Democracy Paradox

Putin in the past could claim to have won at least an honest plurality, if not an honest majority of votes given his approval. However, in the upcoming election this fall, in September, it looks like the Kremlin has so restricted political competition that it's going to be a difficult sell to the Russian public to show that these elections are even as legitimate as the elections held in 2016 or in 2011.Timothy FryeA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on personalism here.Timothy Frye is a Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University and a research director at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.Key Highlights IncludeIs Putin's popularity real?Why Russia holds elections at allDescription of Russia as a personalist autocracyHow autocracy shapes Russia's foreign policyWhat are the prospects for democratization in RussiaKey LinksWeak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin's Russia by Timothy FryeRussia's Weak Strongman: The Perilous Bargains That Keep Putin in Power by Timothy Frye in Foreign AffairsFollow Timothy Frye on Twitter @timothymfryeRelated ContentKathryn Stoner on Russia's Economy, Politics, and Foreign PolicyFreedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the WorldMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadoxFollow on Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Biden's current policy is, you know, we want Putin to calm down, be stable for awhile and turn our focus to restraining China. I don't think that's going to happen. That's not in his interest to do that. So, I think taking our eye off Russia, underestimating it, is the biggest concern for the U.S. currently.Kathryn StonerA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on Russia here.Kathryn Stoner is a professor of political science at Stanford University. Her new book is Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order.Key Highlights IncludeA description of Russia's economyAn account of Russia's military reformsWhy Russia is in the Middle EastExplanation of Russia's foreign policyIs a resurrected Russia a danger to the West?Key LinksRussia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order by Kathryn StonerThe Freeman Spogli Institute For International StudiesFollow Kathryn Stoner on Twitter @kath_stonerRelated ContentTimothy Frye Says Putin is a Weak StrongmanBryn Rosenfeld on Middle Class Support for Dictators in Autocratic RegimesMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadoxFollow on Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on Democracy Support the show

It was an era in which lawmakers and office holders learned that imprecision could actually work to their benefit to allow them to do what they wanted to because there was unclear codification in the law. And so yes, everybody talks about, we have to revise this law or get rid of this law or replace this law. But I want to say, it's not about that. It's about what constitutes a legitimately written, voted upon law. And I think that's something we still haven't countered since 9/11.Karen GreenbergA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on the War on Terror here.Karen Greenberg is the director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law, a fellow at New America, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her new book is Subtle Tools: The Dismantling of American Democracy from the War on Terror to Donald Trump.Key Highlights IncludeThe origin of the AUMF and the Department of Homeland SecurityKaren Greenberg describes the subtle toolsThe link between the War on Terror and President TrumpHow will history view the 2020 electionIs the United States an illiberal democracy?Key LinksSubtle Tools: The Dismantling of American Democracy from the War on Terror to Donald Trump by Karen GreenbergVital Interests Podcast with Karen GreenbergFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitter @KarenGreenberg3Related ContentCharles Kupchan on America's Tradition of IsolationismCan America Preserve Democracy without Retreating from it? Robert C. Lieberman on the Four ThreatsMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadoxFollow on Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Beginning in the 1990s, and then really picking up after 9/11, the United States overreached ideologically by thinking it could turn Iraq and Afghanistan into Ohio. It overreached economically by throwing open the nation's doors and saying the more trade, the better. And suddenly, I think, Americans said to themselves and to their leaders, ‘Wait a minute. Too much world, not enough America.'Charles KupchanA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on Isolationism here.Charles Kupchan is a professor of international relations at Georgetown University and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself from the World.Key Highlights IncludeIsolationism's Place in America's National IdentityThe Relationship Between Isolationism and American ExceptionalismA Brief History of Isolationism in the United StatesSimilarities Between the Rise of China and the Early United StatesDonald Trump and the Reemergence of IsolationismKey LinksIsolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself from the World by Charles KupchanLearn more about Charles Kupchan"The Home Front: Why an Internationalist Foreign Policy Needs a Stronger Domestic Foundation" an article by Charles Kupchan in Foreign AffairsRelated ContentJohn Ikenberry on Liberal InternationalismAlexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon on the End of American HegemonyMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadoxFollow on Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

It's not just inequality of wealth. It is not just inequality of income, which is big. It's also inequality in terms of the geographical clustering of different strata of the population, of different people. It's inequality in life experiences. It's inequality in treatment. People felt mistreated by those in the upper echelons of society. So, it's not just money. It's also access to public goods, to certain spaces in the city, to education, unemployment benefits, and all sorts of things. But also, treatment.Aldo MadariagaA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on Neoliberalism here.Aldo Madariaga is a Professor of Political Science at Universidad Diego Portales, and Associate Researcher at Center for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES). He is also the author of Neoliberal Resilience: Lessons in Democracy and Development from Latin America and Eastern Europe.Key Highlights IncludeAn Account of the Chilean Protests in 2019Description of Neoliberalism as a Political ProjectThe Role of the State in NeoliberalismHow does Neoliberalism Shield its Policies from DemocracyAre Neoliberal Policies Fundamentally Undemocratic?Key LinksNeoliberal Resilience: Lessons in Democracy and Development from Latin America and Eastern Europe by Aldo MadariagaLearn more about Aldo MadariagaFollow on Twitter @AldoMadariagaRelated ContentJames Loxton Explains Why Authoritarian Successor Parties Succeed in DemocraciesJacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican PartyMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadoxFollow on Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

