Democracy Paradox

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.
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Email comments or questions to [email protected]
Support the show

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

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

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

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