Global

in·flu·ence

noun

1: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.

China exerts its influence to seek beneficial political and economic outcomes throughout the world. To do so, a decentralized apparatus of Chinese Communist Party officials and state-owned private enterprises employ a range of tools from opaque infrastructure investment to cultivating favorable thought leadership. Frequently, these activities have a corroding effect on the receiving countries' democratic institutions by exploiting high-level corruption and manipulating the information space. On this podlette, our host Travis Green explores these themes with:

Dr. David Shullman, IRI's Senior Advisor, oversees IRI’s work addressing the influence of China and other autocracies on democratic institutions and governance in countries around the world. He recently edited IRI's report, entitled "Chinese Malign Influence and the Corrosion of Democracy" | @DaveShullman

From April 11 to May 19, the largest democratic exercise in history was held in India. Off the popularity of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)achieved dominant results. But Modi and the BJP face a host of complex challenges arising from the country's staggering size, diversity, and changing role in the world.

How can international partners like the United States bolster India as it continues to develop? And what does India's ascent mean for the future of democracy?

Find out on this episode, of our podcast Global! Our host Travis Green speaks to:

Dr. Milan Vaishnav - Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace @MilanV

Dr. Daniel Twining - President | International Republican Institute @DCTwining

Vivek Shivaram - Program Officer | International Republican Institute @vivek_shivaram

mi·gra·tion

noun

1: movement of people to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions.

Migration is complex phenomenon driven by a wide range of economic, social, and political circumstances. It has far reaching implications for the long-term growth and political dynamics of both the countries from which migrants leave and the countries in which they arrive.

Today, the world is seeing those implications play out around migration streams through Northern Africa and the Americas. On this podlette, our host Travis Green explores these themes with:

Christopher Livesay, an award-winning foreign correspondent and producer based in Rome. His work on migration has been featured on the PBS NewsHour. | @cLivesay

Jorge Ceballos, Program Manager in IRI's Guatemala office. | @kokiceballos

Several decades removed from the conflict, Guatemala continues to deal with the lasting impact of its thirty-year civil war. Against a backdrop of systemic corruption and violent organized crime driven by the global drug trade, Guatemalans head to the polls on June 16 to elect the President, Congress and municipal offices. But can the country find solutions in an electoral environment where a Presidential candidate was arrested over allegations of connections to the Sinaloa Cartel?

Will reformers be able to succeed in this election? What can be done to address long-standing concerns over corruption and citizen security? And why should the United States care about what happens in Guatemala? To answer these questions, our host Lucas Jensen spoke to:

Patricio Gajardo - Resident Program Director in Guatemala, International Republican Institute | @pfgajardo

Amb. Stephen McFarland - United States Ambassador to Guatemala from 2008 - 2011 | @AmbMcFarland

Adriana Beltran - Director for Citizen Security, Washington Office on Latin America | @Adriana_WOLA

pro·test

noun: a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something.

Is there a formula for mass protests that induce change? Or, is it the luck of the draw?

Find out what went right in Sudan and Algeria. And, what could still go wrong.

Our host, Sinclair Stafford, chats with IRI's Acting Africa Director, Elizabeth Lewis and Middle East expert (and Global host!), Chessy Gortzounian about the protests in Algeria and Sudan. In their discussion, they cover what has made these protests successful, what the people of Algeria and Sudan have learned from the failed Arab Spring protests and what the next steps are for the two African countries.

For over sixty years, the European Parliament has been dominated by centrist coalitions of national-level parties, from both the left and the right. But in response to growing anxiety about corruption, changing demographics, and slow economic growth, Europe has seen a rise in anti-systemic parties. These parties are poised to disrupt the traditional balance of power in the upcoming May Parliamentary elections, raising questions about how the EU's policies will change on issues like collective security, immigration policy, and trade.

Will the world see "Brexit" repeated in other countries? How will the EU's relationship with Russia change? And why should the United States care about the results? To answer these questions, our host spoke to:

Ryan Heath - Political Editor, POLITICO Europe | @PoliticoRyan

Jan Zahradil - Member of European Parliament, Civic Democratic Party (CZ), Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists candidate for President of European Commission | @ZahradilJan

Jan Surotchak - Senior Director for Transatlantic Strategy, International Republican Institute | @jansurotchak

fa·tigue

noun

1: a lessening in one's response to or enthusiasm for something, typically as a result of overexposure to it.

In a democracy, it's often taken for granted that political parties balance citizens' competing values and priorities. But parties can become counterproductive to a healthy democracy when they lose touch with citizens or undercut the political independence of governing institutions.

Widespread dissatisfaction with parties has shifted elections across the world and many parties are failing to adapt to these changes.

What's driving these shifts on both the left and right? What can mainline parties do to adapt to the new political landscape? And are political parties even necessary for modern democracy?

Our host Francesca Gortzounian speaks with IRI's Europe Program Director based in Slovakia, Thibault Muzergues, who draws on his extensive experience with political parties across Europe to answer these questions.

Five hours before the opening of polling stations on Feb. 16, Nigerians heard from the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) that elections scheduled for that day would be postponed for one week. Against a backdrop of violence and political interference, Nigerians returned to the polls on Feb. 23 and Mar. 9 to cast votes for president, National Assembly, and local offices.

What do these elections mean for democracy in this strategically important country? How can youth be part of the solutions? And why is Nigeria's success important to the world?

Find out on this episode, of our podcast Global.

Our host speaks to:

Samson Itodo - Founder & Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA)

Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh - Senior Associate for Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Judd Devermont - Director of the Africa Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

e·lec·tion

noun

1: a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.

To put it simply, elections are one of the fundamental tenants of liberal democracy. Democracies are built on the idea that individual citizens have a say in who governs them and how. Elections are how we make that happen. Holding elections does not mean a country is democratic; however, no country can be a democracy without them.

But here is the thing—elections are incredibly complex processes that require organization and high levels of technical knowledge.

So what does it take to run a smooth election? And what are some of the consequences when these processes don't work well?

Our host Travis Green speaks with two IRI experts who draw examples from recent elections in Moldova and El Salvador to answer these questions -Patricio Gajardo, Resident Program Director for Guatemala and Stephanie Roland, Program Manager for Moldova

Against a backdrop of poverty, brutal violence, and entrenched corruption, Salvadorans went to the polls on February 3, 2019, and elected 37-year old Nayib Bukele, who ran an unorthodox campaign positioning himself as an alternative to the two parties who have dominated the country's political landscape.

The expectations for this young president are huge, and so will be the disappointment if he doesn't succeed. Now, to deliver on his promises to fight corruption and curb violence, Bukele will have to work with the establishment on whose failures he rode to victory.

But did his out-of-the-box communication style already burn those bridges? How did the country get to this political crossroads? And, will he live up to the image that Salvadorans voted for?

For this episode, our host speaks with:

Eric Olson - Director of Seattle International Foundation's Central America- DC Platform and a consultant to the Woodrow Wilson Center's Latin America Program

Glenda Umaña - Journalist with CNN en Español, who recently spent time in El Salvador during the Presidential elections in February 2019.

Dr. Felix Ulloa - Vice President-elect of El Salvador, who ran with President-elect Nayib Bukele on the GANA party ticket, ending decades of two-party rule.