Democracy Paradox

By 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 a

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FAQs about Democracy Paradox:

How many episodes does Democracy Paradox have?

The podcast currently has 237 episodes available.

Democracy Paradox episodes:

June 24, 2026Pepper Culpepper Says Good Populism Can Save Democracy
We think the next ten years are going to be anti-billionaire.
Pepper Culpepper
Pepper Culpepper joins the Democracy Paradox to discuss when populism can strengthen democracy. Drawing on his Journal of Democracy article “When Populism Can Be Good” and his book with Taeku Lee, Billionaire Backlash, Culpepper argues that corporate scandals can channel public anger toward billionaires and large corporations in ways that reinforce democratic accountability. The conversation explores good and bad populism, economic unfairness, AI, regulation, and whether democratic governments can still stand up to concentrated corporate power.
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
Good Populism - 3:05
Latent Opinion - 12:33
The Next Progressive Era - 20:42
Regulation vs. Abundance - 35:48
Links
Learn more about Pepper Culpepper.
Learn more about his Journal of Democracy article “When Populism Can Be Good.”
Learn more about his book Billionaire Backlash: The Age of Corporate Scandal and How It Could Save Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2026).
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
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50min
June 10, 2026Dan Slater Says Authoritarian Ideologies Still Matter
We think of World War II as this global democratizing event, but what it really did was strengthen left-wing authoritarianism.
Dan Slater
Dan Slater is the James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Center of Emerging Democracies at the University of Michigan. He is the coauthor (with Joseph Wong) of the book From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. More recently, he authored the article "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave" in the Journal of 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 Scholars Stopped Taking Ideology Seriously - 3:02
The Difference Between Authoritarian Left and Right - 5:31
Why the Third Wave Narrative Gets the History Wrong - 20:45
Can Democracy Survive Ideological Extremes - 33:43
Links
Learn more about Dan Slater.
Read his article in the Journal of Democracy, "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave."
Learn more about the Center for Emerging Democracies.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
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Email comments or questions to [email protected]

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48min
May 27, 2026Guillermo Trejo on Accountability, Impunity, and the Fate of New Democracies
What happens when the violent state forged under autocracy survives into democracy?
Guillermo Trejo
In this episode of The Democracy Paradox, Kellogg faculty fellow Guillermo Trejo discusses his new book, Accountability Shock, coauthored with Lucía Tiscornia and Juan Albarracín. Trejo explains how authoritarian security forces can survive democratic transitions and fuel organized crime, and why truth commissions, prosecutions, and institutional reforms are essential tools for preventing violence and building more durable democracies.
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 the State? - 3:23
From Order to Crime - 9:12
The Accountability Shock - 19:10
Beyond Elections - 37:20
Links
Learn more about Guillermo Trejo.
Learn more about his book Accountability Shock: Why Transitional Justice Prevents Criminal Wars in New Democracies (Cambridge University Press, 2026)
Learn more about the Notre Dame Violence and Transitional Justice Lab.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
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Email comments or questions to [email protected]

Support the show
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58min
May 13, 2026Kenneth Roberts Says the Left Pays a Steep Price for Breaking with Democracy
The left pays a very steep price when they break with democratic norms and procedures.
Kenneth Roberts
Kenneth Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University. He is the coauthor (with Santiago Anria) of Polarization and Democracy in Latin America: Legacies of the Left Turn.
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
The Origins of the Left Turn - 3:21
Polarization and Its Discontents - 13:18
The Autocratic Temptation - 21:40
Populism and the Left's Democratic Reckoning - 37:24

Links
Learn more about Kenneth Roberts
Read his book Polarization and Democracy in Latin America: Legacies of the Left Turn
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Apes of the State created all Music
Email comments or questions to [email protected]
Support the show
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47min
April 29, 2026Sheri Berman Says the Democratic Recession Was Not a Surprise
If democracy wants to regain the upper hand, it has to not only do a better job than the other guys, but in fact, a good job.
Sheri Berman
This episode features a conversation with political scientist Sheri Berman on why today’s global "democratic recession" was actually predictable. Drawing from her deep historical research, Berman argues that every democratic wave eventually faces an "undertow," especially when the social and economic foundations of stability begin to fail. From the cautionary lessons of Weimar Germany to the modern rise of partisan "bubbles," this episode explores what we have forgotten about democratic stability and what it will take to secure its future.
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 We Forgot About Democracy - 3:39
The Social Foundations of Democracy - 13:55
Inequality, Insecurity, and Policy - 28:16
Universities, Cruise Control, and the Purpose of Democracy - 40:55
Links
Learn more about Sheri Berman.
Read her article "Democracy's Troubles Should Be No Surprise" in the Journal of Democracy.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Apes of the State created all Music
Email comments or questions to [email protected]
Support the show
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51min
April 15, 2026Christopher Walker Revisits Sharp Power
Sharp power seeks to exploit the openness of free societies because their institutions are open.
Christopher Walker
Christopher Walker, a leading expert on authoritarian influence, returns to the origins of the concept of "sharp power," a term he helped develop to distinguish coercive and manipulative forms of influence from Joseph Nye’s idea of soft power. While soft power relies on attraction and persuasion, Walker explains that sharp power instead works by penetrating democratic institutions, restricting debate, and shaping narratives in ways that undermine openness. The conversation situates this concept within a broader shift in global politics, where expectations of democratic expansion after the Cold War have given way to a more contested and authoritarian-influenced world.
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
The Origins of Sharp Power - 2:51
How Sharp Power Works - 11:29
Do Democracies Use Sharp Power? 21:15
Sharp Power in the Current Geopolitical Moment - 30:32
Links
Learn more about Christopher Walker.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Apes of the State created all Music
Email comments or questions to [email protected]

