What Democracy Looks Like In..‪.‬ Mary L

A special one-off episode covering the UK's July 4, 2024 General Election. Mary catches up with John, a guest from our first show on Democracy in the UK, to learn how ordinary people on the ground are feeling about the Conservative Party's massive defeat at the Polls.

We explain some basics about why this election was so significant, and find out whether it brings a feeling of hope or increases trust in the democratic system. Plus John and Mary discuss the difference between competence (actually getting stuff done that matters) versus made up culture wars (insulting our trans kids).

Aren't we all longing for some refreshingly boring competence in our democracy?



Democracy In... is a podcast that explores how democracy works and whether people trust it in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.

Find more resources, links, and data about the topics discussed in this episode, and info on the podcast series, at ⁠⁠⁠www.democracyinpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠!

In Part Two Piero describes how Italy has fought back against the corrupting influence of organized crime on politics. And computer scientist Federica adds her expertise to the electronic v. paper voting debate.

We also hear about traditional forms of cooperative and democratic organization in Italian society that continue despite the breakdown in trust in national-level politics. 

This is Part Two of two episodes on Italy. Part one should be available wherever you found this!

Democracy In... is a podcast that explores what democracy looks and feels like in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.

Find more resources, links, and data about the topics discussed in this episode, and info on the podcast series, at ⁠⁠www.democracyinpodcast.com⁠⁠!

In the wake of 2024's European Parliamentary Elections I interview Federica Bressan and Piero Q.P. Carlucci about democracy and voting in Italy.

In part one we talk about how everyday voters navigate elections, given Italy's infamously complicated system of coalition politics and proportional representation. And we get a fresh perspective on an question this podcast has never quite been able to answer: what makes a ceremonial President any different from a Monarch?

This is Part One of two episodes on Italy. The second half of this interview will follow shortly!

Democracy In... is a podcast that explores what democracy looks and feels like in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.

Find more resources, links, and data about the topics discussed in this episode, and info on the podcast series, at ⁠⁠⁠www.democracyinpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠!

In Part Two of my conversation with Kim and Zeno we talk gender, corruption, social media, and what South Korean voters think about their politicians engaging in hunger strikes. My guests help me understand political acts that might be misunderstood abroad. But also questions that maybe we should all be asking... such as, are angry young incels a threat to democracy everywhere?

This is Part Two of Two episodes on South Korea. Part one should be available wherever you found this!

Democracy In... is a podcast that explores what democracy looks and feels like in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.

Find out more about the topics discussed in this episode, and the podcast series, at www.democracyinpodcast.com!

Season Two kicks off with South Korea! My guests Kim and Zeno explain why every former president gets impeached, why compulsory conscription shapes the way voting is organized, and the pros and cons of a one-term Presidential limit.

Along the way they describe a curiously devious way to subvert a system that is meant to ensure smaller parties are represented in the National Assembly. Does South Korea have a two party system disguised as coalition politics?

This is Part One of Two episodes on South Korea. The second half of this interview will follow shortly!

Democracy In... is a podcast that explores what democracy looks and feels like in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.

Find out more about the topics discussed in this episode, and the podcast series, at www.democracyinpodcast.com!

Part 1 of 2 episodes exploring what Democracy looks like in India, with father & daughter guests Venkat and Vidhya. We talk about famous political dynasties, whether being a politician should be a full-time job, and how the "states rights" question plays out differently in India versus the U.S.
Democracy In... is a podcast that explores what democracy looks and feels like in different countries. In each episode I get the local's perspective on the good, the bad, and the frankly weird of different democratic systems around the world.
Find out more about the topics discussed in this episode, and the podcast series, at www.democracyinpodcast.com!