Famine in Somalia

By Justin Kempf A Famine in Somalia I am well aware the United Nations describes the catastrophe in Somalia as a drought rather than a famine. While the semantics might have legal implications, they do not bring much comfort to the families who suffer immeasurable loss. Last year alone 43,000 people died from hunger in... Continue Reading →

Our Crisis of Democracy

Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. Our Crisis of Democracy When I went to school, I believed America was more or less always a democracy. The constitution guaranteed a representative form of government and guaranteed many civil liberties long before other nations. Along the way, the United States became an even... Continue Reading →

After Democracy Podcast #31

Zizi Papacharissi discusses her book After Democracy with host Justin Kempf. Zizi has worked at the forefront on political communication in the digital age. She is a professor of communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A transcript of the podcast is below.   What Comes After Democracy Political theorist Takis Pappas has described the... Continue Reading →

Suzanne Mettler & Robert C. Lieberman – Four Threats

Polarization has become known as the great challenge for American Democracy in the Twenty-First Century. Suzanne Mettler and Robert Lieberman include it among their Four Threats. So long as polarization is portrayed as a problem, the solution remains simple, although difficult to achieve. The solution to polarization is described as compromise and moderation. But what... Continue Reading →

Jonathan Hopkin – Anti-System Politics

As populism and polarization have become part of the common vocabulary of political writings, their meaning has become less provocative. There is a general acceptance of its existence which no longer shocks the senses. But anti-system retains a powerful emotive force for the political scientist. It catches the reader off guard and gains their immediate... Continue Reading →

Up ↑