What's Wrong with Democracy?

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 take to create a truly even electoral playing field?Guests: Robin Forestier-Walker, Freelance journalist, based in GeorgiaTanja Hollstein, Head of Practice (Elections) at the Westminster Foundation for DemocracyPippa Norris, McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University.What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 different interests at play?Guests: Keith Smith, Senior Researcher in the International Political Economy/International Environmental Politics group at the Center for Comparative and International StudiesLouis Wilson, Head of Fossil Fuel Investigations at Global WitnessRafaela Santos Martins Da Rosa, Coordinator of the Sustainability Commission of the Federal Court of Rio Grande do SulWhat’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, journalist and author of ‘Good Chaps’ and ‘Chums’Ezequiel González Ocantos, Professor of Comparative & Judicial Politics at Nuffield College, University of OxfordWhat’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 are drawn to. What makes a good president? And is the US primary system of choosing candidates a good way of selecting a leader? What’s Wrong with Democracy? US election miniseries - part two of three.Guests: Lee Drutman, senior fellow in the Political Reform program at the think tank New AmericaDarrell West, professor of Political Science and Director of the John Hazen White, Sr., Public Opinion Laboratory at Brown UniversityLindiwe Mazubuko, CEO of Futurelect and former Leader of the Official Opposition, Parliament of South Africa What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 this episode Ben explores one of the most extreme examples of ethnic conflict - the Rwandan genocide - and asks whether it’s possible to have a peaceful democracy after so much bloodshed.Guests: Sharun Mukand,  Professor of Economics at the University of WarwickJames Chin, Professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Lewis VickersOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 aren’t politicians more focused on winning over the next generation of voters? And how can we stop this trend so that political apathy doesn’t become political alienation?Guests: Viktor Valgardsson, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at Southampton UniversityJohn Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter at the Financial TimesJake Grumbach, associate professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC BerkeleyWhat’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume, Eleanor Biggs and Katie Gunning Editor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 democratic institutions fail, what does this do to our faith in democracy? And can a compromised judiciary ever be restored?Guests:Fida Hammami, Amnesty International's Tunisia Research and Advocacy AdvisorBen Stanley, Associate Professor at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw and Visiting Fellow at the University of SussexKathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolWhat’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor BiggsEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 could the wealthy, and super-wealthy play in keeping our democracies financially healthy? Does philanthropy have a place in modern functioning democracies? Guests: Valentina Pop, Europe news editor, the Financial TimesMark Malloch-Brown, former President of the Open Society FoundationsWhat’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Ada Barume and Eleanor Biggs Editor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 UK an outlier or part of a wider global movement?   Guests:  Sacha Hilhorst, Senior Research Fellow with CommonwealthPolly Curtis, Chief Executive of Demos Richard Wike, Director of Global Attitudes Research at the Pew Research Centre What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by The Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Katie Gunning and Ada BarumeEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 rise of autocrats?Guests:  Olya Onuch, Professor of comparative and Ukrainian politics at the University of ManchesterNicole Bibbins Sedaca, interim President of Freedom House What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by The Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Katie Gunning and Ada BarumeEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 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. What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by The Open Society Foundations. To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]: Professor Ben AnsellProducers: Katie Gunning and Ada BarumeEditor: Jasper CorbettOriginal artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.