27 May

    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, Kellogg faculty fellow Guillermo Trejo discusses his new book, Accountability Shock, coauthored with Lucía Tiscornia and Juan Albarracín. Trejo explains how authoritarian security forces can survive democratic transitions and fuel organized crime, and why truth commissions, prosecutions, and institutional reforms are essential tools for preventing violence and building more durable democracies. 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 - 0:20What Is the State? - 3:23From Order to Crime - 9:12The Accountability Shock - 19:10Beyond Elections - 37:20Links Learn more about Guillermo Trejo. Learn more about his book Accountability Shock: Why Transitional Justice Prevents Criminal Wars in New Democracies (Cambridge University Press, 2026) Learn more about the Notre Dame Violence and Transitional Justice Lab. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    58 min

  5. 13 May

    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. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University. He is the coauthor (with Santiago Anria) of Polarization and Democracy in Latin America: Legacies of the Left Turn. 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 - 0:20The Origins of the Left Turn - 3:21Polarization and Its Discontents - 13:18The Autocratic Temptation - 21:40Populism and the Left's Democratic Reckoning - 37:24 Links Learn more about Kenneth Roberts Read his book Polarization and Democracy in Latin America: Legacies of the Left Turn Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    47 min

  6. 29 Apr

    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 This episode features a conversation with political scientist Sheri Berman on why today’s global "democratic recession" was actually predictable. Drawing from her deep historical research, Berman argues that every democratic wave eventually faces an "undertow," especially when the social and economic foundations of stability begin to fail. From the cautionary lessons of Weimar Germany to the modern rise of partisan "bubbles," this episode explores what we have forgotten about democratic stability and what it will take to secure its future.  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 - 0:20What We Forgot About Democracy - 3:39The Social Foundations of Democracy - 13:55Inequality, Insecurity, and Policy - 28:16Universities, Cruise Control, and the Purpose of Democracy - 40:55Links Learn more about Sheri Berman. Read her article "Democracy's Troubles Should Be No Surprise" in the Journal of Democracy. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    51 min

  7. 15 Apr

    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 leading expert on authoritarian influence, returns to the origins of the concept of "sharp power," a term he helped develop to distinguish coercive and manipulative forms of influence from Joseph Nye’s idea of soft power. While soft power relies on attraction and persuasion, Walker explains that sharp power instead works by penetrating democratic institutions, restricting debate, and shaping narratives in ways that undermine openness. The conversation situates this concept within a broader shift in global politics, where expectations of democratic expansion after the Cold War have given way to a more contested and authoritarian-influenced world. 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 - 0:20The Origins of Sharp Power - 2:51How Sharp Power Works - 11:29Do Democracies Use Sharp Power? 21:15Sharp Power in the Current Geopolitical Moment - 30:32Links Learn more about Christopher Walker. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    45 min

  8. 1 Apr

    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 joins The Democracy Paradox to explore why elites are an unavoidable part of democracy – and why that may not be a bad thing. Drawing on classical elite theory, he explains how democratic systems depend on the constant circulation of competing elites and why outsider movements, including populism, can play a vital role in keeping democracy responsive. The conversation challenges conventional views by reframing democracy as an ongoing, dynamic struggle rather than a fixed set of institutions. Hugo Drochon is an Associate Professor in Political Theory at the University of Nottingham and the author of a new book titled Elites and Democracy.  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 - 0:20Nobody Wants to be an Elite - 3:52Lions, Foxes, and the Circulation of Elites - 15:34Is Populism a Threat to Democracy? - 31:37The Role of Ordinary Citizens - 41:12Links Learn more about Hugo Drochon. Learn more about his upcoming book Elites and Democracy (Princeton University Press) Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame. Apes of the State created all Music Email comments or questions to jkempf@democracyparadox.com Support the show

    48 min
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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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