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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May 16, 2023 · 43 min
Serhii Plokhy on the Russo-Ukrainian War
The fact that Ukraine can be a democracy.... presents a threat to the authoritarian regimes in Moscow and Minsk of the sort that NATO would never actually present. Serhii Plokhy Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Serhii Plokhy is a Professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University and the Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. He’s written many books including The Gates of Europe, Nuclear Folly, and Atoms to Ashes. His most recent book is The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:37 Ukrainian Political Identity - 2:39 Background on the War - 18:31 Causes of the War - 26:22 Nuclear Power in a War - 36:06 Key Links The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History by Serhii Plokhy Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters by Serhii Plokhy Learn more about the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute Democracy Paradox Podcast Olga Onuch and Henry Hale Describe the Zelensky Effect Michael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in Ukraine More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Support the show
May 9, 2023 · 39 min
Anne Applebaum on Autocracy, Inc
We are at a moment of very, very high risk and I'm not sure that people really know that or understand it, or if they do, if they care. Anne Applebaum Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Anne Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a Pulitzer-prize winning historian. Some of her books include Gulag: A History, Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine, and most recently Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. She recently gave the Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture titled "Autocracy, Inc." Key Highlights Introduction - 0:42 What is Autocracy, Inc - 3:47 Democratic Response - 13:40 Appeal of Authoritarianism - 26:51 Thoughts on Poland - 32:26 Key Links Watch Anne Applebaum's Lecture "Autocracy, Inc" "The Autocrats are Winning" in The Atlantic by Anne Applebaum Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum Democracy Paradox Podcast Francis Fukuyama Responds to Liberalism’s Discontents Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Support the show
May 2, 2023 · 50 min
Marsin Alshamary on Iraq’s Struggle for Democracy
The thing that really astonishes me is that there's never any agency given to Iraqis, both during the war and the occupation, but also 20 years later. It always goes back to what the Americans did. There's a defeatism about Iraq's ability to do anything on its own and I think that's at the heart of why people can't see anything democratic in the country. Marsin Alshamary Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Marsin Alshamary is a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative and nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy. She is the author of the paper "Iraq’s Struggle for Democracy" in the Journal of Democracy. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:41 Is Iraq a Democracy - 3:37 Iraqi Social Cleavages - 9:20 Iraqi Consociationalism - 26:33 Challenges to Democracy in Iraq - 36:55 Key Links "Iraq’s Struggle for Democracy" in the Journal Democracy by Marsin Alshamary Follow Marsin Alshamary on Twitter @MarsinRA Learn more about Marsin Alshamary Democracy Paradox Podcast Steven Simon on American Foreign Policy in the Middle East including Iran and the Wars in Iraq Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Apr 25, 2023 · 48 min
Jamie Susskind Explains How to Use Republican Ideals to Govern Technology
The problem in both cases is not Zuckerberg or Musk, but the idea of a Zuckerberg or Musk. The idea that, simply by virtue of owning and controlling a particular technology, someone wields arbitrary or unaccountable power which can touch every aspect of our liberty and our democracy. Jamie Susskind Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Jamie Susskind is an author and barrister. He has held fellowships at Cambridge and Harvard Universities. His work is at the crossroads of technology, politics, and law. His most recent book is The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:44 Challenges of Digital Technology - 3:18 Artificial Intelligence - 20:09 A Digital Republic - 40:27 Possible Solutions - 43:42 Key Links The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century by Jamie Susskind Follow Jamie Susskind on Twitter @jamiesusskind Learn more about Jamie Susskind Democracy Paradox Podcast Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda Ronald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational Repression More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Apr 18, 2023 · 48 min
James Goldgeier on NATO, its Enlargement, and its Future
Who would be a better ally than Ukrainians? These are people who are fighting so bravely and have shown so much resilience. That's what we should want in an ally. James Goldgeier Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. James Goldgeier is a a Professor of International Relations at American University. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University's Center on International Security and Cooperation and a Visiting Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Recently, he is the coeditor with Joshua Itzkowitz Shifrinson of a new book called Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:35 Purpose of NATO - 2:37 NATO Expansion - 16:00 NATO and Democratization - 22:41 Future of NATO - 32:42 Key Links Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War edited by James Goldgeier and Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson Power and Purpose: U.S. Policy toward Russia After the Cold War by James Goldgeier and Michael McFaul Learn more about James Goldgeier Democracy Paradox Podcast Robert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy Today Michael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in Ukraine More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Support the show
