Become a Patron! Democratization and Democratic Backsliding The recent episode with Michael Coppedge touched on an interesting idea. The causes for democratization might be distinct from the causes for its decline. Coppedge notes the idea is not new. Dankwart Rustow made this argument in an influential paper called, "Transitions to Democracy: Toward a Dynamic Model."... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Party System Institutionalization (PSI) This week's podcast throws around quite a bit of political science jargon. One of the terms we discuss is party system institutionalization (PSI). It's a bit confusing because it refers to the health of the party system rather than any individual political party. The United States is a... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Perils of Presidentialism In 1990 Juan Linz published an influential article titled "The Perils of Presidentialism." It's a highly influential essay among those who debate the merits of different forms of democracy. Linz argued the separation between the legislature and executive made governance problematic. Gridlock between the executive and the legislature leads... Continue Reading →
Michael Coppedge is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, a principal investigator of the Varieties of Democracy project, and a faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. He is a coeditor (along with Amanda Edgell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, and Staffan Lindberg) of Why Democracies Develop and Decline. Become a... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Meaning and Purpose in the Constitution Last week the American Supreme Court made two rulings on individual rights. In one case the court reversed its position on constitutional rights for women. Meanwhile, in another case they affirmed new rights to carry firearms in public. The constitution does not mention either of these... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Democratic Consensus Let's start with an admission. Consensus is never simple. On the surface, it feels democratic. It comes across as a meeting of the minds where disagreements are overcome. However, large groups will never reach true consensus. Even the assemblies at Zuccotti Park did not require unanimous consent. They discovered a... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Democratic Leadership Democracy has always had a complicated relationship with its leaders. For starters democracy is the one form of government where leaders are regularly cast aside. Winston Churchill navigated Great Britain through World War II, but his party lost power shortly before the war's conclusion. For many leadership itself is undemocratic.... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! How to Defend the American Constitution It's easy to throw around ideas like the Republic, the Constitution, and Freedom. Politicians do it all the time. But it's easy to talk. Our actions say a lot more about our values and beliefs. Many Republicans showed they would defend the American Constitution when it... Continue Reading →
Rachel Beatty Riedl is the John S. Knight Professor of International Studies, Director of the Einaudi Center for International Studies, and professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University. She also cohosts the podcast Ufahamu Africa with Kim Yi Dionne. Her chapter "Africa’s Democratic Outliers Success amid Challenges in Benin and South Africa" appears... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Colombia's Presidential Election Yesterday Gustavo Petro won Colombia's presidential election. Many journalists and commentators have already written extensively about the electoral campaign. Perhaps the most common narrative is Gustavo Petro as Columbia's first leftist president. For readers in the United States or Europe this may come across as surprising. However, Colombia's leftwing... Continue Reading →
