John Dryzek is among the foremost scholars of deliberative democratic theory. His book Deliberative Democracy and Beyond: Liberals, Critics, Contestations offers a strong defense of deliberative theory against rival schools of democratic theory. Justin Kempf reflects on this seminal work of deliberative democratic theory. Liberal Democracy Defined Liberal democracy is a marriage between two independent ideas... Continue Reading →
The radical politics of Marx has defined the far left. This reflection upon The German Ideology considers the similarities between the radical politics of the far right and the far left to explain the ideology of radicalism. Justin Kempf places Marx in a tradition of radical thought alongside Nietzsche where the radicalism of the left and... Continue Reading →
Hélène Landemore joins the Democracy Paradox to describe how democracy without elections or politicians is possible. Hélène is an associate professor at Yale University. Her research explores ways to reimagine institutions to better represent those governed and enhance their legitimacy. Democratic Transformation The origin of the third wave of democratization is commonly dated to... Continue Reading →
Rest, Beloved is the work of Pyar Seth. Pyar is a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University in the Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies Program working at the nexus of Medical Anthropology and Political Science (Political Epidemiology). Broadly, he focuses on the history of Black Thought and the centuries-long struggle for the right to health in Black... Continue Reading →
Carolyn Hendriks, Selen Ercan and John Boswell join the Democracy Paradox to discuss how everyday citizens are mending democracy. Their work is an important contribution to the school of thought known as Deliberative Democracy. Making Democracy More Democratic There is a book that was written in 1989 called Democracy and its Critics. The renowned Robert... 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 →
A crisis in politics is widely assumed these days. Sometimes I am not sure whether this crisis is real or imagined. But I must admit there is a political crisis that is evident in the polarization between Republicans and Democrats. There is a political crisis because institutions have failed to deliver meaningful solutions to real... Continue Reading →
Condescension toward political polarization begins from a position of privilege. It requires an expectation of inclusion within the political process. Elites assume polarization is a problem with a simple cure. But the reality is it is a symptom of deeper systemic problems without simple solutions. Polarization is a manifestation of the politics of exclusion. It... Continue Reading →
This is the first conversation in a three part episode arc called "Resistance, Revolution, Democracy." In this interview, Erica Chenoweth explains why civil resistance is more effective than violent resistance, why it is more likely to bring about democracy, and the strengths and challenges every campaign faces. This interview sets the stage for the... Continue Reading →
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last night. She was a symbol of the left in America for her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and her historic role on the United States Supreme Court. But she was not always an icon of the left. She was considered a moderate voice on the Court in... Continue Reading →
