By Justin Kempf Over the past year I have tried my best to keep up with the latest trends on democracy and political science. It's not easy, because amazing writers and scholars publish so many outstanding books every year. So, it's only natural that I have missed out on a number of titles. In fact,... Continue Reading →
After Elections, the Losers Don’t Always Lose
By Dan Slater After Elections, the Losers Don't Always Lose After enlightenment, says the Zen proverb, the laundry. It’s a wise statement about how to approach democracy as much as life itself. Even when elections deliver breakthrough democratic results, they’re typically followed by a messy but necessary business of forming coalitions and cabinets. The difference... Continue Reading →
Dan Slater on Indonesia
Dan Slater is the Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies in the Department of Political Science and director of the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. Dan is also the coauthor of the forthcoming book From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia with Joseph Wong. Become a Patron! This might sound... Continue Reading →
The Democratization of Taiwan
Become a Patron! The Democratization of Taiwan Dan Slater and Joseph Wong view Taiwan as the paradigmatic example where an authoritarian party embraced democratization due to its strength rather than its weakness. Other examples in Asia include Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia. It's also possible to identify other examples from around the world. One notable... Continue Reading →
Democratization Through Strength
Become a Patron! Considering Democratization Through Strength This podcast has explored many counterintuitive theories about democracy and autocracy. Bryn Rosenfeld explained why a state-dependent middle class resists efforts to democratize. James Loxton introduced listeners to the idea of authoritarian successor parties. Michael Miller made an ambitious argument where "democratization is most likely when the resulting... Continue Reading →