Support the show
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46min
April 01, 2026Hugo Drochon Says Elites Are Inevitable
I don't think populism is necessarily a challenge to democracy. I think it's part and parcel of it.
Hugo Drochon
Hugo Drochon joins The Democracy Paradox to explore why elites are an unavoidable part of democracy – and why that may not be a bad thing. Drawing on classical elite theory, he explains how democratic systems depend on the constant circulation of competing elites and why outsider movements, including populism, can play a vital role in keeping democracy responsive. The conversation challenges conventional views by reframing democracy as an ongoing, dynamic struggle rather than a fixed set of institutions.
Hugo Drochon is an Associate Professor in Political Theory at the University of Nottingham and the author of a new book titled Elites and 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
Nobody Wants to be an Elite - 3:52
Lions, Foxes, and the Circulation of Elites - 15:34
Is Populism a Threat to Democracy? - 31:37
The Role of Ordinary Citizens - 41:12
Links
Learn more about Hugo Drochon.
Learn more about his upcoming book Elites and Democracy (Princeton University Press)
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Apes of the State created all Music
Email comments or questions to [email protected]
Support the show
...more
48min
March 18, 2026Milan Svolik Asks: Do Voters Really Support Democracy?
We are badly mismeasuring whether and how much people care about democracy.
Milan Svolik
In this episode of the Democracy Paradox, host Justin Kempf speaks with political scientist Milan Svolik, the Elizabeth S. & A. Varick Stout Professor of Political Science at Yale University and author of The Politics of Authoritarian Rule. Their conversation explores one of the central puzzles in contemporary democracy: why citizens who say they strongly support democracy sometimes vote for politicians who undermine it. Drawing on Svolik’s experimental research, the discussion examines how traditional survey questions often overestimate democratic commitment and why understanding voters’ real trade-offs offers a more accurate picture.
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
Measuring What Voters Really Believe - 3:33
Militant Democracy and the Risks of Overcorrection - 16:51
The Left, the Right, and Who Defends Democracy - 37:18
The Voter as Democracy's Last Gatekeeper - 52:13
Links
Learn more about Milan Svolik.
Learn more about his book The Politics of Authoritarian Rule (Cambridge University Press)
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the 2026 Global Democracy Conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Apes of the State created all Music
Email questions or comments to [email protected]
Support the show
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1h 2min
March 04, 2026Minxin Pei Warns China Has Descended into Totalitarianism
The paradox of dictatorship is that dictatorships do well when they do not have a genuine dictator.
Minxin Pei
In this episode of Democracy Paradox, Justin Kempf speaks with China scholar Minxin Pei about his book The Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism and his argument that China under Xi Jinping has shifted from authoritarianism back toward totalitarianism. They explore the missed opportunities for political reform in the 1980s, the party’s post-Tiananmen survival strategy, and how Xi consolidated power through purges, ideological revival, and expanded social control. The conversation also reflects on what China’s trajectory reveals about the strengths – and fragility – of democracy itself.
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
China's Missed Opening - 4:22
The Return of Control - 21:03
The Making of a Strongman 38:16
Lessons for Democracy - 50:41
Links
Learn more about Minxin Pei.
Learn more about his new book The Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the Global Democracy Conference
Apes of the State created all Music
Support the show
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54min
February 18, 2026Erica Frantz says Personalist Parties are Democracy's Latest Threat
Traditional programmatic parties serve as a critical guardrail for democracy.
Erica Frantz
In this episode, Justin Kempf speaks with Erica Frantz about her book The Origins of Elected Strongmen and the rise of personalist leaders in democracies. Frantz explains how leader-dominated political parties – more than populist rhetoric alone – can erode democratic institutions from within, drawing on cases from El Salvador to France. The conversation explores why voters support such leaders and what this trend means for the future of democracy worldwide.
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
Personalism Defined - 2:50
Personalism's Appeal - 14:19
Threat to Democracy - 19:38
Pushing the Boundaries of the Theory - 33:13
Links
Learn more about Erica Frantz.
Learn more about her coauthored book The Origins of Elected Strongmen: How Personalist Parties Destroy Democracy from Within.
Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Register for the Global Democracy Conference
Apes of the State created all Music

Support the show
...more
52min

FAQs about Democracy Paradox:

How many episodes does Democracy Paradox have?

The podcast currently has 237 episodes available.

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