Talking Policy

Democracy is built on trust—and accountability. Citizens need information to hold those in power to account. But disinformation is eroding our trust in institutions, in experts, and even in our fellow citizens.

In the first episode of Talking Policy’s new miniseries, Democracy and Its Discontents, host Lindsay Shingler talks with Simone Chambers, a professor of political science at UC Irvine, about what disinformation is, and how it’s impacting voter trust—both in elections and in the institution of democracy itself. Chambers is the author of Wrecking the Public Sphere: The New Authoritarians’ Digital Attack on Pluralism and Truth (with Jeff Kopstein) and the new book Contemporary Democratic Theory.

U.S. democracy is facing unprecedented challenges. Political polarization is at its highest level in decades. An uncharted new media environment is spreading questionable information and undermining public trust. And profound economic and societal changes are prompting deep dissatisfaction with democratic institutions and procedures. What’s going on with democracy—and how can we save it?

For forty years, IGCC’s network of scholars from across the University of California has leveraged world-class academic expertise toward addressing the most serious matters of global security. As the world experiences reversals in democratic governance and a resurgence of authoritarianism, understanding the causes of U.S. democratic discontent could not be more salient to IGCC’s mission of utilizing rigorous research to help build a more peaceful and prosperous world.

This has been the year of the election, bringing half the world’s population to the polls in contests of varying degrees of legitimacy. As 2024 closes with a general election in the United States, we are releasing a five-episode Talking Policy podcast miniseries featuring in-depth conversations about the most pressing problems faced by U.S. democracy and how they can be addressed.

Democracy and Its Discontents will explore the spread of misinformation in political discourse, the influence of money on the U.S. electoral system, how political actors promote division and enmity, and how the rise of populist demagogues is testing democracies across the world. The series will place these challenges in historic context to ask if the risks to U.S. democracy are really so unprecedented and how we can reinvigorate the democratic ideals that the nation was founded upon.

In a new episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler talks with Jimmy Goodrich, an IGCC nonresident fellow and leading expert on technology, geopolitics, and national security with a focus on China and East Asia. Jimmy weighs in on the realities and misconceptions surrounding China’s heightened political and economic rhetoric, and what this posture may mean for future competition with the United States.

This interview was conducted on August 6, 2024. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Since ChatGPT was released in 2022, significant uncertainty has accompanied the fast-emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI). Maximizing the benefits and avoiding the pitfalls requires global coordination and regulation—but how should this be managed, who is responsible, and can regulation keep pace with technological change?

In a new episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler talks with Robert Trager, the co-director of the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, International Governance Lead at the Centre for the Governance of AI, and Senior Research Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford about the risks and potential solutions.

This interview was conducted on June 4, 2024. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

This year, more voters than ever before will take part in national elections. At the same time, democratic norms and policies are under threat globally. Why is this happening, and what should be done about it?

In a new episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler talks with Dr. Pranab Bardhan, a distinguished professor emeritus of economics at UC Berkeley, about his book, A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries. Bardhan shows that both cultural and economic insecurity are contributing to the trend of democratic backsliding, and offers perspectives on policies that would make citizens of democracies more secure while protecting the processes and norms of democratic governance.

This interview was conducted on April 16, 2024. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Why do some tragedies transcend personal experience to become notorious political events? And does widespread public attention lead to solutions or merely fuel political polarization? In a new episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Morgan talks with Tom Beamish, an associate professor of sociology at UC Davis, about his new book, After Tragedy Strikes. Beamish argues that public tragedies have become today's definitive social and political events—with the power to both unite and divide

This interview was conducted on March 27, 2024. The audio has been edited for length and clarity.

On February 24, 2022, the Russian army invaded Ukraine in what would become the largest attack on a European country since World War II. In this special episode of Talking Policy, guest host Jesse Driscoll, an associate professor of political science at the UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, sits down with a panel of experts from across the University of California for a conversation to mark the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion: Paul D’Anieri (UC Riverside), Jess Peake (UCLA), and Branislav Slantchev (UC San Diego). Together, they discuss the current status of the war, and what factors may impact a future settlement.

