Podcasts · Government · News

What's Wrong with Democracy?

Tortoise Media

21 episodes

By the end of this year, countries making up half the world’s population will have held elections. But not all of them will have been free and fair. In ‘What’s Wrong with Democracy?’ Professor Ben Ansell of Oxford University will, with the help of academics, journalists, activists and writers, figure out whether democracy is working and how best to preserve democratic freedoms, equality and rights.

More about the show

What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by The Open Society Foundations.

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Host: Professor Ben Ansell

Producers: Katie Gunning and Ada Barume

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Original artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Episode 20: How to hold an election

    · 42 min

    For the final episode of the series, Ben goes back to basics and asks: how can democracies hold free and fair elections? It’s not as simple as setting up polling stations and handing out ballot boxes, so what does it…

  2. Episode 19: AI and democracy

    · 44 min · S1 E19

    This week, we’re looking at another big potential challenge facing democracy: AI, or artificial intelligence. Ben wants to know how worried we should be when it comes to the rise of these new technologies. Might they…

  3. Episode 18: Facing the climate crisis

    · 35 min · S1 E18

    One of the biggest challenges of our time is climate change. This week, Ben wants to know how effective democracies are when it comes to fighting the climate crisis. How can we settle on solutions when there’s so many…

  4. Episode 17: When politics turns nasty

    · 38 min · S1 E17

    Democracy can often be knocked off course by political violence, but in some places it’s become an ingrained part of how politics is done. This week Ben wants to find out why violence and democracy can be so hard to…

  5. Episode 16: How corruption corrodes

    · 37 min · S1 E16

    Where does the boundary lie between bad behaviour and outright corruption? This week Ben wants to understand how corruption and the fight against it are destructive forces in a democracy. Guests: • Simon Kuper,…

  6. Episode 15: On the campaign trail

    · 44 min · S1 E15

    It often feels like America is stuck in a perpetual election campaign cycle. How much do campaigns matter? Ben speaks to three guests who have followed several US presidential campaigns from the outside, and the…

  7. Episode 14: What makes a good US president?

    · 39 min · S1 E14

    American voters have chosen the two candidates who will vie to become the next US president. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump couldn’t be more different. This week, Ben wants to know what kind of leaders American voters…

  8. Episode 13: The devil's in the demographic

    · 42 min · S1 E13

    Polling organisations often define Americans by their ethnic and racial identity. Ben wants to know if these voter “blocks” remain intact at the ballot box. Is it possible to predict how people will vote based on their…

  9. Episode 12: The dangers of identity politics

    · 34 min · S1 E12

    Democratic societies are a melting pot of people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, but when political alliances are formed around a particular identity it can lead to division and sometimes violence. In…

  10. Episode 11: When to take to the streets

    · 31 min · S1 E11

    The history of protest and democracy is long and complex, but taking to the streets has resulted in major democratic changes in the past. This week, Ben wants to know if protest still has a role to play in today’s…

  11. Episode 10: Why the kids don’t care

    · 39 min · S1 E10

    In many democracies voter turnout is lower than it’s ever been, especially among young people. Ben wants to know what we can do to get millennials and Gen Z to the polls. Do we need to rethink how we cast a vote? Why…

  12. Episode 9: The polarisation problem

    · 35 min · S1 E9

    Democracies are made up of people with different views. But when we don’t feel connected, we become polarised. Ben speaks to Noreena Hertz about how loneliness leads to polarisation and then to Wendy Via to find out if…

  13. Episode 8: The case for an independent judiciary

    · 38 min · S1 E8

    This week, as more of our political institutions are rocked by corruption from partisan forces, Ben wants to know how we can protect the independence of our judiciaries, and what happens when they go wrong. When…

  14. Episode 7: Truth matters

    · 35 min · S1 E7

    The freedom to speak truth to power is under threat. Not just in authoritarian states, but increasingly within democracies too. This week Ben asks why access to reliable information is so important for democracy. And…

  15. Episode 6: Big money, big problems?

    · 32 min · S1 E6

    This week, Ben’s asking what happens when money meets democracy. As lobbying scandals continue to rock our institutions, Ben wants to know how we can protect our democracies from corruption. Also what role should or…

  16. Episode 5: The rise of populism

    · 33 min · S1 E5

    With populists rising to power around the world, Ben wants to know why, and how they flourish. Could establishment politicians learn a thing or two from populists about how to communicate? Do populists offer real…

  17. Episode 4: The trust deficit

    · 39 min · S1 E4

    Over the past 20 years the British public’s trust in politicians has been tested. Ben Ansell explores how trust is playing out in the UK’s upcoming general election. How can you restore trust in democracy? And is the…

  18. Episode 3: The autocrat behind the keyboard

    · 37 min · S1 E3

    Another front on the war against democracy is information warfare. Ben Ansell digs into how modern day autocrats are using this. For almost a decade China has been running a media influencing campaign in Africa. Now…

  19. Episode 2: The autocrat next door

    · 31 min · S1 E2

    In Ukraine, democracy is under attack. Ben Ansell investigates what that means for the country’s future. Is the war a death knell or a rallying cry for democracy? What is at stake and how worried should we be about the…

  20. Episode 1: The world’s biggest democracy goes to the polls

    · 34 min · S1 E1

    The world’s biggest democracy is currently in the middle of an election that will take six weeks to play out and involve over a billion people. Ben Ansell takes a closer look at the state of democracy in India, to try…

  21. Introducing: What's Wrong with Democracy?

    · 2:55 · Trailer

    Introducing: What's Wrong with Democracy? By the end of this year, countries making up half the world’s population will have held elections. But not all of them will have been free and fair. In ‘What’s Wrong with…

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