I think this actually reflects why we've seen a coup now. Clearly, the coup has really brought serious economic devastation for the entire country and the military itself will also not benefit from this. And that to me is the key, because they're not primarily motivated just by economic incentives and spoils. As a systematic military institution, it is driven by their own identity. Their own perception of what the Myanmar modern nation state should look like.Roger Lee HuangA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a brief primer on Myanmar here.Roger Lee Huang is a lecturer in terrorism studies and political violence at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and the author of The Paradox of Myanmar’s Regime Change.Key Highlights IncludeA brief history of modern Myanmar (Burma)Description of the TatmadawA portrait of Aung San Suu KyiWhy is the National League for Democracy (NLD) so popularWhat are the prospects for democracy in MyanmarKey LinksThe Paradox of Myanmar's Regime Change by Roger Lee HuangMyanmar’s Way to Genocide: The Rohingya Crisis in a Disciplined Democracy - Video Lecture by Roger Lee Huang"The Generals Strike Back" by Zoltan Barany from Journal of DemocracyRelated ContentMichael Miller on the Unexpected Paths to DemocratizationSebastian Strangio Explains the Relationship Between China and Southeast AsiaMore from the PodcastMyanmar: A Podcast PrimerMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Americans are expected to take on debt, because that's how we're expected to finance everything from basic needs to a college education. And that's a function of economic policy making. That doesn't happen by accident.Mallory SoRelleA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Mallory SoRelle is an assistant professor of public policy at Duke University and the author of Democracy Declined: The Failed Politics of Consumer Financial Protection.Key Highlights IncludeHow the American economy depends on creditA brief history of consumer credit in AmericaDetails why consumer debt is a systemic problemWhy financial consumers do not politically mobilize Explains how public policy shapes political behaviorKey LinksDemocracy Declined: The Failed Politics of Consumer Financial Protection by Mallory SoRelleLearn more about Mallory SoRelleConsumer Financial Protection BureauRelated ContentSheryl WuDunn Paints a Picture of Poverty in America and Offers Hope for SolutionsJacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican PartyMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

This was not a phenomenon to one specific region. This was nothing that got invented in one place and at one time. It seems to have emerged independently in a wide, wide variety of human societies at different points in time. And to me, that sounds like something that occurs naturally.David StasavageA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.David Stasavage is the Dean of Social Sciences and a Professor of Politics at New York University. His latest book is called The Decline and Rise of Democracy.Key Highlights IncludeA description of early democracy with an example of the Huron peopleWhy autocracy arose through the example of Ancient ChinaHow bureaucracy and the state changed governanceHow English history shaped modern democracyWhat modern democracy can learn from early forms of democracyKey LinksThe Decline and Rise of Democracy by David StasavageLearn more about David StasavageFollow David on Twitter @stasavageRelated ContentDaniel Carpenter Revisits the Petition in 19th Century AmericaMichael Hughes on the History of Democracy in GermanyMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

The police is even acting directly against the minorities and the Delhi riots of 2020 showed that the police could be on their side in the street in their rioting activities. This is exactly the same in other BGP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh. Now you have indeed a kind of new shift, if you want. It's not only with the blessing of the state. It’s also with the active participation of the state.Christophe JaffrelotA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Christophe Jaffrelot is a director of research at Sciences Po and a professor of Indian politics and sociology at King’s College. His latest book is Modi's India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy. Key Highlights IncludeDescription of Hindutva or Hindu NationalismA brief account of the RSSAn account of the Ayodhya Temple ControversyExplains how Narendra Modi came to powerProspects for the future of Indian democracyKey LinksModi's India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy by Christophe Jaffrelot"Toward a Hindu State" by Christophe Jaffrelot in the Journal of DemocracyFollow Christophe on Twitter @jaffrelotcRelated ContentFreedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the WorldKajri Jain Believes Democracy Unfolds through the AestheticMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

It really matters how you set up conflict and how you talk about the issue and above all how you talk about your adversary. That's where I see the decisive difference between those who tend to invoke the people, the common good and et cetera, in a way that is compatible with democracy and then those who talk in a way that, ultimately, is bound to be dangerous for democracy.Jan-Werner MüllerA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jan is a professor of Social Sciences at Princeton University. He is the author of the books What is Populism? and Democracy Rules.Key Highlights IncludeWhat does it mean to be undemocratic in a democracyWhy populism threatens democracyRole of conflict in democracyWhat is militant democracy and is it democraticRole of the majority and opposition in democracy Key LinksDemocracy Rules by Jan-Werner MüllerWhat is Populism? by Jan-Werner Müller"False Flags" from Foreign Affairs by Jan-Werner MüllerRelated ContentChris Bickerton Defines TechnopopulismZizi Papacharissi Dreams of What Comes After DemocracyMore from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at democracyparadoxblog@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show