The Democracy Paradox explores the diverse range of perspectives and insights about democracy through an interview format.
Democracy has different meanings to different people. Scholars might describe democracy as liberal, participatory, direct, militant, elitist, or open. The Democracy Paradox explores these contradictory and paradoxical interpretations of democracy through wide ranging conversations. Every week Democracy Paradox looks to political scientists, historians, sociologists, and even art historians to better understand democracy, politics, and the world around us. Past episodes have discussed civil resistance, African politics, social media, and polarization. Learn why our guests consider this interview the deepest reading of their work they have come across!
The most beautiful thing that happened in Indonesia, by the way, which was a polarized society along religious lines more than anything else, was that by the end of the proceedings, everybody knew what everybody else's problems were, what everyone else's constituencies wanted. They knew if X noticed that Y was making a demand, before long X figured out what was behind the demand and why Y had to make it and whether it was a real demand or whether it was made just for the sake of being on record.
Donald Horowitz
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment here.
Donald Horowitz is the James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus at Duke University.
Key Highlights Include
Key Links
Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment by Donald Horowitz
"Ethnic Power Sharing: Three Big Problems" by Donald Horowitz in the Journal of Democracy
Reconsidering Democratic Transitions Francis Fukuyama, Donald Horowitz, Larry Diamond on YouTube
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 Müller
A 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 Include
Key Links
Democracy Rules by Jan-Werner Müller
What is Populism? by Jan-Werner Müller
"False Flags" from Foreign Affairs by Jan-Werner Müller
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Zizi Papacharissi Dreams of What Comes After Democracy
In the 19th century Europe had thought that they had moved towards liberalism, enlightenment, rationality, progress, that stuff like mass warfare was over and it wouldn't come back. And then you have four years of senseless, mass slaughter, they just totally destroyed or challenged those ideas of humankind getting better off, progress of humankind getting more civilized. In retrospect, it's hard to imagine the coincidence of deep challenges and crises that wrecked the interwar years.
Kurt Weyland
A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.
Key Highlights Include
Kurt Weyland is a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the new book Assault on Democracy: Communism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism During the Interwar Years.
Key Links
Assault on Democracy: Communism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism During the Interwar Years by Kurt Weyland
"The Real Lessons of the Interwar Years" by Agnes Cornell, Jørgen Møller, Svend-Erik Skaaning in Journal of Democracy, July 2017
Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation by Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan
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Agnes Cornell and Svend-Erik Skaaning on the Interwar Period
We're excited to share a new podcast in the democracy space — Vital Signs of Democracy. Community Manager Megan Goldstein talked with hosts Debilyn Molineaux and David Riordan to learn more
A surprisingly large number of Ohioans flocked to the polls in August to cast their vote on Issue 1, where 57% voted "no" to defeat the measure.
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This week, Community Manager Megan Goldstein interviewed Morris Effron, co-founder of Citizen Connect. Read on to learn more about the organization and how you can get involved!
News, news, news. Right news, left news, fake news, and more. America's news landscape is a hot topic of conversation.
In order to understand how to strengthen democracy, we must understand how this erosion happens.
National Week of Conversation (NWoC) will take place April 17-23. The event was created to solve one of the biggest problems facing Americans - toxic polarization.
Recently, several organizations issued their annual reports on democracy's rise and fall around the world.
Welcome, TPNR! We are excited to announce a new show in our network: Talkin' Politics and Religion Without Killin' Each Other, or TPNR for short.
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"Love thy Neighbor" until they think differently from you, vote differently than you, and have different beliefs than you. Is this what the United States has come to?
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