Government

What's Wrong with Democracy?

by Tortoise Media

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Latest episodes

Episode 20: How to hold an election

October 16, 2024 · 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 take to create a truly…
Episode 19: AI and democracy

October 9, 2024 · 44 min

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 spell the death knell…
Episode 18: Facing the climate crisis

October 2, 2024 · 35 min

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…
Episode 17: When politics turns nasty

September 25, 2024 · 38 min

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 separate, and how to…
Episode 16: How corruption corrodes

September 18, 2024 · 37 min

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…

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Episode 15: On the campaign trail

September 11, 2024 · 44 min

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 inside. How different does…
Episode 14: What makes a good US president?

September 4, 2024 · 39 min

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…
Episode 13: The devil's in the demographic

August 28, 2024 · 42 min

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 identity? Or is…
Episode 12: The dangers of identity politics

August 7, 2024 · 34 min

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…
Episode 11: When to take to the streets

July 31, 2024 · 31 min

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 politics. What are the…
Episode 10: Why the kids don’t care

July 24, 2024 · 39 min

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…
Episode 9: The polarisation problem

July 17, 2024 · 35 min

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 opposing worldviews…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

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 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 hello@tortoisemedia.com 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.