Democracy Paradox

About Democracy Paradox

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 about democracy? My name is Justin Kempf. Every week I talk to the brightest minds on subjects like international relations, political theory, and history to explore democracy from every conceivable angle. Topics like civil resistance, authoritarian successor parties, and the autocratic middle class challenge our ideas about democracy. Join me as we unravel new topics every week.

Publisher

Justin Kempf

Category

government · news · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jun 2020

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

46 of 247 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Ian Shapiro Says the Left's "Preemptive Capitulation" to Neoliberalism Paved the Way for Populism

   Sterling Professor Ian Shapiro discusses how the Left's "preemptive capitulation" to neoliberalism created fertile ground for populism, an interview on Democracy Paradox.

2. 

   16 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Noam Lupu Says Support for Democracy Is Growing in the Americas, But Not Necessarily Liberal Democracy

   Noam Lupu, director at Vanderbilt University, discusses with Justin Kempf how support for democracy is growing in the Americas, but not necessarily liberal democracy.

3. 

   2 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis Fear Autocracies Are Hijacking the International Order

   Justin Kempf interviews Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis about how autocracies are increasingly shaping the international order and global institutions.

Inside a recent episode

Noam Lupu Says Support for Democracy Is Growing in the Americas, But Not Necessarily Liberal Democracy

Published 16 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] The judiciary, I think, is a classic example. But, you know, you think about how people think about the police, how people think about the courts, and increasingly political parties. So they see this president who, for the first time in a long time, is doing what they've been asking their political system to do and addressing the things that they want their political system to solve. And he is dismantling these other institutions that they view as sort of So, you know, in a sense, they sort of view everything he's doing as democratic. The irony of democratic backsliding is, you know, a lot of these things are pitched to people and understood by people as actually pro-democratic, even though they're illiberal in the sense of liberal democracy. […]

Who has been a guest on Democracy Paradox

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ian Shapiro
• Noam Lupu
• Alexander Cooley
• Alexander Dukalskis
• Suzanne Mettler

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

78 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

117 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

99

Contact Democracy Paradox

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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  War on the Rocks

Questions about Democracy Paradox