Jesse Driscoll is co-author of Ukraine’s Unnamed War: Before the Russian Invasion of 2022. Paul D’Anieri is the author of Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War. Jess Peake is a recent Pulitzer Prize nominee for her article “War Crimes by Any Name” for Los Angeles Lawyer.

This interview was conducted on January 31, 2024, with additional recording on February 13, 2024. The audio has been edited for length and clarity.

In the final episode of The State of the World, Talking Policy host Lindsay Morgan sits down with former California Governor Jerry Brown to discuss the challenges we face as a global community and pathways forward. This episode was recorded on January 9, 2024.

The State of the World is a special series on IGCC’s Talking Policy podcast that explores the biggest global challenges that will shape our future. The series is part of a suite of activities celebrating IGCC’s 40th anniversary. Since 1983, ⁠⁠IGCC⁠⁠ scholars from across the University of California and the UC-managed National Labs have used rigorous research, training, and policy engagement to improve policies and practices in ways that help reduce conflict and build a more peaceful world. To celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’ve created The State of the World, a Talking Policy miniseries featuring faculty from across the University of California on the biggest global challenges that will shape our future.

Archival audio used in this series is from NPR; the University of California, Irvine, audio recordings collection; Freesound.org; the Internet Archive; the Library of Congress; and the United States Government. Used with permission, where applicable. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited.

In episode four of The State of the World, Talking Policy host Lindsay Morgan speaks with political scientists Emile Hafner-Burton and Courtenay Monroe about democracy—what it is, why it’s under threat, and what we can do about it. Emilie is IGCC Research Director for the Future of Democracy and a professor at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Department of Political Science. Courtenay is a professor of political science at UC Merced and chair of IGCC's steering committee. This episode was recorded on January 4, 2024

The State of the World is a special series on IGCC’s Talking Policy podcast that explores the biggest global challenges that will shape our future. The series is part of a suite of activities celebrating IGCC’s 40th anniversary. Since 1983, ⁠⁠IGCC⁠⁠ scholars from across the University of California and the UC-managed National Labs have used rigorous research, training, and policy engagement to improve policies and practices in ways that help reduce conflict and build a more peaceful world. To celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’ve created The State of the World, a Talking Policy miniseries featuring faculty from across the University of California on the biggest global challenges that will shape our future.

Archival audio used in this series is from NPR; the University of California, Irvine, audio recordings collection; Freesound.org; the Internet Archive; the Library of Congress; and the United States Government. Used with permission, where applicable. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited.

In episode three of The State of the World, Talking Policy host Lindsay Morgan speaks with Richard Matthew and Fonna Forman about climate change. Richard and Fonna explain the science of where we are and how we got here, and offer ideas about the role individuals have to play in finding solutions. Richard is research director for climate change and international security at IGCC and professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy and Director of Strategic Engagement for the School of Social Ecology at UC Irvine. Fonna Forman is a professor of Political Science and founding co-director of the Center on Global Justice at UC San Diego and co-chairs the UC Global Climate Leadership Council.

The State of the World is a special series on IGCC’s Talking Policy podcast that explores the biggest global challenges that will shape our future. The series is part of a suite of activities celebrating IGCC’s 40th anniversary. Since 1983, ⁠⁠IGCC⁠⁠ scholars from across the University of California and the UC-managed National Labs have used rigorous research, training, and policy engagement to improve policies and practices in ways that help reduce conflict and build a more peaceful world. To celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’ve created The State of the World, a Talking Policy miniseries featuring faculty from across the University of California on the biggest global challenges that will shape our future.

Archival audio used in this series is from NPR; the University of California, Irvine, audio recordings collection; Freesound.org; the Internet Archive; the Library of Congress; and the United States Government. Used with permission, where applicable. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited.