We thought we were strengthening the militaries in the Cold War. In fact, the political effects of those strengthened militaries ended up leading to a longer-term deterioration and instability.Adam CaseyAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduSponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.orgA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Adam E. Casey is an analyst in the United States government. He wrote Up in Arms: How Military Aid Stabilizes―and Destabilizes―Foreign Autocrats while he was a research fellow at the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. All the content in the book and this interview reflects the views of the author and does not reflect the position of any US government agency or department, nor does it assert or imply US government authentication of information or endorsement of the author's views.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Why Military Aid Destabilizes Some Autocrats - 4:23The Soviet Approach to Military Aid - 21:50Revolutionary Governments - 29:09Modernization - 35:57Key LinksUp in Arms: How Military Aid Stabilizes―and Destabilizes―Foreign Autocrats by Adam Casey"The Origins of Military Supremacy in Dictatorships," by Dan Slater Lucan A. Way Jean Lachapelle and Adam E. Casey in Journal of Democracy.Follow Adam Casey on X @adam_e_caseyDemocracy Paradox PodcastAfter a Coup, Can the Constitutional Order Be Repaired? Adem Abebe on Rebuilding Constitutions in West AfricaNaunihal Singh on the Myth of the Coup ContagionMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

We have to care more about truth than tribe. We have to care more about each other than about profit.Barbara McQuadeThis episode was made in partnership with the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of DemocracyAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduSponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.orgA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. Her new book Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Propaganda Today - 3:05Disinformation and Polarization - 19:57Free Speech - 24:29Attack from Within - 37:14Key LinksAttack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America by Barbara McQuadeLearn more about Barbara McQuadeFollow Barbara McQuade on X @BarbMcQuadeDemocracy Paradox PodcastPeter Pomerantsev on Winning an Information WarSamuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital PropagandaMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Alexander Ward, an expert in American foreign policy, discusses grading Biden's foreign policy, including the challenges faced in handling crises like Ukraine. The podcast delves into the Biden administration's stance on foreign policy, analyzing their responses to events like Afghanistan withdrawal and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The assessment highlights successes and failures, ultimately giving the administration a 'C' grade for lacking foresight and facing implementation challenges.

Exploring propaganda methods in modern information warfare, Peter Pomerantsev discusses historical tactics and the challenges facing democratic forces. Delving into communication strategies, he highlights the complexities of influencing beliefs and the importance of understanding echo chambers. The podcast delves into the moral dilemmas of information warfare and the impact of Russian propaganda methods, emphasizing the significance of strategic communication.

Without an elected government, without a government that truly represents... a lot of things are imperiled - rights, democracy, freedom, certainly peace. I think that's another kind of challenge as we go into this year of widespread elections. It's not just about preserving democracy. It's also laying the foundation for peace.Yana GorokhovskaiaAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduSponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Learn more at https://carnegieendowment.orgA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Yana Gorokhovskaia is the Research Director at Freedom House and one of the lead authors of this year’s Freedom in the World report titled, The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Nagorno-Karabakh - 2:15Gaza and Israel - 7:46Freedom in Decline - 13:18Autocratic Elections - 35:43Key LinksFreedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed ConflictFreedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial IntelligenceFollow Freedom House on X @freedomhouseDemocracy Paradox PodcastStaffan Lindberg with a Report on Democracy in the WorldSarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the WorldMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

