Democracy Paradox

Democracy dies with the lies. Even that simplest form of democracy, which is that we vote on a politician or we don't and we vote on another politician depends on the truth. Because if you can lie about what you did in office or lie about what you didn't do, that sort of vertical accountability breaks down. It becomes meaningless.Staffan LindbergBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Staffan Lindberg is the Director of the V-Dem Institute, one of the five principal investigators of the Varieties of Democracy Project, and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg. He is also a coeditor of the book Why Democracies Develop and Decline along with Michael Coppedge, Amanda B. Edgell, and Carl Henrik Knutsen.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:46Bright Spots for Democracy - 3:24Autocratization and Democratic Backsliding - 13:20Causes of Democratic Recession - 22:25Criticisms of the Report - 34:56Key LinksWhy Democracies Develop and Decline edited by Michael Coppedge, Amanda B. Edgell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, and Staffan LindbergLearn more about V-DEM"A Third Wave of Autocratization is Here: What is New About it?" in Democratization by Anna Lührmann and Staffan LindbergDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the WorldMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

It is one Putin when you see him on a calendar. It's yet another Putin when he needs to arrest a snowman.Srdja PopovicBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Srdja Popovic is the co-founder of CANVAS, and was a founding member of the Otpor! (“Resistance!”) a movement that had a crucial part in bringing down the Milosevic regime in Serbia. He recently coauthored an article in the Journal of Democracy with Sophia McClennen and Joe Wright called, “How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement.”Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:27What are Dilemma Actions? 2:24Different Types of Dilemma Actions - 18:53Effectiveness - 33:01Strategies and Tactics - 38:37Key Links"How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement" in the Journal of Democracy by Sophia McClennen, Srdja Popovic, and Joseph WrightBlueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World  by Srdja Popovic with Matthew MillerLearn more about CANVASDemocracy Paradox PodcastMohammed Ali Kadivar on Paths to Durable Democracy and Thoughts on the Protests in IranErica Chenoweth on Civil ResistanceMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

I do want to underscore this should not be read as a victory of the left. It's a victory of Lula and a narrow victory. And it's Lula the person. It's not so much Lula from the PT as the party that won.Wendy HunterBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Wendy Hunter is a Professor of Government at the University of Texas Austin. Recently, she cowrote an article with Timothy Power in the Journal of Democracy called “Lula’s Second Act.”Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:36Lula - 2:16The 2022 Presidential Election - 13:01Bolsonaro - 20:45January 8th - 27:18Key Links"Lula's Second Act" in the Journal of Democracy by Wendy Hunter and Timothy J. Power"Bolsonaro and Brazil’s Illiberal Backlash" in the Journal of Democracy by Wendy Hunter and Timothy J. Power"The Normalization of an Anomaly: The Workers' Party in Brazil" in World Politics by Wendy HunterDemocracy Paradox PodcastJennifer Piscopo on the Constitutional Chaos in ChileAmy Erica Smith on Politics and Religion in BrazilMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

I think voters right now, remember the circus of the convention over the substance of what it did. I think there is a bit of an amnesia over the mandate for change that existed in 2019 and 2020 that the Constitution delivered on, that voters had moved away from that mandate to change by the time the Constitution went for approval.Jennifer PiscopoBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jennifer Piscopo is an associate professor of politics at Occidental College. Recently, she coauthored a paper with Peter Siavelis in the Journal of Democracy called “Chile’s Constitutional Chaos.”Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:42Demands for a New Constitution - 3:04The Constitution Making Process - 17:18Substance of the Constitution - 33:29Why Voters Rejected it - 36:53Key Links"Chile's Constitutional Chaos" in Journal of Democracy by Peter M. Siavelis and Jennifer PiscopoLearn more about Jennifer Piscopo hereFollow Jennifer Piscopo on Twitter @jennpiscopoDemocracy Paradox PodcastAldo Madariaga on Neoliberalism, Democratic Deficits, and ChileDonald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic ConstitutionsMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

I think democracy and capitalism are individually in crisis in that they're not working very well and that the combination of the two in one political and economic system, which we have come to think of as the Western Way, is in crisis not only because the two component parts are in crisis, but because they're in crisis interactively.Martin WolfBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Martin Wolf is the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. He has written many books, but his most recent is The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:51The Link Between Democracy and Capitalism  - 3:10Does Capitalism Reinforce Democracy? 16:50Status Anxiety - 26:13Populism- 38:55Key LinksThe Crisis of Democratic Capitalism by Martin WolfRead Martin Wolf's writings at the Financial TimesFollow Martin Wolf on Twitter @martinwolf_Democracy Paradox PodcastFrancis Fukuyama Responds to Liberalism’s DiscontentsLarry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at HomeMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

While war creates the need for a state, it obliterates the capacity to deliver one. We're seeing that in Ukraine right now. That if you want to develop a state, you need peace, not war. War may create the need for a state, but peace is what allows you to build one. I think that that might be a lesson worth emphasizing, especially these days.Anna Grzymala-BusseBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Anna Grzymała-Busse is the Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies at Stanford University. She is also the Director of the Europe Center and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute. Her latest book is Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:38Medieval Governance - 2:42Papal Strategies - 16:43Law, Taxation, and Representation - 25:07Ongoing Influences - 40:25Key LinksSacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State by Anna Grzymala-BusseFollow Anna Grzymala-Busse on Twitter @AnnaGBusseLearn more about Anna Grzymala-BusseDemocracy Paradox PodcastOlivier Zunz on Alexis de TocquevilleDavid Stasavage on Early Democracy and its DeclineMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

I think that there is a core set of shared values that liberals have to embrace. You know, if they don't believe in a rule of law, they don't believe in the fundamental legitimacy of their constitutional order, that's a big problem. But as I said, probably the strongest argument in favor of liberalism is this pragmatic one. That this is something that allows pluralistic diverse societies to live in peace with one another.Francis FukuyamaClick Here to Join Patreon and Access the Bonus Episode with Final Thoughts on the Last Three Episodes on LiberalismMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:47Interpretation of Liberalism - 3:04Liberalism and Democracy - 17:15Conservative Critique - 26:22Threats to Liberalism - 39:16Key LinksLiberalism and its Discontents by Francis FukuyamaThe End of History and the Last Man by Francis FukuyamaLearn more about Francis FukuyamaDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Walzer on Liberal as an AdjectivePatrick Deneen Offers a Powerful Critique of LiberalismMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

By my reading of political philosophy every regime in a sense ultimately comes to an end because its contradictions ultimately undermine whatever virtues it might have had. I don't have a crystal ball, but I think it's a very real possibility that we're in a hinge of history where the next thing is in the offing and my hope is that that next thing is going to be a better and more humane way of organizing our society because the prospects of a worse and less humane way is also ever real and ever worrying.Patrick DeneenBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Patrick Deneen is a Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame University. He is the author of Why Liberalism Failedand the forthcoming Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:51Deneen's Critique of Liberalism - 2:57Human Rights - 14:06Democracy - 25:18Why Not Reform or Repair - 37:38Key LinksWhy Liberalism Failed by Patrick DeneenRegime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future by Patrick DeneenPostliberal Order SubstackDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Walzer on Liberal as an AdjectiveOlivier Zunz on Alexis de TocquevilleMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

It doesn't have a fixed character. It's a mindset that has to do with a respect for human rights and civil liberties, toleration of different religions, and an ability to live with ambiguity. So, I like the idea of liberal as a qualifier on other and more specific and coherent commitments.Michael WalzerBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Michael Walzer is an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. He was also a longtime editor of Dissent. He is the author of many books including the classic of political philosophy Spheres of Justice. His most recent book is called The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On “Liberal” as an Adjective.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:45What is Liberalism? 3:53Liberal Democracy - 11:47Liberal Nationalism - 17:35How Does Liberalism Change? 22:14Key LinksThe Struggle for a Decent Politics: On "Liberal" as an Adjective by Michael WalzerSpheres Of Justice: A Defense Of Pluralism And Equality by Michael WalzerInstitute for Advanced StudyDemocracy Paradox PodcastOlivier Zunz on Alexis de TocquevilleMichael Ignatieff Warns Against the Politics of EnemiesMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

We think that because we’re children of the Enlightenment, the way the world is moving is gradually toward liberalism. I think the natural course of the world is away from liberalism and it has only been American power that has sustained this aberration in world history.Robert KaganBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Robert Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, a columnist at The Washington Post, and among the most influential writers on foreign policy today. His latest book is Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:37American and WWI - 2:37Isolationism and Retrenchment - 16:40Troops in the Rhineland - 31:36Parallels to Today - 42:32Key LinksThe Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941 by Robert Kagan"A Free World, If You Can Keep It" by Robert Kagan in Foreign Affairs"The Weight of Geopolitics" by Robert Kagan in the Journal of DemocracyDemocracy Paradox PodcastLarry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at HomeCharles Kupchan on America’s Tradition of IsolationismMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show