Thomas Carothers and Andrew O'Donohue explain the challenges of polarization in many different contexts around the world. Tom is the Senior Vice President for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Andrew is a nonresident assistant at Carnegie and in the PhD program in Harvard’s Department of Government. Together they are the editors of Democracies... Continue Reading →
William Smith joins the Democracy Paradox to explain the imperialistic tendencies of democracy. His research focuses on early twentieth century scholar Irving Babbitt, author of Leadership and Democracy (1922). William Smith on Imperialism and Democracy This episode features William Smith, author of Democracy and Imperialism: Irving Babbitt and Warlike Democracies. Irving Babbitt is an... Continue Reading →
Xiaoyu Pu joins the Democracy Paradox to explain how China's multiple global identities shape its foreign policy. This is the 23rd episode of the Democracy Paradox podcast and the second part of "Liberalism, Capitalism, Communism" about the Global Ascendance of China. China's Multiple Identities China is a nation of contradictions. It is a developing... Continue Reading →
Amy Erica Smith joins the Democracy Paradox to explain how religion influences politics in Brazil. This is the 21st episode of the Democracy Paradox podcast. It kicks off the second season with an emphasis on world affairs. Amy Erica Smith on Brazilian Democracy Political Scientist Seymour Martin Lipset wrote, “A person who knows... Continue Reading →
Paul Robinson joins the Democracy Paradox to explain Russian Conservatism. The conversation discusses how it has evolved over two hundred years to help understand politics in Russia today. Paul Robinson on Russian Conservatism The Russian interference in the 2016 American Presidential election brought Russia to the forefront of conversations about international relations. But it... Continue Reading →
The pandemic was not real for me until the schools closed. It was a distant concern until we had to redefine our childcare situation. My wife was already home. She had recently left a position she had held for nearly a decade. But she was about to begin a new role in a new field... Continue Reading →
This conversation explores revolutions. It is the second part of the episode arc "Resistance, Revolution, Democracy." George Lawson has examined revolutions from both a historical and sociological perspective. His book Anatomies of Revolution has influenced how many scholars think about revolutions. Our conversation explores revolutions many revolutions as a theoretical concept and as a... Continue Reading →
My kids know E.B. White as the author of Charlotte’s Web. Both of my kids were expected to read this classic on their own. Some books are written for children to read rather than their parents to read to them. I held off reading The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham until... Continue Reading →
John Gastil and Katherine Knobloch are the authors of Hope for Democracy: How Citizens Can Bring Reason Back into Politics. Their book explains an experiment in democracy called the Citizens' Initiative Review (CIR). It incorporated the idea of delegative democracy into the initiative referendum process in Oregon. Everyday citizens were brought together to discuss... Continue Reading →
Yael Tamir is the author of Why Nationalism. We discuss Liberalism, Cosmopolitanism, and, of course, Nationalism. Since the end of World War II, Nationalism has largely been associated with the far right. Tamir believes this is a mistake and reimagines a path for the left to reclaim Nationalism through a realignment with Liberalism. Our... Continue Reading →