As a writer I had the space to try to humanize him without sanitizing him. That was my mission: to try to see the world from behind his eyes in order to explain his otherwise inexplicable behavior.Steve CollAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduRead Justin Kempf's essay "The Revolution Will Be Podcasted."A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Steve Coll is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who has served as President and CEO of New America and the Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is currently a staff writer at The New Yorker. His most recent book is The Achilles’ Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Saddam Hussein - 2:56Iran-Iraq War - 10:22WMD - 27:062003 American Invasion - 46:03Key LinksThe Achilles’ Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll“How Iraq was Lost” by Robert Kaplan in The New Statesman (Book Review of The Achilles' Trap)Read more from Steve Coll at The New YorkerDemocracy Paradox PodcastRobert Kaplan on the Politics of the Past and Future of the Greater Middle EastSteven Simon on American Foreign Policy in the Middle East including Iran and the Wars in IraqMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Written into the DNA of American immigration policy, which we tend to regard as a kind of domestic policy - and which in many ways it is - has to do with US foreign policy.Jonathan BlitzerThis episode was made in partnership with the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Read Justin Kempf's essay "The Revolution Will Be Podcasted."A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jonathan Blitzer is a staff writer at The New Yorker. He won a 2017 National Award for Education Reporting for “American Studies,” a story about an underground school for undocumented immigrants. His writing and reporting have also appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Atavist, Oxford American, and The Nation. He is an Emerson Fellow at New America. His most recent book is Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Personal Experiences - 3:12Immigration and Foreign Policy - 12:25Migration as a Crisis - 31:20Bukele and El Salvador Today - 46:26Key LinksEveryone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer“Do I Have to Come Here Injured or Dead?” by Jonathan Blitzer in The New YorkerFollow Jonathan Blitzer on X @JonathanBlitzerDemocracy Paradox PodcastRachel Schwartz on How Guatemala Rose Up Against Democratic BackslidingJoseph Wright and Abel Escribà-Folch on Migration’s Potential to Topple DictatorshipsMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Minxin Pei, an expert on the surveillance state in China, discusses the history and development of China's surveillance apparatus. He explores the broad definition of political activities, the presence of informants, and the adaptability of Leninist states to implement surveillance systems. Pei highlights the challenges of obtaining information about the system and emphasizes the impact of surveillance on society and behaviors within China.

As democracy promoters, we also need to pay a lot of attention to the material needs of people... When these material needs are not satisfied, people will be more willing to give nondemocratic forms a chance.Adem AbebeThis episode was made in partnership with the Constitution Building Programme at International IDEAAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduRead Justin Kempf's essay "The Revolution Will Be Podcasted."A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Adem Abebe is a senior advisor on constitution-building processes at International IDEA. He supports transitions from conflict and authoritarianism to peace and democracy, generates cutting edge knowledge, convenes platforms for dialogue and advocates for change. Adem is also Vice President of the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers, which promotes democratic constitutionalism across the continent.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Why Military Coups Happen - 4:05Holding Back Political Institutions - 19:23Restoring Constitutional Order - 34:31The Role of Constitutions - 48:54Key LinksFollow Adem Abebe on X @AdamAbebeLearn more about International IDEALearn about the Constitution-Building Programme at International IDEA at Constitutionnet.org Democracy Paradox PodcastCan Poland Repair its Constitutional Democracy? Tomás Daly Believes it CanMarcela Rios Tobar on the Failed Constitutional Process in ChileMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Poland will be showing us the endless ingenuity of constitutional thinkers who are genuinely committed to democracy in its many forms.Tomás DalyThis episode was made in partnership with the Constitution Building Programme at International IDEAAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduRead Justin Kempf's essay "The Revolution Will Be Podcasted."A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Tomás Daly is a Professor at Melbourne Law School and Director of the Democratic Decay & Renewal (DEM-DEC) platform at www.democratic-decay.org. His new project on ‘constitutional repair’ addresses a pressing question: how can a democracy be repaired after being deeply degraded, but not ended, during a period of anti-democratic government?Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20What is Constitutional Repair? - 3:48Poland and its Constitutional Damage - 7:36Constitutional Repair in Poland - 20:06Avoiding Democratic Backsliding - 40:12Key LinksConstitutional Repair: A Comparative Theory by Tomás DalyFollow Tomás Daly on X @democracytalkLearn more about International IDEALearn about the Constitution-Building Programme at International IDEA at Constitutionnet.org Democracy Paradox PodcastKurt Weyland on the Resilience of DemocracyHow Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent? Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political ExtremismMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show