The Democracy Paradox podcast brings scholars from political science, sociology, economics, and other disciplines to discuss social and political ideas. The aim is not to debate policy or politics, but to introduce new concepts to listeners so they can understand politics and society better. The host, Justin Kempf, works to create conversations that test our assumptions about democratic governance, while offering hope for the success of democratic ideals.
A Podcast About Democracy
Episodes have explored concepts as broad as civil resistance, Russian conservatism, populism, and direct democracy. Guests have ranged from Ivy League professors to former elected officials. Many episodes have featured scholars from around the world including Israel, Greece, and Germany. Episodes regularly integrate big picture concepts with current events and history to make difficult ideas come alive.
The Democracy Paradox podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and just about anywhere podcasts are found. It is a proud member of the Democracy Group network of podcasts. Please subscribe and leave a review wherever possible. Your support keeps this website and the podcast alive. Below is a list of past episodes.
Most Recent
Guillermo Trejo and Sandra Ley on the Political Logic of Criminal Wars in Mexico
Rana Siu Inboden on China and the International Human Rights Regime
Timothy Frye Says Putin is a Weak Strongman
Kathryn Stoner on Russia’s Economy, Politics, and Foreign Policy
Karen Greenberg on the War on Terror, Donald Trump, and American Democracy
Charles Kupchan on America’s Tradition of Isolationism
Aldo Madariaga on Neoliberalism, Democratic Deficits, and Chile
Mallory SoRelle on the Politics of Consumer Credit
David Stasavage on Early Democracy and its Decline
Christophe Jaffrelot on Narendra Modi and Hindu Nationalism
Jan-Werner Müller on Democracy Rules
Dorothy Sue Cobble on the Full Rights Feminists
Freedom House: Sarah Repucci Assesses Freedom in the World
Season 4
Michael Miller on the Unexpected Paths to Democratization
Daniel Carpenter Revisits the Petition in 19th Century America
Sebastian Strangio Explains the Relationship Between China and Southeast Asia
Can America Preserve Democracy without Retreating from it? Robert C. Lieberman on the Four Threats
Kurt Weyland Distinguishes Between Fascism and Authoritarianism
James Loxton Explains Why Authoritarian Successor Parties Succeed in Democracies
Derek W. Black Says Public Education Represents the Idea of America… Not its Reality
Sheryl WuDunn Paints a Picture of Poverty in America and Offers Hope for Solutions
Mike Hoffman on How Religious Identities Influence Support for or Opposition to Democracy
Shari Davis Elevates Participatory Budgeting
Chris Bickerton Defines Technopopulism
Season 3
Ross Benes on Nebraska and Rural Conservatism
Chad Alan Goldberg on the Wisconsin Idea and the Role of the Public University in a Democracy
Elizabeth Nugent on Polarization, Democratization and the Arab Spring
Ryan Salzman is an Evangelist for Placemaking
Kajri Jain Believes Democracy Unfolds through the Aesthetic
Nic Cheeseman and Gabrielle Lynch on the Moral Economy of Elections in Africa
Thomas Carothers and Andrew O’Donohue are Worried About Severe Polarization
Can Democracy Survive the Internet? Nate Persily and Josh Tucker on Social Media and Democracy
Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the Plutocratic Populism of the Republican Party
Bryn Rosenfeld on Middle Class Support for Dictators in Autocratic Regimes
Zizi Papacharissi Dreams of What Comes After Democracy
Season 2
Michael Hughes on the History of Democracy in Germany
Lee Drutman Makes the Case for Multiparty Democracy in America
Hélène Landemore on Democracy without Elections
Glenn Tiffert on the Manipulation of Academia by Foreign Governments
Carolyn Hendriks, Selen Ercan and John Boswell on Mending Democracy
Mareike Ohlberg on the Global Influence of the Chinese Communist Party
Xiaoyu Pu on China’s Global Identities
John Ikenberry on Liberal Internationalism
Amy Erica Smith on Politics and Religion in Brazil
Season 1
William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe on the Presidency
Barbara Freese on Corporate Denial
Paul Robinson on Russian Conservatism
John Matsusaka on National Referendums
Jonathan Pinckney on Civil Resistance Transitions
Erica Chenoweth on Civil Resistance
Jill Long Thompson on Character in a Democracy
Juliet B. Schor on the Sharing Economy
Agnes Cornell and Svend-Erik Skaaning on the Interwar Period
John Gastil and Katherine Knobloch on Citizen Initiative Review
Joshua J. Dyck and Edward L. Lascher, Jr. on Initiative Referendums
William S. Smith on Irving Babbitt
Takis Pappas on Populism and Liberal Democracy
Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon on the End of American Hegemony
Luis Cabrera on International Human Rights
Marlene Mauk on Citizen Support for Democracies… and Autocracies
