GovernmentHistorySociety & Culture

Democracy in Question?

Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy

Today, liberal democracies are under unprecedented strain from within and without. In each episode, renowned social anthropologist Shalini Randeria invites a leading scholar to explore the challenges and dilemmas facing democracies around the world. They investigate what needs to be done to ensure the future well-being of our democratic institutions and practices.

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21 episodes
monthly
Avg 51 min
English

Episodes 21

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S12 · E1
September 9 · 45 min
Gina Romero: Restrictions affecting Right to Assembly and Youth Activism
In the first episode of season 12, recorded at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Shalini Randeria speaks with Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Romero examines how authoritarianism, surveillance, criminalisation and funding constraints are shrinking civic space and creating a climate of fear and apathy. The conversation addresses the repression of pro-Palestine activism on university campuses, the challenges facing UN Special Rappo
S11 · E10
June 10 · 43 min
MarleneEngelhorn
In this episode of Democracy in Question, Shalini Randeria speaks with Austrian-German activist and philanthropist Marlene Engelhorn about inherited wealth, democratic legitimacy, and the concentration of power in contemporary societies. Engelhorn explains why inheriting a vast fortune made her uncomfortable, arguing that wealth acquired by birth rather than merit represents a fundamental democratic injustice. She discusses her involvement in the Tax Me Now initiative, which calls for stronger t
S11 · E9
May 13 · 53 min
Pratap Metha
In this episode, Shalini Randeria speaks with political theorist Pratap Bhanu Mehta about the global rise of civilizational narratives — from India and China to Russia, Turkey, and parts of the U.S. They explore why governments increasingly invoke ancient civilizational identities, how this shift fuels soft authoritarianism, and what it reveals about the deeper crisis of liberal democracy. They also discuss how civilizational thinking erodes the historicity of the modern nationstate, replaces de
S11 · E8
April 22 · 49 min
Zsolt Enyedi on the Hungarian Election
In this episode of Democracy in Question, host Shalini Randeria speaks with political scientist Zsolt Enyedi about the landmark 2026 Hungarian elections, which ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. The conversation explores how a deeply entrenched “soft authoritarian” system, characterized by media capture, institutional control, and an uneven electoral playing field, was ultimately overturned through democratic means. Despite Orbán’s dominance over state resources, the opposition party Tisza, led
S11 · E7
March 11 · 57 min
Aishwary Kumar on Neo‑Democracy, Cruelty, and the Fate of the Vulnerable
In this episode of Democracy in Question, host Shalini Randeria speaks with Aishwary Kumar, Professor of History of Political Thought and Institutions at Cal Polyoma California, and director of its Democracy Institute, about his concept of “neo-democracy,” a mutation of liberal democracy defined by the return and acceptance of extreme inequality, the moralization of punishment, and organized cruelty carried out through law rather than outside it. Kumar links neo-democracy to neoliberalism and a
S11 · E6
February 11 · 44 min
Jayadeva Uyangoda
This episode revisits Sri Lanka’s dramatic 2022 Aragalaya uprising to understand how decades of post independence “ethnocratic elite democracy” set the stage for mass mobilization against the Rajapaksa regime. Why did a society long marked by political apathy suddenly generate a broad, cross class civil society coalition capable of forcing a peaceful transfer of power? Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda traces the deeper history of de democratization, explains the democratic imaginaries that shaped the
S11 · E5
January 14 · 48 min
Eva Fodor
This episode explores how Hungary’s illiberal, soft authoritarian regime and its controversial gender politics and policies are intertwined. Drawing on Éva Fodor’s analysis of the regime’s distinctive features, it examines its pronatalist and ethnonationalist agenda, as well as what she terms the “carefare” policy. How do attacks on gender – including those targeting academic freedom – connect to the vicious attacks against LGBTQI and trans community in Hungary? In what ways is Hungarian pronat
S11 · E4
Dec 10, 2025 · 56 min
Reproductive Agency vs. Authoritarian Demographics
This episode examines how global anxieties around fertility and population change continue to shape reproductive politics. Why do governments still target women’s bodies—whether to raise or restrict birth rates—and how do these pressures undermine reproductive rights and democratic trust? Drawing on new UNFPA data, our guests reveal why people across countries have fewer children than they desire, and how economic precarity, unequal care burdens, and gender norms matter far more than incentives
S11 · E3
Nov 12, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Quinn Slobodian on the “New Fusion” of Neoliberalism and the Far Right (Part 2)
This episode focuses on Slobodian’s latest book, Hayek’s Bastards, which reveals how some neoliberals forged an alliance with segments of the far right to roll back the progressive achievements of the post WWII era, eroding the very foundations of democracy. Why did the end of the Cold War trigger new fears among them and how did this eventually lead to an illiberal, soft authoritarian turn? What is the epochal significance of framing anti-progressive and anti-egalitarian political ideologies an
