On the Frontlines of Democracy

In this week’s episode, we speak with Astra Taylor, a critically acclaimed writer, filmmaker and organizer about practicing solidarity in an age of insecurity. Taylor discusses insecurity as a structural feature of capitalism and advocates for solidarity, which fosters collective responsibility and mutual obligation.   __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: Host Sanjay Ruparelia and Astra Taylor discuss the practice of solidarity in an age of insecurity. Taylor distinguishes between existential and manufactured insecurity, emphasizing that insecurity is a structural feature of capitalism. She also contrasts solidarity with unity and fraternity, highlighting solidarity's relational and transformative nature. She advocates for a "solidarity state,” which fosters collective responsibility and mutual obligation. Taylor also addresses the challenges of achieving global solidarity, noting the debt Western nations owe to the Global South due to historical injustices. She emphasizes the need for international cooperation to address crises like climate change and pandemics.   Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective, documentary director, author and frequent contributor to publications including Dissent, The New Yorker and n+1. Her most recent book, co-authored with Leah Hunt-Hendrix, is Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea.  Background Reading:  Yogendra Yadav’s Making Sense of Indian Democracy: Theory in Practice Suhas Palshikar, K.C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav’s Party Competition in Indian States: Electoral Politics in Post-Congress Polity  Alfred Stepan, Juan J. Linz and Yogendra Yadav’s Crafting State-Nations: India and Other Multinational Democracies Astra Taylor’s The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor’s Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea

In this week’s episode, we speak with renowned public intellectual and political activist Yogendra Yadav about India’s 2024 national election. We’ll discuss the BJP’s surprising losses, the continued dominance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the shifting political landscape, including the rise of lower caste support for Hindu nationalism. Yogendra shares his thoughts on the erosion of Indian democracy and how a new form of republican politics can help revive its original constitutional values. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:  Host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with Yogendra Yadav to discuss the political shifts that have defined India leading up to the 2024 Indian national election. Despite predictions of a sweeping victory, Narendra Modi’s BJP experienced significant losses, forcing it to form a coalition government. Yadav discusses Modi’s continued popularity despite setbacks over the past decade and shifts in voter concerns from national issues to local ones. The episode breaks down what the election means for the future of Indian democracy.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Yogendra Yadav, a public intellectual and political activist. He is currently the national convener of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, a campaign to protect and promote constitutional values and democratic institutions in India.  Background Reading:  Yogendra Yadav’s Making Sense of Indian Democracy: Theory in Practice Suhas Palshikar, K.C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav’s Party Competition in Indian States: Electoral Politics in Post-Congress Polity  Alfred Stepan, Juan J. Linz and Yogendra Yadav’s Crafting State-Nations: India and Other Multinational Democracies

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sithembile Mbete and Professor Lawrence Hamilton to shine a light on South Africa’s political landscape following the 2024 elections. While the ANC achieved political freedom thirty years ago, it failed to secure economic justice for the majority. We discuss why many in the Born Free generation view Mandela’s compromises as a betrayal and explore a critical take on the 1996 constitution. We also dive into the 2024 elections, the ANC’s declining popularity, and the rise of offshoot parties. How does political instability, alongside the challenges of inequality, corruption, and gender representation, shape South Africa’s future? Join us to find out more.

Host Sanjay Ruparelia sat down with Kaya Genç, a scholar, writer and journalist and the Istanbul correspondent for the Los Angeles Review of Books. His latest book, The Lion and the Nightingale: A Journey Through Modern Turkey, weaves a narrative of the current political climate in Turkey after the terror events and failed coup in 2016 through the personal stories of regular Turkish people. The “lion” represents Turkey’s past, its militant strength and power; while the “nightingale” conjures a song, representing Turkey’s rich cultural history of art, literature and romance. In this episode, Dr. Genç talks about populism and the rise of Erdogan, the similarities between militant secularism and Islamic extremism, and the resurgence of the once-dormant Turkish left.   ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes; Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University Guest: Kaya Genç, Turkish writer, journalist, and scholar, the Istanbul correspondent for The Los Angeles Review Books and a contributing editor to the Index on Censorship Further Reading: The Lion and the Nightingale: A Journey Through Modern Turkey by Kaya Genç Erdogan's Imperial Presidency by Kaya Genç, New York Review of Books Istanbul's Youth Feel Emancipated and Precarious by Kaya Genç, Los Angeles Review of Books The Tragedy of the Turkish Left by Ahmet Samim, New Left Review   Read the transcript here.

Host Sanjay Ruparelia sat down with Rob Goodman, an assistant professor of politics at the Toronto Metropolitan University. An award-winning author and former political speechwriter, his most recent book is Not Here: Why American Democracy is Eroding, and How Canada Can Protect Itself. In this episode, they discuss how founding myths between Canada and the United States have shaped the moral character of their respective governments and if Canada can avoid the rise of right-wing populism we've witnessed in the United States.  __________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University Guest: Rob Goodman, Assistant Professor of Politics at the Toronto Metropolitan University Further Reading: Not Here: Why American Democracy is Eroding, and How Canada Can Protect Itself by Rob Goodman

Host Sanjay Ruparelia sat down with Dan Slater, the James Orin Murfin professor of political science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he directs the Center for Emerging Democracies. Dan has written a series of essays and books on major issues in Southeast Asia, the latest of which is a book with Joseph Wong called From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. On March 20, Prabowo Subianto was officially declared the next president of Indonesia. In today’s episode, Dan illuminates that election and Prabowo’s victory by discussing topics such as political power-sharing among elites, the enduring popularity of former president Jokowi, and what Indonesian politics can teach the world about non-Western democracies. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University  Guest: Dan Slater, James Orin Murfin, Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor  Further Reading:  From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia by Dan Slater and Joseph Wong  Indonesia’s High-Stakes Handover by Dan Slater, Journal of Democracy   What Indonesian Democracy Can Teach the World by Dan Slater, Journal of Democracy Who Are the Elites that Control Indonesian Politics? By Robertus Robet   Episode transcript is available here.

Host Sanjay Ruparelia sat down with Maria Popova, an associate professor of political science at McGill University, where she holds the Jean Monnet Chair. Dr. Popova is a widely noted scholar of corruption, autocracy and populism in post-communist Europe, and recently released her book Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States which she co-authored with Oxana Shevel. As Ukraine enters its third year of the war with Russia, Maria joins us to discuss Russia and Ukraine's divergent paths after the fall of the Soviet Union, the two countries’ conflicting memories of the Holodomor, and Russia’s motivations in Ukraine that extend beyond NATO’s encroachment.  ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University Guest: Maria Popova, Jean Monnet Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University Further Reading: Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States by Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel Ukraine in Histories and Stories: Essays by Ukrainian Intellectuals by Volodomyr Yermolenko (editor) Red Famine by Anne Applebaum Stalin: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928 by Stephen Kotkin

Host Sanjay Ruparelia interviews Olle Tornquist, professor emeritus of political science and development research at the University of Oslo. Professor Tornquist’s research focuses on the rise and decline of second and third-wave democracy in Scandinavia as well as the Global South. This episode explores the power of participatory socialism in democratization, the challenges of applying the Scandinavian model elsewhere in the world, and the limitations of NATO in thwarting far-right authoritarianism.   __________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.   Guest: Olle Tornquist is a professor emeritus of Political Science and Development Research at the University of Oslo. Professor Tornquist’s latest book is called In Search of New Social Democracy: Insights from the South, Implications for the North. Further Reading:   Comparative Notes on Indian Experiences of Social Democracy: Kerala and West Bengal by John Harriss and Olle Tornquist   Deepening Democracy: Institutional Innovations in Empowered Participatory Governments by Archon Fung and Erik Olin Wright Capital and Ideology by Thomas Picketty

Host Sanjay Ruparelia talks with Marcela Ríos Tobar, a visiting scholar at the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford, and the former Minister of Justice and Human Rights in Chile. Their discussion coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup, an event that continues to haunt the country’s democratic institutions. In this episode, Dr. Ríos Tobar discusses the external forces that made the establishment of socialism before 1973 so difficult, as well as the lingering effects of the Pinochet dictatorship on Chilean politics. Fifty years later, despite its violent means, memory of the military coup remains polarized. While democratic gains have been made, a persistent, energized far right means there are two visions of Chile’s past– and its future. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Marcela Ríos Tobar, visiting scholar at the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford, former Minister of Justice and Human Rights in Chile.   Further Reading: Feminist Agendas and Democracy in Latin America by Jane S. Jaquette (editor), Marcela Ríos Tobar (contributor)   Transcript:  On The Frontlines of Democracy - Season 2 - Ep1 - Marcela Rios Tobar

On The Frontlines of Democracy is back! Join us this season as we unravel the complexities, celebrate the achievements, and navigate the dangers faced by democracies across the globe. Make sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss an episode!

Sanjay Ruparelia is joined by Kristen Hopewell, the Canada Research Chair in Global Policy at the University of British Columbia, to discuss the current conflicts in international trade. In this episode, Hopewell explains the stalemates in the World Trade Organization, particularly the escalating conflict between China and the U.S. in trade negotiations. Although China is still considered a developing country, its rising economic status has halted the U.S.’s uncontested dominance.  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes:   Host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with Kristen Hopewell, the Canada Research Chair in Global Policy at the University of British Columbia. In this episode, Kristen Hopewell discusses the conflicts happening inside the World Trade Organization. As emerging economies, such as China and India, have more bargaining power in trade negotiations, industrialized nations like the U.S. and Canada are seeing their international influence dwindle.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Kristen Hopewell, Canada Research Chair in Global Policy in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and Co-Director of the Centre for Chinese Research. Background Reading:  Kristen Hopewell’s Clash of Powers: US-China Rivalry in Global Trade Governance Kristen Hopewell’s Breaking the WTO: How Emerging Powers Disrupted the Neoliberal Project Kristen Hopewell’s Emerging Powers, Leadership, and South–South Solidarity: The Battle Over Special and Differential Treatment at the WTO

Sanjay Ruparelia is joined by Joseph Wong, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs. Professor Wong discusses why it’s better for authoritarian regimes to transition to democracies when they’re strong, rather than when they are weak. Although it may seem counterintuitive, Wong argues that autocratic governments have an incentive to transition to democracies when they’re most powerful, rather than when they’re on the brink of collapse. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: In this episode of On The Frontlines of Democracy, show host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with University of Toronto professor and political scientist, Joseph Wong. The pair discuss why some authoritarian regimes have smoother transitions to democracy compared to others. Ultimately, Professor Wong argues that liberal democracies should encourage autocrats to embrace democratic transitions when they’re powerful, rather than hoping for their collapse.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Joseph Wong, Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Vice President, International of the University of Toronto Background Reading:  Joseph Wong and Dan Slater’s From Development to Democracy Joseph Wong’s Healthy Democracies Joseph Wong’s Betting on Biotech: Innovation and the Limits of Asia's Developmental State Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson’s Why Nations Fail

Pranab Bardhan, an Indian economist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, joins host Sanjay Ruparelia to talk about the global shift toward electing right-wing regimes. They also tackle themes pertaining to the growing social and political divide around the world. Pranab Bardhan argues that the driving force of polarization is cultural insecurity. With policy solutions like universal basic income and stronger labour unions, he believes the rise of right-wing extremism can be tamed. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: Pranab Bardhan   In this episode of On The Frontlines of Democracy, host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with Pranab Bardhan, distinguished professor emeritus of economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Sanjay and Pranab discuss social and political division and the rise of right-wing governments around the world. Specifically, Professor Bardhan discusses his theory of cultural insecurity as a pervading threat to societal stability.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Pranab Bardhan, distinguished professor emeritus of economics from the University of California, Berkeley.  Background Reading:  Pranab Bardhan’s A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries Pranab Bardhan’s The Political Economy of Development in India Pranab Bardhan’s How India can do UBI: Universal Basic Income is a practical solution to poverty and inequality

