186 episodes
Democracy Paradox Democracy Paradox
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- Government
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4.7 • 57 Ratings
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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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Larry Diamond on the Ideas and Legacy of Seymour Martin Lipset
Seymour Martin Lipset is one of the most influential scholars of democratic thought. He is the author of the books Political Man, Continental Divide, and The Politics of Unreason. Some of his ideas include the link between economic development and democratization and cleavage theory.
Larry Diamond studied under Lipset as a student and collaborated with him throughout his career. Today Larry is among the most recognized voices among democracy scholars.
This episode explores the life and legacy of Seymour Martin Lipset through a conversation with Larry Diamond. Larry shares stories and memories. He also explains some of Lipset's key ideas and puts them into the context of his life and times.
This is a bonus episode exclusive to supporters on Patreon and premium subscribers on Apple Podcasts. -
Cole Bunzel on Wahhābism
The Jihadis today root themselves theologically and ideologically in a particular movement that is exclusivist, that is militant, that is activist, and that is the movement known as Wahhābism.
Cole Bunzel
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A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.
Cole Bunzel is a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the editor of the blog Jihadica. He is the author of the book Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement.
Key Highlights
Introduction - 0:33Relevance and Overview - 2:43Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab - 14:15Appeal to Adherents - 26:14Legacy - 36:16Key Links
Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement by Cole Bunzel
Read the Jihadica Blog
Learn more about Cole Bunzel
Democracy Paradox Podcast
Marsin Alshamary on Iraq’s Struggle for Democracy
Steven Simon on American Foreign Policy in the Middle East including Iran and the Wars in Iraq
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More Information
Democracy Group
Apes of the State created all Music
Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com
Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast
100 Books on Democracy
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Rodrigo Barrenechea on the Political Crisis in Peru
I think Peru is an extreme case of something that I think will become more common.
- Rodrigo Barrenechea
Rodrigo Barrenechea is an assistant professor of social sciences at the Universidad Católica del Uruguay and a Santo Domingo Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. He recently coauthored (with Alberto Vergara) the article "Peru: The Danger of Powerless Democracy" in the Journal of Democracy.
A transcript will be available tomorrow as a post exclusively for Patrons.
Bonus episode exclusive for donors on Patron and Apple Premium Subscribers. -
Daron Acemoglu on Technology and the Struggle for Shared Prosperity
If you have this model of AI, which is geniuses design machines and those machines or algorithms are going to scoop up all the data and they're going to make better decisions for you. That's fundamentally anti-democratic.
Daron Acemoglu
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Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.
Daron Acemoglu is the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at MIT. He is coauthor (with James A. Robinson) of The Narrow Corridor, Why Nations Fail, and The Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. His latest book (with Simon Johnson) is Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle over Technology and Prosperity.
Key Highlights
Introduction - 0:33Technology and Progress - 2:06Productivity - 14:01Artificial Intelligence - 24:42Shared Prosperity - 34:31Key Links
Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle over Technology and Prosperity by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
Learn more about Daron Acemoglu
Democracy Paradox Podcast
Jamie Susskind Explains How to Use Republican Ideals to Govern Technology
Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda
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More Information
Democracy Group
Apes of the State created all Music
Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com
Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast
100 Books on Democracy
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Michael Wuthrich on the Turkish Elections
Michael Wuthrich shares his thoughts on the recent elections and what it means for the future of democracy in Turkey. This conversation considers how authoritarian (or democratic) Turkey currently is and the challenges for the opposition to overcome to win elections in the current political environment.
Michael Wuthrich is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Kansas University and the Director of Center for Global & International Studies. He has studied and written extensively on Turkey and its politics.
This is a bonus episode available only for premium subscribers or supports at Patreon. -
Serhii Plokhy on the Russo-Ukrainian War
The fact that Ukraine can be a democracy.... presents a threat to the authoritarian regimes in Moscow and Minsk of the sort that NATO would never actually present.
Serhii Plokhy
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Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.
Serhii Plokhy is a Professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University and the Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. He’s written many books including The Gates of Europe, Nuclear Folly, and Atoms to Ashes. His most recent book is The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History.
Key Highlights
Introduction - 0:37Ukrainian Political Identity - 2:39Background on the War - 18:31Causes of the War - 26:22Nuclear Power in a War - 36:06Key Links
The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History by Serhii Plokhy
Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters by Serhii Plokhy
Learn more about the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute
Democracy Paradox Podcast
Olga Onuch and Henry Hale Describe the Zelensky Effect
Michael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in Ukraine
More Episodes from the Podcast
More Information
Democracy Group
Apes of the State created all Music
Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com
Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast
100 Books on Democracy
Support the show
Customer Reviews
Brilliant!
This is the perfect choice for anyone interested in learning more about the opportunities and challenges associated with democracy! Each episode is both informative and enjoyable.
It’s fine
Brings in good interviewees and conducts fine interviews. But the host has limited understanding of social science research, which was most on display in the rather shallow “democracy measures” discussion that did not touch on the basics of measurement validity.
Cogent, timely political science insights for all audiences
This is simply one of the best podcasts on the study of democracy, made accessible to all and in response to current affairs. One of my favorites. Highly recommended.