S11 · E2
Oct 8, 2025 · 58 min
Quinn Slobodian on Capitalism, Democracy, and the Politics of Zones (Part 1)
This episode explores the tension between democracy and capitalist markets. How could the fragmentation of national sovereignty offer a “solution” in the neoliberal imagination? What can experiment in special economic zones—from China to South Africa and Somalia—teach us about the far-right’s dismantling of democratic institutions in Europe and the U.S.? Tune in to hear Quinn Slobodian unravel the global circulation of market-driven governance and its consequences for democracy.
S11 · E1
Sep 10, 2025 · 59 min
Arjun Appadurai on Universities, Autonomy, and the Future of Democracy
This episode examines the unprecedented attacks on universities under the Trump administration. Why do these assaults go beyond culture-war battles over the humanities and diversity to target the very foundations of scholarship and scientific research? And how are internal pressures – ranging from monetization and vocationalism to the retreat from dissent – weakening universities from within? Tune in to hear why defending the autonomy of higher education is inseparable from defending democracy i
S10 · E10
Jun 25, 2025 · 52 min
Michael Ignatieff on the Contradictions of Liberal Democracy
This episode explores the tensions and contradictions of liberal democracy. What are some recent developments regarding opposing dynamics of economic globalization and the political sovereignty of the nation state? And why are universities, which have paved the way for upward mobility in most Western democracies, now under attack? Tune in to hear why there cannot be a free society without free universities.
S10 · E9
Jun 13, 2025 · 1 hr
Luiza Bialasiewicz on the Dilemmas of Academic Freedom
This episode explores recent challenges to the ideal of the university as a space for open debate and the plurality of views. What is emerging in various national contexts of higher education across Europe and in the United States? And how is the ideal of the university currently being debated? Listen also to hear what the EU’s rearmament could mean for academic freedom across Europe.
S10 · E8
May 28, 2025 · 50 min
Samuel Bagg on Resisting State Capture
This episode explores the pitfalls of valorizing participation as a democratic end in itself. How might a one-sided emphasis on participatory politics be instrumentalized by elite interests? And does simply getting more people involved in decision-making truly advance democratic ideals? Listen to hear why democracies should focus more on resistance to state capture.
S10 · E7
May 14, 2025 · 51 min
Ivanka Popović on the Serbian Protests (Part 2)
This episode explores the current political organizing stemming from mass student-led protests in Serbia against corruption of the regime. Why are Serbian students suspicious of the political establishment, including all political parties in the opposition? And what are the strategic dilemmas for the future direction of the protests? Listen to hear how accession to the EU could impact Serbia’s ongoing struggle for democratization.
S10 · E6
Apr 30, 2025 · 40 min
Ivanka Popović on the Serbian Protests (Part 1)
This episode explores the mass student-led protests in Serbia against corruption of the regime. How did moral outrage over a fatal railway station roof collapse in 2024 fuel a large-scale protest movement? And what key factors are behind its momentum? Listen to hear about current government tactics and the implications for academic freedom, university autonomy and democratization of Serbian society.
S10 · E5
Apr 16, 2025 · 46 min
Soli Özel on Turkey's Political Protests
This episode explores the broad implications of the large-scale protests across Turkey in response to President Erdoğan’s repression of political opposition. What is the background to the recent developments that the Turkish regime faces? And what are the dilemmas that have given rise to this political storm? Listen to hear why the current resistance in the streets to authoritarianism is a sign that young people and ordinary citizens are willing to protect democracy.
S10 · E4
Apr 2, 2025 · 56 min
Cara Daggett Unpacks Petro-Masculinity
This episode explores Cara Daggett's concept of petro-masculinity. It explains how fossil fuel-based power structures depend on a gendered and racial ordering of the world. How do the threats of climate crises feed into reactionary politics? Listen to hear why it is critical to consider democratic society in a global ecological context, one that integrates the natural and social aspects of climate and politics. Our guest: Cara Daggett
S10 · E3
Mar 19, 2025 · 47 min
Nacim Pak-Shiraz on Cultural Contradictions in Iran
This episode explores the multiple contradictions of Iranian society today. What are the limits for Iranian cultural producers? And what tactics do they employ to circumvent censorship and social taboos? Tune in for the wide-ranging conversation with insights from cinema and culture to women's protests and demographic concerns.
S10 · E2
Mar 5, 2025 · 54 min
Steffen Mau on the German Elections
This episode explores the recent German elections and related social, economic and cultural issues. How did welfare measures, migration and history play a role in the elections' outcome? And how might universities serve as models for democratic engagement and outreach? Listen also to hear how the establishment of citizen councils could help to restore rational debate, a sense of efficacy and the spirit of tolerance needed to cultivate democracy.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes