Democracy Paradox

It's still shocking to me to read a lot of these documents and interviews in, The Afghanistan Papers, things that most people would think are obvious. What's the plan to end the war? What benchmarks do we have to achieve so that we know we can leave? You know, none of those things were thought out or articulated.Craig WhitlockA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter at The Washington Post and the author of The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War.Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key HighlightsWhen did the War in Afghanistan Go WrongThe Lies and Deception in Communications on the WarDifferences in the Approach to the War Between Bush and ObamaFailures to Provide a Long-Term Political SolutionLessons for Involvement in Ukraine and Beyond Key LinksThe Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War by Craig WhitlockAfghanistan Papers Document Database at The Washington Post"At War With Truth" by Craig WhitlockDemocracy Paradox PodcastJennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili on Afghanistan, Local Institutions, and Self-GovernanceKaren Greenberg on the War on Terror, Donald Trump, and American DemocracyMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

I have worked on voting issues for 35 years, for same-day registration and for opening up the process to younger people and preregistration, and, you know, nevertheless 35 years later we're still at 60 and 65%. 2020 was the highest turnout election ever and it was at 66%. So, I started to think what is it that could really, really move the needle and change the game.Miles RapoportA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting  here.Miles Rapoport is also the Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. He formerly served as secretary of the state of Connecticut.  He is the coauthor of the book 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting with E.J. Dionne.Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key HighlightsWhat is Civic Duty Voting?Why Should We Require Citizens to Vote?Is Voting a Right or a Duty?Australia's System of Civic Duty VotingHow Would it Change How Citizens Think About Themselves?Key Links100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting by Miles Rapoport and E.J. DionneLearn about Miles Rapoport at Harvard UniversityLift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting Democracy Paradox PodcastShari Davis Elevates Participatory BudgetingLee Drutman Makes the Case for Multiparty Democracy in AmericaMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Russia... will lose ground here in the region over the next decade and China will fill it, because the Europeans are not doing it. The United States is not doing it. Iran is not doing it and Turkey cannot do it either.Anja MihrA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region  here.Anja Mihr is an associate professor of Political Science at the OSCE Academy at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the founder and program director of the Center on Governance through Human Rights at the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform (gGmbH) in Berlin. Recently, she edited the volume Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region.Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key HighlightsHow do Central Asian countries feel about Russia's invasion of Ukraine?Differences and similarities between Central Asian nationsWhy has China become so influential in the region?Sadyr Japarov and his rise to powerWhat is Glocalism?Key LinksBetween Peace and Conflict in the East and the West: Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region  edited by Anja MihrLearn more about Anja MihrFollow Anja Mihr on Twitter @AnjaMihrDemocracy Paradox PodcastJennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili on Afghanistan, Local Institutions, and Self-GovernanceTimothy Frye Says Putin is a Weak StrongmanMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

But what we have now is something that has not been sufficiently discussed, sufficiently understood, which is a criminalized state of which Russia is an example, in the Balkans we have some examples, in Latin America Venezuela stands out as an example. And that is essentially that the state becomes an organized criminal organization. An organization that essentially uses the structure, strategies, tactics, modalities of organized crime.Moisés NaímA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century  here.Moisés Naím is a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an internationally syndicated columnist. He served as editor in chief of Foreign Policy, as Venezuela's trade minister, and as executive director of the World Bank. He is the author of The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn't What It Used to Be and most recently, The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century.Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key HighlightsHow 3P Autocrats Use Polarization, Populism, and Post-Truth to Consolidate PowerWhy Do People Elect AutocratsNaím's Personal Evolution in his Ideas on PowerThe Rise of the Criminal StateNaím discusses Putin, Russia, and the War in UkraineKey LinksThe Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century by Moisés NaímLearn more about Moisés NaímFollow Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili on Twitter @MoisesNaimDemocracy Paradox PodcastSarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the WorldCaitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic Movements and Personalistic LeadersMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

It wasn't because Afghan social norms don’t support democracy. They do. And Afghans understood darn well what they were supposed to have. But they never even got the minimum of what they were promised in the constitution.Jennifer Brick MurtazashviliA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan  here.Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili are associate professors at the University of Pittsburgh and the authors of the recent book Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan. Jen is also the founding director and Ilia is an associate director of the Center for Governance and Markets.Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key HighlightsDescription of the role of shuras, maliks, and mullahs in local governanceHow property rights help explain local governanceWhy has the state always been ineffective in AfghanistanA little history on AfghanistanAre local, self-governing institutions in Afghanistan democratic?Key LinksLand, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan by Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili and Ilia MurtazashviliLearn more about the Center for Governance and MarketsFollow Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili on Twitter @jmurtazashviliFollow Ilia Murtazashvili on Twitter @IMurtazashviliDemocracy Paradox PodcastDavid Stasavage on Early Democracy and its DeclineDonald F. Kettl on FederalismMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