Apr 11, 2023 · 43 min
Steven Simon on American Foreign Policy in the Middle East including Iran and the Wars in Iraq
The Iraqis suffered so heavily and not just because of the 2003 war. The first war in 1991 inflicted terrible damage on Iraq and then the next 10 years of sanctions immiserated the populace and inflicted an especially punishing blow on Iraqi women and children. Steven Simon Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Steven served on the National Security Council staff from 1994 to 1999 and again fro 2011 to 2012. Earlier he served in the State Department for fifteen years. He is currently a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies and his most recent book is Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:43 Iran - 4:41 JCPOA - 22:58 The Iraq Wars - 27:19 Saudi Arabia - 32:57 Key Links Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East by Steven Simon Learn more about Steven Simon "America's Great Satan" By Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon in Foreign Affairs Democracy Paradox Podcast Robert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy Today Zoltan Barany on the Ineffectiveness of the Gulf Militaries More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Apr 4, 2023 · 52 min
Larry Bartels Says Democracy Erodes from the Top
Democracy is a much more complicated thing than we often give it credit for and certainly speaking dichotomously about democracy being in crisis or not is an oversimplification. Larry Bartels Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Larry Bartels is the May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science at Vanderbilt University and a Co-Director for the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. His new book is called Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens, and the Challenge of Populism in Europe. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:34 A Crisis of Democracy? 3:02 Populism 23:20 Political Restraint - 37:49 What is Democracy? 44:51 Key Links Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens, and the Challenge of Populism in Europe by Larry Bartels Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government by Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions Democracy Paradox Podcast Martin Wolf on the Crisis of Democratic Capitalism Jason Brownlee Believes We Underestimate Democratic Resilience More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Mar 28, 2023 · 42 min
Samuel Woolley on Bots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Propaganda
One of the things that we see happening online is sort of a democratization of propaganda. Samuel Woolley Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Samuel Woolley is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and the project director for propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement. His most recent book is Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:43 Background on Technology (including Bots) - 3:00 Artificial Intelligence - 10:17 Democratization of Propaganda - 20:44 The Legitimation of Ideas - 30:48 Key Links Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity by Samuel Woolley "Digital Propaganda: The Power of Influencers" in the Journal of Democracy by Samuel Woolley Center for Media Engagement Democracy Paradox Podcast Richard Wike Asked Citizens in 19 Countries Whether Social Media is Good for Democracy Ronald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational Repression More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Mar 21, 2023 · 40 min
Josh Chin on China's Surveillance State
It's hard to believe what was happening in Xinjiang and most Chinese people didn't believe, but now they do. A lot of them do. Josh Chin Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Josh Chin is the Deputy Bureau Chief for China at the Wall Street Journal and the coauthor with Liza Lin of the book Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:38 Describing Xinjiang - 2:38 Social Engineering - 11:21 Privacy in China - 19:08 AI in China - 28:23 Key Links Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control by Josh Chin and Liza Lin Read more from Josh Chin in the Wall Street Journal "The Mandarin in the Machine" A review of Surveillance State in Journal of Democracy by Will Dobson Democracy Paradox Podcast Elizabeth Economy in a Wide Ranging Conversation About China Aynne Kokas on the Intersection Between Surveillance Capitalism and Chinese Sharp Power (or How Much Does the CCP Already Know About You?) More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Mar 14, 2023 · 42 min
Staffan Lindberg with a Report on Democracy in the World
Democracy dies with the lies. Even that simplest form of democracy, which is that we vote on a politician or we don't and we vote on another politician depends on the truth. Because if you can lie about what you did in office or lie about what you didn't do, that sort of vertical accountability breaks down. It becomes meaningless. Staffan Lindberg Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Staffan Lindberg is the Director of the V-Dem Institute, one of the five principal investigators of the Varieties of Democracy Project, and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg. He is also a coeditor of the book Why Democracies Develop and Decline along with Michael Coppedge, Amanda B. Edgell, and Carl Henrik Knutsen. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:46 Bright Spots for Democracy - 3:24 Autocratization and Democratic Backsliding - 13:20 Causes of Democratic Recession - 22:25 Criticisms of the Report - 34:56 Key Links Why Democracies Develop and Decline edited by Michael Coppedge, Amanda B. Edgell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, and Staffan Lindberg Learn more about V-DEM "A Third Wave of Autocratization is Here: What is New About it?" in Democratization by Anna Lührmann and Staffan Lindberg Democracy Paradox Podcast Michael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the World More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Mar 7, 2023 · 51 min
Srdja Popovic on Dilemma Actions
It is one Putin when you see him on a calendar. It's yet another Putin when he needs to arrest a snowman. Srdja Popovic Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Srdja Popovic is the co-founder of CANVAS, and was a founding member of the Otpor! (“Resistance!”) a movement that had a crucial part in bringing down the Milosevic regime in Serbia. He recently coauthored an article in the Journal of Democracy with Sophia McClennen and Joe Wright called, “How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement.” Key Highlights Introduction - 0:27 What are Dilemma Actions? 2:24 Different Types of Dilemma Actions - 18:53 Effectiveness - 33:01 Strategies and Tactics - 38:37 Key Links "How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement" in the Journal of Democracy by Sophia McClennen, Srdja Popovic, and Joseph Wright Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World by Srdja Popovic with Matthew Miller Learn more about CANVAS Democracy Paradox Podcast Mohammed Ali Kadivar on Paths to Durable Democracy and Thoughts on the Protests in Iran Erica Chenoweth on Civil Resistance More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Feb 28, 2023 · 45 min
Wendy Hunter on Lula, Bolsonaro, January 8th and Democracy in Brazil
I do want to underscore this should not be read as a victory of the left. It's a victory of Lula and a narrow victory. And it's Lula the person. It's not so much Lula from the PT as the party that won. Wendy Hunter Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. 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.” Key Highlights Introduction - 0:36 Lula - 2:16 The 2022 Presidential Election - 13:01 Bolsonaro - 20:45 January 8th - 27:18 Key Links "Lula's Second Act" in the Journal of Democracy by Wendy Hunter and Timothy J. Power "Bolsonaro and Brazil’s Illiberal Backlash" in the Journal of Democracy by Wendy Hunter and Timothy J. Power "The Normalization of an Anomaly: The Workers' Party in Brazil" in World Politics by Wendy Hunter Democracy Paradox Podcast Jennifer Piscopo on the Constitutional Chaos in Chile Amy Erica Smith on Politics and Religion in Brazil More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Feb 21, 2023 · 53 min
Jennifer Piscopo on the Constitutional Chaos in Chile
I think voters right now, remember the circus of the convention over the substance of what it did. I think there is a bit of an amnesia over the mandate for change that existed in 2019 and 2020 that the Constitution delivered on, that voters had moved away from that mandate to change by the time the Constitution went for approval. Jennifer Piscopo Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Jennifer Piscopo is an associate professor of politics at Occidental College. Recently, she coauthored a paper with Peter Siavelis in the Journal of Democracy called “Chile’s Constitutional Chaos.” Key Highlights Introduction - 0:42 Demands for a New Constitution - 3:04 The Constitution Making Process - 17:18 Substance of the Constitution - 33:29 Why Voters Rejected it - 36:53 Key Links "Chile's Constitutional Chaos" in Journal of Democracy by Peter M. Siavelis and Jennifer Piscopo Learn more about Jennifer Piscopo here Follow Jennifer Piscopo on Twitter @jennpiscopo Democracy Paradox Podcast Aldo Madariaga on Neoliberalism, Democratic Deficits, and Chile Donald Horowitz on the Formation of Democratic Constitutions More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Feb 14, 2023 · 49 min
Martin Wolf on the Crisis of Democratic Capitalism
I think democracy and capitalism are individually in crisis in that they're not working very well and that the combination of the two in one political and economic system, which we have come to think of as the Western Way, is in crisis not only because the two component parts are in crisis, but because they're in crisis interactively. Martin Wolf Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Martin Wolf is the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. He has written many books, but his most recent is The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:51 The Link Between Democracy and Capitalism - 3:10 Does Capitalism Reinforce Democracy? 16:50 Status Anxiety - 26:13 Populism- 38:55 Key Links The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism by Martin Wolf Read Martin Wolf's writings at the Financial Times Follow Martin Wolf on Twitter @martinwolf_ Democracy Paradox Podcast Francis Fukuyama Responds to Liberalism’s Discontents Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Feb 7, 2023 · 47 min
Anna Grzymala-Busse on the Sacred Foundations of Modern Politics
While war creates the need for a state, it obliterates the capacity to deliver one. We're seeing that in Ukraine right now. That if you want to develop a state, you need peace, not war. War may create the need for a state, but peace is what allows you to build one. I think that that might be a lesson worth emphasizing, especially these days. Anna Grzymala-Busse Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Anna Grzymała-Busse is the Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies at Stanford University. She is also the Director of the Europe Center and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute. Her latest book is Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:38 Medieval Governance - 2:42 Papal Strategies - 16:43 Law, Taxation, and Representation - 25:07 Ongoing Influences - 40:25 Key Links Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State by Anna Grzymala-Busse Follow Anna Grzymala-Busse on Twitter @AnnaGBusse Learn more about Anna Grzymala-Busse Democracy Paradox Podcast Olivier Zunz on Alexis de Tocqueville David Stasavage on Early Democracy and its Decline More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Jan 31, 2023 · 41 min
Francis Fukuyama Responds to Liberalism's Discontents
I think that there is a core set of shared values that liberals have to embrace. You know, if they don't believe in a rule of law, they don't believe in the fundamental legitimacy of their constitutional order, that's a big problem. But as I said, probably the strongest argument in favor of liberalism is this pragmatic one. That this is something that allows pluralistic diverse societies to live in peace with one another. Francis Fukuyama Click Here to Join Patreon and Access the Bonus Episode with Final Thoughts on the Last Three Episodes on Liberalism Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:47 Interpretation of Liberalism - 3:04 Liberalism and Democracy - 17:15 Conservative Critique - 26:22 Threats to Liberalism - 39:16 Key Links Liberalism and its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama Learn more about Francis Fukuyama Democracy Paradox Podcast Michael Walzer on Liberal as an Adjective Patrick Deneen Offers a Powerful Critique of Liberalism More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Jan 24, 2023 · 43 min
Patrick Deneen Offers a Powerful Critique of Liberalism
By my reading of political philosophy every regime in a sense ultimately comes to an end because its contradictions ultimately undermine whatever virtues it might have had. I don't have a crystal ball, but I think it's a very real possibility that we're in a hinge of history where the next thing is in the offing and my hope is that that next thing is going to be a better and more humane way of organizing our society because the prospects of a worse and less humane way is also ever real and ever worrying. Patrick Deneen Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Patrick Deneen is a Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame University. He is the author of Why Liberalism Failedand the forthcoming Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:51 Deneen's Critique of Liberalism - 2:57 Human Rights - 14:06 Democracy - 25:18 Why Not Reform or Repair - 37:38 Key Links Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick Deneen Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future by Patrick Deneen Postliberal Order Substack Democracy Paradox Podcast Michael Walzer on Liberal as an Adjective Olivier Zunz on Alexis de Tocqueville More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Jan 17, 2023 · 25 min
Michael Walzer on Liberal as an Adjective
It doesn't have a fixed character. It's a mindset that has to do with a respect for human rights and civil liberties, toleration of different religions, and an ability to live with ambiguity. So, I like the idea of liberal as a qualifier on other and more specific and coherent commitments. Michael Walzer Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Michael Walzer is an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. He was also a longtime editor of Dissent. He is the author of many books including the classic of political philosophy Spheres of Justice. His most recent book is called The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On “Liberal” as an Adjective. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:45 What is Liberalism? 3:53 Liberal Democracy - 11:47 Liberal Nationalism - 17:35 How Does Liberalism Change? 22:14 Key Links The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On "Liberal" as an Adjective by Michael Walzer Spheres Of Justice: A Defense Of Pluralism And Equality by Michael Walzer Institute for Advanced Study Democracy Paradox Podcast Olivier Zunz on Alexis de Tocqueville Michael Ignatieff Warns Against the Politics of Enemies More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Jan 10, 2023 · 47 min
Robert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy Today
We think that because we’re children of the Enlightenment, the way the world is moving is gradually toward liberalism. I think the natural course of the world is away from liberalism and it has only been American power that has sustained this aberration in world history. Robert Kagan Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Robert Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, a columnist at The Washington Post, and among the most influential writers on foreign policy today. His latest book is Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:37 American and WWI - 2:37 Isolationism and Retrenchment - 16:40 Troops in the Rhineland - 31:36 Parallels to Today - 42:32 Key Links The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941 by Robert Kagan "A Free World, If You Can Keep It" by Robert Kagan in Foreign Affairs "The Weight of Geopolitics" by Robert Kagan in the Journal of Democracy Democracy Paradox Podcast Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home Charles Kupchan on America’s Tradition of Isolationism More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show
Jan 3, 2023 · 32 min
Olivier Zunz on Alexis de Tocqueville
Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is only partly a book on America. It's also a book of comparative thinking and it's a book of theoretical invention. So, Democracy in America is a theory of democracy. Part of it is about America and part of it is Tocqueville’s theoretical genius pushing through. Olivier Zunz Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com. Olivier Zunz is the James Madison Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Virginia. He is among the foremost scholars of Alexis de Tocqueville and the author of The Man who Knew Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville. Key Highlights Introduction - 0:44 Democracy in America - 2:21 Tocqueville as Political Theorist - 15:56 Tocqueville the Politician - 22:14 Tocqueville's Legacy - 27:17 Key Links The Man who Knew Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville by Olivier Zunz "Cancel Tocqueville?" by Tarek Masoud in the Journal of Democracy Learn more about Olivier Zunz Democracy Paradox Podcast Michael Ignatieff Warns Against the Politics of Enemies Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home More Episodes from the Podcast More Information Democracy Group Apes of the State created all Music Email the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.com Follow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast 100 Books on Democracy Democracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog. Support the show