Past Present Future Political Conversions: Switching Sides in the 21st Century
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Apr 5, 2026 
David Klemperer, political historian who studies ideological change, explores how and why people switch political sides today. He discusses whether we live in a post-ideological age and how new labels form. Conversations cover social media’s role in speeding visible conversions, global democracy versus oligarchy tensions, and how single issues and networks trigger wholesale shifts.
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New Ideologies Replace Old Ones
- The 21st century is not post-ideological but hosts new ideologies, notably right-wing populism and post-liberalism, which reshape conversions today.
- Klemperer cites figures like Bill Kristol who shifted because they rejected Trump-era populism.
Global Contest Between Democracy And Oligarchy
- Contemporary ideological conflict increasingly maps onto a global contest: egalitarian democracy versus nationalist oligarchy.
- Klemperer argues states and strategies (e.g., U.S. security policy) reflect and export these competing visions.
China Inspires Practical Admiration Not Ideological Conversion
- China prompts conversion-by-impression: visitors admire its material modernity and decisiveness without becoming ideological fellow-travelers.
- Runciman notes many return starry-eyed about infrastructure and governance but not as CCP converts.