You can't protect basic human rights if you don't have democracy. If you're going to protect basic human rights, you need to have things like credible institutions that hold abusers to account. You need to have opportunities for the least advantaged in a society. The people whose rights are most at risk to be able to choose their leaders and choose leaders who will represent them and serve their interests. You need leaders that serve for the common good, not for their own personal gain.Sarah RepucciA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule  here.Sarah Repucci is the Vice President of Research and Analysis at Freedom House. She coauthored (along with Amy Slipowitz) Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule.Key HighlightsGlobal freedom has declined for 16 consecutive yearsHow Russia's invasion of Ukraine is part of a broader expansion of authoritarianismMyanmar and other countries with major declines in freedomBright spots like Ecuador and PeruHow we can support democracy in the worldSupport Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key LinksFreedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule by Sarah Repucci and Amy SlipowitzLearn more about Freedom HouseFollow Freedom House on Twitter @freedomhouseDemocracy Paradox PodcastFreedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the WorldStephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman on Democratic BackslidingMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

If you're actually a real person and you're living your life and you're going into stores and you're riding on a bus or your kids are going to school, what matters is that you be treated with respect. That you have a dignity. And that, I think, at every point that matters most to us is what the book has wound up being about. It’s an essay on respect as a condition of a liberal democracy.Paul SnidermanA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos  here.Elisabeth Ivarsflaten is a professor of political science and scientific director of the Digital Social Science Core Facility at the University of Bergen, Norway. Paul Sniderman is the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr., Professor of Public Policy at Stanford University. They are the authors of The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos.Key HighlightsWestern societies show greater openness towards Muslim immigrants than previously recognizedWhere are there opportunities for real inclusion for Muslim immigrantsHow innovative research designs led to unexpected resultsThe difference between recognition respect and appraisal respectThe limits to inclusion for liberal societies that remain todaySupport Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key LinksThe Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Minorities and the Democratic Ethos by Elisabeth Ivarsflaten and Paul SnidermanLearn more about the Digital Social Science Core Facility including The Norwegian Citizen PanelLearn more about Paul SnidermanDemocracy Paradox PodcastSara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic ThreatsMike Hoffman on How Religious Identities Influence Support for or Opposition to DemocracyMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

You treat votes as equal. My vote is equal to your vote. But the state treats our bodies as unequal. That logically makes no sense and it is farcical to call it a democracy in the first place. Forget what implications this will have for democracy in the long-term, but to be called a democracy and to have your bodies treated differently is a farce in itself.Debasish Roy ChowdhuryA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism  here.Deb Chowdhry is a journalist who has published in Time, South China Morning Post, and Washington Times. John Keane is a Professor of Politics at the University of Sydney. They are the authors of the recent book To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism.Key HighlightsWho is Mamata Banerjee?How does political violence undermine democracy?How does the failure to tackle social problems affect democracy?Why is Indian democracy in decline?What does India's experience teach other democracies?Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key LinksTo Kill A Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism by Debasish Roy Chowdhury and John KeaneLearn more about Debasish Roy ChowdhuryLearn more about John KeaneDemocracy Paradox PodcastBilal Baloch on Indira Gandhi, India’s Emergency, and the Importance of Ideas in PoliticsChristophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu NationalismMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

The tension in what we want from democratic representation is that we want control over our representatives and we want creativity from them. If we control them, they are delegates. They're not representatives. They do what we want. They act in our place instead of us. They act as we would in our place. If they give us creativity, they will bring things out of us and do things for us that we may not have imagined.Lisa DischA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Making Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy  here.Lisa Disch is a professor of political science at the University of Michigan and an elected member of the Ann Arbor City Council. She is the author of the book Making Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy.Key HighlightsShould elected officials serve as delegates or opinion shapers?What is the line between leadership and manipulation?What is the constituency paradox?Does representation facilitate citizen mobilization?Can realists be idealists?Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key LinksMaking Constituencies: Representation as Mobilization in Mass Democracy by Lisa Jane DischLearn about Lisa Disch at the University of MichiganLisa Disch for City CouncilDemocracy Paradox PodcastSara Wallace Goodman on Citizen Responses to Democratic ThreatsCaitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic Movements and Personalistic LeadersMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

For many Americans, for the first many generations really up through the mid 20th century, the constitutional order seemed to rest on and depend on an economic order in which people had enough economic clout to be independent citizens and voters. Not serfs dependent on some kind of master.Joseph FishkinA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy  here.Joseph Fishkin is a Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. He is the coauthor (along with William E. Forbath) of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy.Key HighlightsHow did Montana reform its laws to limit the influence of Amalgamated Copper?When do questions of inequality become constitutional questions?How did the courts undermine labor laws in the early 20th century?What are the affirmative obligations and duties in the constitution?What is the proper role of the courts in American politics?Support Democracy Paradox on Patreon for early access to new episodes and exclusive updates and information. Key LinksThe Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy by Joseph Fishkin and William E. ForbathFollow Joseph Fishkin on Twitter @joeyfishkinLearn more about Joseph Fishkin at UCLA LawDemocracy Paradox PodcastDonald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic ConstitutionsJacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican PartyMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show