
Democracy Paradox
Is it possible for a democracy to govern undemocratically? Can the people elect an undemocratic leader? Is it possible for democracy to bring about authoritarianism? And if so, what does this say about democracy? My name is Justin Kempf. Every week I talk to the brightest minds on subjects like international relations, political theory, and history to explore democracy from every conceivable angle. Topics like civil resistance, authoritarian successor parties, and the autocratic middle class challenge our ideas about democracy. Join me as we unravel new topics every week.
Latest episodes

Apr 18, 2023 • 50min
James Goldgeier on NATO, its Enlargement, and its Future
Who would be a better ally than Ukrainians? These are people who are fighting so bravely and have shown so much resilience. That's what we should want in an ally.James GoldgeierAccess Bonus Episodes on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.James Goldgeier is a a Professor of International Relations at American University. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University's Center on International Security and Cooperation and a Visiting Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Recently, he is the coeditor with Joshua Itzkowitz Shifrinson of a new book called Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:35Purpose of NATO - 2:37NATO Expansion - 16:00NATO and Democratization - 22:41Future of NATO - 32:42Key LinksEvaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War edited by James Goldgeier and Joshua R. Itzkowitz ShifrinsonPower and Purpose: U.S. Policy toward Russia After the Cold War by James Goldgeier and Michael McFaulLearn more about James GoldgeierDemocracy Paradox PodcastRobert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy TodayMichael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in UkraineMore 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 DemocracyLearn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Apr 11, 2023 • 45min
Steven Simon on American Foreign Policy in the Middle East including Iran and the Wars in Iraq
The Iraqis suffered so heavily and not just because of the 2003 war. The first war in 1991 inflicted terrible damage on Iraq and then the next 10 years of sanctions immiserated the populace and inflicted an especially punishing blow on Iraqi women and children.Steven SimonBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Steven served on the National Security Council staff from 1994 to 1999 and again fro 2011 to 2012. Earlier he served in the State Department for fifteen years. He is currently a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies and his most recent book is Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:43Iran - 4:41JCPOA - 22:58The Iraq Wars - 27:19Saudi Arabia - 32:57Key LinksGrand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East by Steven SimonLearn more about Steven Simon"America's Great Satan" By Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon in Foreign AffairsDemocracy Paradox PodcastRobert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy TodayZoltan Barany on the Ineffectiveness of the Gulf MilitariesMore 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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Apr 4, 2023 • 54min
Larry Bartels Says Democracy Erodes from the Top
Democracy is a much more complicated thing than we often give it credit for and certainly speaking dichotomously about democracy being in crisis or not is an oversimplification.Larry BartelsBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Larry Bartels is the May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science at Vanderbilt University and a Co-Director for the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. His new book is called Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens, and the Challenge of Populism in Europe.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:34A Crisis of Democracy? 3:02Populism 23:20Political Restraint - 37:49What is Democracy? 44:51Key LinksDemocracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens, and the Challenge of Populism in Europe by Larry BartelsDemocracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government by Christopher Achen and Larry BartelsCenter for the Study of Democratic InstitutionsDemocracy Paradox PodcastMartin Wolf on the Crisis of Democratic CapitalismJason Brownlee Believes We Underestimate Democratic ResilienceMore 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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Mar 28, 2023 • 43min
Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda
One of the things that we see happening online is sort of a democratization of propaganda.Samuel WoolleyBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Samuel Woolley is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and the project director for propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement. His most recent book is Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:43Background on Technology (including Bots) - 3:00Artificial Intelligence - 10:17Democratization of Propaganda - 20:44The Legitimation of Ideas - 30:48Key LinksManufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity by Samuel Woolley"Digital Propaganda: The Power of Influencers" in the Journal of Democracy by Samuel WoolleyCenter for Media EngagementDemocracy Paradox PodcastRichard Wike Asked Citizens in 19 Countries Whether Social Media is Good for DemocracyRonald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational RepressionMore 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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Mar 21, 2023 • 42min
Josh Chin on China's Surveillance State
It's hard to believe what was happening in Xinjiang and most Chinese people didn't believe, but now they do. A lot of them do.Josh ChinBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Josh Chin is the Deputy Bureau Chief for China at the Wall Street Journal and the coauthor with Liza Lin of the book Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:38Describing Xinjiang - 2:38Social Engineering - 11:21Privacy in China - 19:08AI in China - 28:23Key LinksSurveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control by Josh Chin and Liza LinRead more from Josh Chin in the Wall Street Journal"The Mandarin in the Machine" A review of Surveillance State in Journal of Democracy by Will DobsonDemocracy Paradox PodcastElizabeth Economy in a Wide Ranging Conversation About ChinaAynne Kokas on the Intersection Between Surveillance Capitalism and Chinese Sharp Power (or How Much Does the CCP Already Know About You?)More 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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Mar 14, 2023 • 44min
Staffan Lindberg with a Report on Democracy in the World
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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Mar 7, 2023 • 52min
Srdja Popovic on Dilemma Actions
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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Feb 28, 2023 • 47min
Wendy Hunter on Lula, Bolsonaro, January 8th and Democracy in Brazil
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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Feb 21, 2023 • 55min
Jennifer Piscopo on the Constitutional Chaos in Chile
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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show

Feb 14, 2023 • 50min
Martin Wolf on the Crisis of Democratic Capitalism
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.Learn more about the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at https://kellogg.nd.edu/ Support the show
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