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Democracy Paradox

Justin Kempf

Is it possible for a democracy to govern undemocratically? Can the people elect an undemocratic leader? Is it possible for democracy to bring about authoritarianism? And if so, what does this say about democracy? ​​My name is Justin Kempf. Every week I talk to the brightest minds on subjects like international relations, political theory, and history to explore democracy from every conceivable angle. Topics like civil resistance, authoritarian successor parties, and the autocratic middle class challenge our ideas about democracy. Join me as we unravel new topics every week.

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  • 26 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 49 min
  • English

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Episodes 26

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  • S2 · E10
    January 21 · 37 min

    Kate Baldwin Explains Why Christianity Fights for Democracy in Africa

    The group of people who have an interest in defending liberal democracy might be broader than many academics, and maybe even liberals, would have shown. Kate Baldwin This episode features Yale political scientist Kate Baldwin in a conversation about her book Faith in Democracy, which challenges the assumption that religion is inherently hostile to democratic governance. Drawing on research from sub-Saharan Africa, Baldwin explains how Christian churches have often emerged as defenders of liberal democracy – not because of ideological commitments, but because democratic institutions protect church autonomy and social service work from state overreach. The conversation explores when and why churches mobilize against democratic backsliding, how institutional incentives shape political behavior, and what this reveals about the broader coalition of actors invested in sustaining democracy. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 Why Churches Defend Democracy - 3:20 Role of Education - 14:09 Why Churches Choose Autocracy - 20:09 Leadership - 27:00 Links Learn more about Kate Baldwin. Learn more about her book Faith in Democracy: The Logic of Church Advocacy for Liberal Democratic Institutions in Africa. Check out "Democracy's Devout Defenders" in the Journal of Democracy. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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  • S2 · E9
    January 7 · 50 min

    Natalie Wenzell Letsa Describes the Autocratic Voter

    You can take a cognitive bias so far down the road that you can live in an objectively very clear dictatorship and sit there and say, 'I live in a democracy.' Natalie Wenzell Letsa In this episode of The Democracy Paradox, host Justin Kempf speaks with political scientist Natalie Wenzell Letsa about why some voters genuinely support ruling parties in electoral autocracies. Drawing on her book The Autocratic Voter and fieldwork in Cameroon, Letsa explains how partisan identities form under dictatorship and what these dynamics reveal about democracy, polarization, and political behavior more broadly. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 What is an Electoral Autocracy - 3:20 Voters in an Autocracy - 12:55 Opposition in an Autocracy - 21:04 Parallels to Democracies - 30:31 Links Learn more about Natalie Wenzell Letsa. Learn more about her book The Autocratic Voter: Partisanship and Political Socialization Under Dictatorship. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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  • S2 · E8
    Dec 24, 2025 · 50 min

    Russell Muirhead Warns Ungoverning Threatens Democracy

    The heart of ungoverning is going after expertise - eradicating expertise - and replacing it with the power of the great ruler. Russ Muirhead Russell Muirhead is the Robert Clements Professor of Democracy and Politics and the co-director of the Political Economy Project at Dartmouth University. He's also the co-author, with Nancy Rosenblum, of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos. Patrick McQuestion joins to help introduce the episode. Patrick is a PhD student in his fourth year at the University of Notre Dame studying political science and peace studies, and also the co-host of the Global Stage Podcast. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 What is Ungoverning? 9:00 The Fourth Branch - 32:29 Other Examples of Ungoverning 36:28 Ungoverning and Democracy - 46:59 Links: Learn more about Russell Muirhead Learn more about his book Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos Learn more about Patrick McQuestion Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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  • S2 · E7
    Dec 10, 2025 · 44 min

    Luis Schiumerini on Incumbency Bias

    Decreasing incumbent capacity and affective polarization are making incumbency salient, but also more of a curse than a blessing. Luis Schiumerini In this episode of The Democracy Paradox, host Justin Kempf speaks with Notre Dame political scientist Luis Schiumerini about his new book Incumbency Bias: Why Political Office is a Blessing and a Curse in Latin America. Schiumerini challenges common assumptions about incumbents, demonstrating that holding office can create systematic advantages – or disadvantages – depending on the institutional context. Before the conversation begins, Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Tomás Gianibelli joins Kempf to share his experience working with Schiumerini and to explain why this research reshapes how scholars think about democracy. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 What is Incumbency Bias - 6:06 Incumbency Disadvantage on the Rise - 23:58 Term Limits - 31:39 Implications for Democracy - 36:52 Links: Learn more about Luis Schiumerini Learn more about his book Incumbency Bias: Why Political Office is a Blessing and a Curse in Latin America Learn more about Tomás Gianibelli Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Support the show

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  • S2 · E6
    Nov 26, 2025 · 50 min

    Adam Przeworski Asks Who Decides What is Democratic

    The biggest disappointment is that democracies do not reduce social and economic inequality. Adam Przeworski In this episode, host Justin Kempf talks with political scientist Adam Przeworski about what truly defines democracy today. Przeworski explains why he sees no global democratic crisis, defends a minimalist view centered on free and fair elections, and reflects on why democracies struggle to reduce inequality. He also discusses why citizens sometimes tolerate democratic erosion and how modern autocracies maintain support, offering a clear and concise perspective on democracy’s strengths and limits. Alejandro González Ruiz, cohost of the Kellogg Institute's Global Stage podcast, joins to help introduce the episode. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 Minimal Democracy and Democratic Crisis - 9:44 Economic Inequality and Democracy - 22:37 Autocracy and Popular Support - 31:42 Democratic Backsliding - 36:09 Links Learn more about Adam Przeworski. Learn more about his book Crises of Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2019). Learn more about Alejandro González Ruiz. Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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  • S2 · E5
    Nov 12, 2025 · 51 min

    Killian Clarke Warns Counterrevolution is a Threat to Nascent Democracies

    For democratic revolutions to survive counterrevolution, they have to make certain choices that can undermine the quality of their democracy. Killian Clarke Political scientist Killian Clarke joins The Democracy Paradox to discuss his new book, Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. He explains why democratic revolutions are especially vulnerable to reversal, how elites and citizens can align in counterrevolutionary movements, and what these dynamics reveal about democracy’s fragility and endurance today. Amanda Waterhouse, a postdoctoral democracy researcher at the Kellogg Institute also joins to help introduce the episode. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 Counterrevolutions as Mass Movements - 9:59 Prevalence and Success of Counterrevolution - 19:08 Is Counterrevolution Always Bad? - 33:22 Why Some Revolutionaries Join the Counterrevolution - 41:12 Links Learn more about Amanda Waterhouse. Learn more about Killian Clarke. Learn more about Clarke's book Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Learn more about the Kellogg Institute. Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes