This episode explores what makes republican values and practices important to the survival of any democracy, as well as the role of sociality in cultivating of a common sense of purpose, mutual interdependence, and collective engagement. What makes the agrarian ethos of Indian village communities resonate with the spirit of democratic republicanism and how does the rural India vote transform political consciousness?

This episode explores the current state of democracy across Africa. What are the main achievements since the 1990s and what are the biggest internal threats to consolidation of democracy? Why have democratic governments failed to deliver? Listen to how unfulfilled promises and aspirations for a better life have shaped the current context.

This episode explores the role universities play in upholding and deepening democracy. How does university education foster civic engagement and a democratic spirit? How do universities foster interactive diversity? And what positive contributions can institutions of higher education make in order to strengthen democracy today? Listen to the illuminating discussion regarding the relationship between universities and democracy.

This episode explores the political mistakes which prevented human rights and the rule of law from taking root in Afghan society. What understandings of democracy prevailed following the U.S. invasion and what were the foundations on which the leaders of Afghanistan tried to build a modern republic? Listen to what made Taliban resurgence possible, as well as the prospects for a successful popular resistance to their rule of terror.

What are the causes and consequences of democratic decline worldwide over the course of the last two decades? Has democracy in the United States recently drifted more towards democratic backsliding or did the results of the 2022 midterm elections inspire hope in the reversibility of democratic degeneration in the US? What effect does this trend have on the stability of the international order, on the future of liberal democracy more largely, and not least, on the promotion of democracy...

The ongoing protests in the past months have rocked Iran to its core. What began as a wave of street demonstrations and protests has by now turned into a veritable revolution led by courageous and defiant women. What is the broader historical context regarding these current events? How has the oppressive patriarchal regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran paradoxically generated forms of public participation, collective action, and mobilization, which have empowered women? What is the role of...

How has the success of an extreme authoritarian figure like Bolsonaro been enabled by the political field in Brazil? What is the trajectory of the Brazilian left, represented by PT, ‘The Workers' Party’, led now to victory by President-elect Lula? Lula's return to power marks a fresh start for democracy in Brazil, but it also comes at a time of major geopolitical transformations. What are the possibilities and constraints for Brazil in a global political arena marked by the triple crises of...

Why is democracy prone to degeneration, and how does this affect our conventional notions of democracy itself? Do we usually depend too much on a thin formal institutional conception of democracy focused on electoral routines, and thus, neglect broader questions of class, culture, equality, and solidarity? How can we reimagine and also regenerate progressive democracy with the right balance of freedom, equality, and solidarity on the local, national, as well as supranational levels? And how...

U.S. American democracy is exhibiting symptoms of decline or even of degeneration given the continuing denial of the results of the last presidential election by many in the Republican Party and partisan efforts to curtail voting rights in the United States. How alarmed should one be about legislative capture and voter suppression by an increasingly combative Republican Party, which could significantly alter the very nature of American democracy? Do we need to re-evaluate our deep-seated...

In this episode Shalini and her guest discuss the changing valances of civil society over the last few decades. How can we assess today the geographically and historically specific understanding of civil society as a sphere outside of, and opposed to the realm of politics and state institutions and the market? Was this kind of view informed by a very specific political experience in Eastern and Central Europe, and could this limited understanding of civil society have unwittingly paved the...

Since populism became widespread in parts of Latin America, was it mistakenly seen as foreign to Euro-American liberal democracy, and has it in recent decades become more widespread than parliamentary democracy or liberal constitutionalism? Is the potential for populism inherent in democracy itself, especially when conceived in terms of a dialectic between the majority and the minority? Is it always accompanied by a suspicion against the elites? Should progressive political forces resort to...

How and why did the idea of calling for the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate the crimes of aggression against Ukraine come up in the first place? Why was it necessary to call for the establishment of a new International Criminal Court when there is one already in The Hague? Why can the International Criminal Court not investigate Russia for crimes of aggression? Under what conditions could any newly established special court successfully prosecute anyone from the highest...

The causes of the current societal, economic, and political crisis in Sri Lanka are complex. The immediate roots of the crisis are the local and global economic factors, fuelled by the popular protests against the corruption of the governing political elites. What does the ongoing crisis have to do with catastrophic or distant events like the COVID-19 pandemic or Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine? What role does foreign debt, especially indebtedness to China, play in the crisis? How...

The U.S. is in the midst of an ongoing coup, there is a real threat of fascist tendencies in the U.S. and elsewhere; these influence the possible outcomes of the upcoming 2022 mid-term elections as well as the 2024 U.S presidential elections. What are the potentially devastating consequences of legal action or rather inaction following from the January 6th committee? How fragile is American democracy today, and can changing perceptions of accountability lead to irreversible transformations in...

A new world order is in place where according to Kaldor, perpetual violence has become the norm. How come these so-called new wars, or “forever wars” as Kaldor refers to them, are not tied to contest over national territory? Furthermore, does NATO still adhere to Cold War patterns of thinking and is there a willingness in the organization to change the focus towards matters relating to human security? Is Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine not a throwback to the old wars fought for control...

What are the main threats to diverse societies and why is the timely recognition of these threats more important in liberal democracies? Can we or should we overcome the framework of methodological nationalism when we talk about the future of diverse democracies? Is the nation-state still the optimal scale for political action? How can diverse societies coexist with democratic institutions and governance structures on both the subnational and the supernational scales? How can the metaphor of...

This episode presents a description of the current situation in Putin's totalitarian Russia and analyzes whether there is hope for change coming from within the country itself. It is a vivid picture of how authoritarian regimes shape what citizens see, believe, and think and how this leads to a profound sense of hopelessness, isolation, a state of general anxiety and despair. Is the resurgence of Putin’s new imperial ambitions likely to bolster his power nationally and internationally? Can...

Why is democracy faltering around the world even in countries where it was previously well established? Why an unelected, non-democratic body like the House of Lords has joined the debate on democracy and is sounding off alarms? Can crises like Brexit or the war in Ukraine encourage the debate to rethink how democracy works? What type of media and politicians can best assist in achieving this?

In this episode the focus is on the latest presidential elections in France and the state of its democracy. What were the significant differences between this election and the previous one? Is there a new wave of anti-intellectual sentiment spreading across the country? It also delves upon how current political entities manoeuvre their way within the framework of the traditional right/left divide: has Macron forsaken his liberal values and did that lead to reluctance among his voters? Did...

This episode discusses how Vladimir Putin’s worldview was shaped and explores his possible motives for invading Ukraine. Also examined is the global response to the invasion, which has not been uniform around the world, as well as how the invasion has brought about closer unity between the United States and Europe, which had been drifting apart for some time.

This episode provides insight into why Hungary’s Viktor Orban was reelected to a consecutive fourth term with another parliamentary supermajority. Discussed is the role of the unlevel playing field in the leadup to the elections in terms of electoral laws and media domination, as well as how the war in Ukraine benefitted the government. The episode closes with some thoughts on what Orban’s reelection could mean for the European Union.

This episode focuses on Myanmar’s slow journey towards democratization, which appeared to have been halted by the military coup in 2021. What is also discussed is the legacy of British colonial rule in which certain ethnic groups were favored over others, and the progress of international actions against the Myanmar military regime over the Rohingya genocide. Furthermore, the impact of the war in Ukraine is examined as something that may force the military back on the road towards...

This episode explores Putin's threat to democracy in Europe and the Ukraine's conflict with Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Slawomir Sierakowski discusses soft authoritarianism, the strategic significance of sanctions, and further articulates what the war could mean for refugees and energy in Europe.

This episode explores the geopolitical, economic, and social implications of the current war in Ukraine. The in-depth historical analysis, both of the current Russian invasion in Ukraine, and the larger global context outlines how the war can be understood as a world war, which involves the rethinking and remaking of a world order.

This episode explores the complex and contradictory relationship between liberalism and illiberalism in a historical framework. It speaks to several key questions about the emergence of illiberal practices today: What is the nature of the illiberal challenge to an understanding of liberalism as individual freedom? Is there a natural affinity between liberalism and democracy? How do populist illiberal trends exploit the weaknesses of liberal constitutional regimes? And from where do threats to...