Democracy in Question?

Our guest: Quinn Slobodian

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

GLOSSARY

Bantustan 

A Bantustan was one of ten territories designated by South Africa's apartheid government as "homelands" for Black African populations. Established during the mid-20th century, these areas were intended to segregate Black South Africans from political and economic life in the rest of the country. Each Bantustan was associated with a specific ethnic or linguistic group, such as the Zulu, Xhosa, or Tswana peoples. Although some were nominally granted "independence," none were recognized internationally, and they were largely dependent on the South African state for funding and security. Life in Bantustans was often marked by poverty, underdevelopment, and limited political rights, with residents stripped of South African citizenship to reinforce segregation. The Bantustan system was widely criticized as a tool of racial exclusion, designed to legitimize apartheid while maintaining white political and economic dominance. source

Our guest: Arjun Appadurai 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

GLOSSARY

McCarthyism 

(07:46)

McCarthyism describes a period in the early 1950s when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin led a campaign to uncover alleged communist influence within the American government. From 1950 to 1954, McCarthy gained national attention by making sweeping accusations of subversion and disloyalty, often without credible evidence. His claims fueled widespread fear during the Cold War and resulted in many individuals losing jobs or reputations despite the lack of proof. The term has since come to signify the practice of making unsubstantiated charges, especially in a highly publicized or politically motivated way. McCarthy’s power declined after his aggressive methods were exposed during nationally televised hearings in 1954, when public opinion turned against him. Later that year, the U.S. Senate formally censured him, marking the collapse of his influence. Today, McCarthyism is remembered as a cautionary example of how fear and suspicion can undermine democratic institutions. source

Our guest: Michael Ignatieff

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Our guest: Luiza Anna Bialasiewicz

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

• Samuel Bagg: ‪@samuel-bagg.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Our guest: Ivanka Popović 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Our guest: Ivanka Popović 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

GLOSSARY

Milošević regime (p. 5 in the transcript, 17:28)

Slobodan Milošević was a central figure in the breakup of Yugoslavia and a key instigator of the ethnic conflicts that plagued the Balkans in the 1990s. Rising through the ranks of the Communist Party, he became Serbia’s president in 1989 and quickly moved to consolidate power by revoking the autonomy of Kosovo and Vojvodina. His leadership fueled a wave of Serbian nationalism and played a major role in the wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and later Kosovo, supporting Serbian forces involved in ethnic violence and atrocities.

Milošević’s regime was marked by authoritarian control, suppression of opposition, and state-controlled media. Though he maintained popular support in the early years by presenting himself as a defender of Serbs, his policies led to international isolation, UN sanctions, and ultimately NATO intervention. In 1999, following a brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, NATO launched a bombing campaign against Serbia.

Domestically, economic hardship and political repression led to growing dissatisfaction. After a disputed election in 2000, massive protests forced Milošević to resign. He was arrested in 2001 and extradited to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, where he faced charges of war crimes, including genocide. He died in 2006 during the trial.source 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

• Our guest: Soli Özel

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

GLOSSARY

Green New Deal (p. 6 in the transcript, 27:24)

The Green New Deal is a proposed framework of policies designed to combat climate change while simultaneously addressing economic inequality through large-scale public investment in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and job creation. The term draws inspiration from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, which aimed to revive the U.S. economy during the Great Depression through government-led economic programs. The Green New Deal, however, focuses specifically on transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy while ensuring economic opportunities for all, particularly marginalized communities. The most well-known iteration of the Green New Deal in the U.S. was introduced as a non-binding congressional resolution in 2019 by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward J. Markey. It outlined broad goals such as achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by investing in renewable energy, modernizing transportation and infrastructure, and ensuring a just transition for workers in fossil fuel industries. It also emphasized social policies, including universal healthcare, affordable housing, and access to clean water and air. Supporters argue that the Green New Deal is essential for preventing catastrophic climate change and fostering economic justice, while critics claim it is financially impractical and would require massive government spending. Despite controversy, the Green New Deal has influenced climate policy discussions worldwide. source 

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• Central European University: CEU

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio

Follow us on social media!

• Central European University: @weareceu.bsky.social

• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social

• Our guest: Nacim Pak-Shiraz

Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

GLOSSARY

Woman, Life, Freedom (p. 2 in the transcript, 08:00)

Woman, Life, Freedom is a protest slogan that affirms that the rights of women are at the center of life and liberty. The slogan is best known in English-language media for its use within the context of Iran. In September 2022 protesters in Iran and abroad adopted the slogan after Jina Mahsa Amini an Iranian woman in her early 20s, died unexpectedly on September 16, 2022, while in custody of Iran’s Gasht-e Ershad (Guidance Patrol; also called “morality police”) for “improper” clothing. The death of Amini, a 22-year-old Sunni woman from Iran’s minority Kurdish community, was a reflection of the escalating and unrelenting authoritarianism of the Iranian regime at a time of deepening economic instability. While the circumstances surrounding Amini’s death made the slogan resonate throughout Iran and the world, it already had been in wide use among Kurdish activists. The incident sparked outrage in Iran, where anger toward the government had already been flaring, and ignited a sustained and widespread protest movement. The protests over Amini’s death, which reflected a broad and far-reaching set of grievances caused by persistent government negligence, found expression in the slogan. source