Yascha Mounk, political scientist and associate professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with Sanjay Ruparelia to discuss the challenges facing diverse democracies. In this episode, Mounk explains why being overly optimistic about ethnically and religiously diverse democracies might explain our disappointment when challenges arise. Instead, Mounk acknowledges that building a diverse society is difficult, but with the right policies in place, it’s far from impossible. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: Yascha Mounk   Host Sanjay Ruparelia talks to writer and political scientist Yascha Mounk about why diverse democracies fail in this episode of On the Frontlines of Democracy. Yascha Mounk explains his approach to building sustainable democracies—one where both individual rights are protected and cultural patriotism is celebrated. Although diverse societies struggle with political polarization and group divide, with the right attitudes and policies in place, Mounk is hopeful.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Yascha Mounk, associate professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and contributing writer at The Atlantic.  Background Reading:  Yascha Mounk’s The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart And How They Can Endure  Yascha Mounk’s Persuasion Yascha Mounk’s The Good Fight  Jonathan Haidt’s The Groupish Gene Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson’s The Narrow Corridor

Debra Thompson, a McGill professor and political scholar on the comparative politics of race, joins host Sanjay Ruparelia for a conversation on racism and democracy in Canada and the U.S. In this episode, Thompson discusses the way racist policies and systems of oppression operate differently in the two countries, resulting in a complicated relationship between Black citizens and their national identity. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Show Notes: Debra Thompson   In this episode of On The Frontlines of Democracy, host Sanjay Ruparelia talks to Debra Thompson, the Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University. The pair talk about the way systems of oppression operate in both the American and the Canadian contexts—how they’re similar, and how they’re different. Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Debra Thompson, Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University.  Background Reading:  Debra Thompson’s The Long Road Home: On Blackness and Belonging W. E. B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk Joel Olson’s The Abolition of White Democracy Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness Debra Thompson’s The Puzzling Persistence of Racial Inequality in Canada Debra Thompson’s “Is this what democracy looks like?”  Debra Thompson’s “What, to the descendants of the enslaved, is Canada Day?”  Sean Mills’ The Empire Within: Postcolonial Thought and Political Activism in Sixties Montreal Ta-Nehesi Coates’ Between the World and Me

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early ‘90s, political scientist Francis Fukuyama argued that humankind had reached its ideological end as more countries embraced liberal democracy. Today, this theory has come under greater scrutiny, and people across the political spectrum are dissatisfied with this system. In this episode of On the Frontlines of Democracy, Francis Fukuyama and Sanjay Ruparelia discuss the pitfalls of liberalism, and whether or not its merits outweigh its shortcomings.  Show Notes: In this episode of On The Frontlines of Democracy, host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with Stanford professor and political scientist Francis Fukuyama to discuss the philosophy of classical liberalism and the modern-day growing discontent with liberal democracy.  Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Guest: Francis Fukuyama, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and professor with the Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law.    Background Reading:  Francis Fukuyama’s Liberalism and its Discontents  Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History Francis Fukuyama’s More Proof That This Really Is The End Of History Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America  James Tully’s An Approach to Political Philosophy: Locke in Contexts Karl Marx’s Capital: Critique of Political Economy Michel Foucault’s The Order of Things Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punishment

In this podcast, we'll sit down with scholars, writers, and academics to figure out how we can protect democratic values in a time of political mistrust, severe partisanship, and resurgent nationalism. Listen to the trailer now and subscribe to On The Frontlines of Democracy, launching May 2023!