Berk Esen is an assistant professor of political science at Sabancı University. Sebnem Gumuscu is an associate professor of political science at Middlebury College. Their recent paper in the Journal of Democracy is “How Erdoğan’s Populism Won Again.” Support Democracy Paradox on Podurama. Listen here. Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation... Continue Reading →
Guatemala: Resisting Democratic Backsliding in the Least Likely of Places?
By Rachel A. Schwartz For the past several years, Latin America has been in the throes of an “anti-incumbent wave,” with discontented voters seemingly tossing out the old to make way for the new. With the exception of Paraguay’s 2023 election and contests in the electoral autocracies of Nicaragua and Venezuela, every Latin American presidential... Continue Reading →
Dan Slater on Thailand’s Revolutionary Election
Dan Slater is the James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science, the Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies, and director of the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. His most recent book (coauthored with Joseph Wong) is From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. More recently he... Continue Reading →
Erdoğan is Losing but the Turkish Opposition is Far from an Assured Victory
By Kemal Kirişci and Berk Esen There is less than a month to go until what will be by far be the most consequential presidential and parliamentary elections of recent decades. The results will determine whether Turkey will have an opportunity to return to the ranks of democratic countries or slide further into an autocratic... Continue Reading →
3 Upcoming Elections to Watch in 2023
By Justin Kempf Elections in 2023 Saturday's election in Nigeria was among the most anticipated elections of the year. Every presidential election in Nigeria is significant, because it's the most populous country in Africa and the sixth most populous in the world. Moreover, it's population is increasing rapidly with projections to overtake the United States... Continue Reading →
Wendy Hunter on Lula, Bolsonaro, January 8th and Democracy in Brazil
Wendy Hunter is a Professor of Government at the University of Texas Austin. Recently, she cowrote an article with Timothy Power in the Journal of Democracy called “Lula’s Second Act.” Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. I do want to underscore this should not be read as a victory of... Continue Reading →
One Nonpartisan Judicial Election Will Determine the Path of Wisconsin Politics
By Barry Burden A Judicial Election In the cold days of winter, a perfect storm has formed in Wisconsin politics. The storm is turning what would be a humdrum nonpartisan judicial election into an intense ideological showdown that may well shape state policies for years to come. The chair of the state’s Democratic Party described... Continue Reading →
Cyprus 2023 Elections: Politics Turns Rightward Amid Severe Corruption
By Giorgos Venizelos Cyprus 2023 Elections On Sunday February 5th, 2023 Cyprus is heading to elections to choose its 8th president in the 13th electoral contest since the institution of the Republic in 1960. Cyprus is a presidential democracy, meaning that the president is elected directly from the people upon receiving 50% plus one vote.... Continue Reading →
The 2022 Slovenian Parliamentary Elections
By Simona Kustec Background After the last parliamentary elections in 2018 the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDP) was a relative winner. Nonetheless, they were not able to form a coalition government. Instead, Marjan Šarec, as the second best by the election results formed a minority left-centered government. Still, he resigned just before the Covid-19 pandemic became widespread.... Continue Reading →
Two New Members Elected to the Swiss Federal Council
By Stephan Kyburz The Swiss Federal Council – Collective Executive Power On Tuesday, December 7th, the Swiss parliament elected two new Federal Councillors. While Albert Rösti (55) of the People’s Party (SVP) was elected as expected, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) of the Social-Democratic Party (SP) was a surprise winner, defeating the favored Eva Herzog (SP). Mrs.... Continue Reading →