Democracy Dialogues

Who Is Democracy Actually For? People, Power, and the Fight Against Democratic Decline

This week on Democracy Dialogues, host Esam Boraey speaks with Shandana Khan Mohmand and Marjoke Oosterom, democracy experts at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, to unpack the takeaways of the newly released Democracy Report “Where’s the Dēmos in Democracy? Building Democratic Futures and Resisting Autocracy.” At a moment when autocracies outnumber democracies for the first time in twenty years, this report argues that the democratic crisis is not simply an institutional one, it is a crisis of exclusion. For too long, efforts to build democracy have focused on formal institutions like legislatures, courts, and electoral commissions, while neglecting the people those institutions are supposed to serve. The report puts forward eight building blocks for recentering citizens in democratic life, from building active citizenship and supporting informal mobilization, to reclaiming digital agency and strengthening accountability mechanisms. Drawing on decades of research across the Global South, from Pakistan and Zimbabwe to Uganda, Brazil, and beyond, Shandana and Marjoke bring the report's findings to life with vivid examples of how ordinary people fight back against backsliding, reclaim civic space, and keep democratic values alive even under authoritarian pressure. The conversation also addresses the role of inequality in driving democratic decline, the double-edged nature of digital technology, the power of youth movements, and what the dismantling of USAID means for global democracy support. Transcript here [https://cdn.craft.cloud/44c3b6c3-3307-4a13-a091-f99416660f91/assets/Episode-9-Transcript.docx#asset:453770@1:url] and the report is here [https://cdn.craft.cloud/44c3b6c3-3307-4a13-a091-f99416660f91/assets/IDS_DEMOCRACY_FINAL.pdf#asset:454068@1]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Assessing Global Democratic Health Amidst a Growing Shadow of Autocracy

This week on Democracy Dialogues, host Maya Tudor speaks with two democracy experts at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Freedom House to understand the headlines from Freedom House’s 2026 Report, entitled the growing shadow of autocratization. We discuss the drivers behind the 20th consecutive year of global democratic decline and compare the similarities and differences between Freedom House and Varieties of Democracy reports. We conclude by anticipating what lies ahead, what our experts are looking to understand, and what everyday citizens can do to strengthen democracy. Links: Freedom in the World 2026 [https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2026-03/FIW2026_final_digital%20%281%29.pdf] 25 Years of Autocratization [https://www.v-dem.net/documents/60/V-dem-dr__2025_lowres.pdf] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

A Year of Autocratization: Steep Declines in Democracy Registered in 2025 V-Dem Report

This week on Democracy Dialogues, host Rachel Beatty Riedl speaks with Kenneth Roberts and Paul Friesen, democracy experts at Cornell University, to unpack the takeaways of the newly released V-Dem 2025 Report “ 25 Years of Autocratization.” Drawing on the survey’s global measure of changes in regime status across the world, we discuss the dramatic decline of democracy in the United States, and what dimensions are driving that erosion. We also discuss other big moves, from declines in India and Indonesia, to improvements in Poland and Guatemala. We conclude with an analysis of some signs of hope and what to anticipate in the year ahead for ongoing contestation in the US around democratic rights and institutional sites of contention. Links: V-Dem Democracy Report 2025: here [https://www.v-dem.net/documents/60/V-dem-dr__2025_lowres.pdf] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

India’s Democratic Republic in Flux

In this episode of Democracy Dialogues, co-host Maya Tudor speaks with Yogendra Yadav – political thinker, activist, and one of India’s most prominent voices on democratic reform. A former academic and party leader, Yadav has led influential research initiatives, built new political movements, and worked at the intersection of grassroots activism and national politics. Their conversation explores the forces shaping India’s current democratic crossroads. Yadav reflects on global perceptions of India’s democratic decline, the meaning of its 2024 election results, and the interplay between national and state-level politics. He addresses the erosion of institutional independence – from the electoral commission to the media – and the growing impact of religious polarization on governance. Drawing on decades of experience in social movements, Yadav considers what drives political mobilization, the role nationalism plays in supporting or undermining democracy, and the strategies citizens can use to protect democratic values in turbulent times. From the “thousand small cuts” undermining India’s democracy to the enduring potential of grassroots activism, this episode offers both a candid diagnosis of India’s political challenges and a call to action for anyone committed to safeguarding democratic principles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Democracy and Its Inter-Connections

Former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla joins us for a conversation on global democratic backsliding, the role of the international community, and youth civic engagement. As a distinguished leader with experience at the highest level of national and global political affairs, President Chinchilla brings distinctive viewpoints to our conversation to foster democracy through democratic practices, public policy, and civil discourse. She currently serves as co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, the newly inducted president of Club de Madrid, an independent, non-partisan organization created to promote democracy, and member of international initiatives like the United Nations Human Development Report and the International Olympic Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]