In this episode of Democracy: Differently, host Keith Hyams talks with Professor André Bächtiger about what democracy could look like if we started from scratch, on Mars. What would citizens design? What do those ideas teach us about democracy here on Earth?
André Bächtiger is a political scientist and Professor at the University of Stuttgart, specializing in deliberative democracy, political communication, and the empirical study of democratic processes. He has been working on an innovative research project where people imagine a democracy on “Mars” as a blank slate to surface fresh ideas for reforming democracy here.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode of Democracy:Differently, host Jessica Sutherland speaks with Jonathan Benson about democratic scepticism, the epistemic benefits of democracy, and the importance of defending democracy against critics by valuing its ability to gather and interpret knowledge, alongside exploring alternatives to traditional election-based decision-making.
Jonathan Benson is a lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Manchester, with research focusing on democratic theory, particularly the epistemic value of democracy, and challenges to democracy from an interdisciplinary perspective in politics, philosophy, and economics.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode, host Keith Hyams speaks with Maija Setälä about how democratic deliberation like citizens' assemblies can help in accounting for the interests of future generations in areas such as climate change.
Maija Setälä is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Turku. She is a leading thinker in democratic theory, specialising in deliberative democracy, political trust and democratic innovations such as mini-publics.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode, host Jessica Sutherland discusses with Nicole Curato the significance of democratic deliberation, its role in transforming collective trauma into political action, and the need to decolonize deliberative democracy for more inclusive and effective governance.Nicole Curato is a Professor of Democratic Governance at the University of Birmingham, a leading expert on deliberative democracy, and a scholar focused on how democratic deliberation can be transformative in fragile and conflict-afflicted settings.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
Graham Smith is Professor of Politics at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster. He is a leading authority on deliberative democracy whose work has shaped the design and implementation of citizens' assemblies addressing complex issues like climate change and political reform.
In this episode, host Keith Hyams and Graham Smith delve into the transformative potential of citizens' assemblies, exploring how these randomly selected, deliberative bodies can tackle democratic deficits, bridge societal divides, and foster more inclusive and effective policymaking.
Find Graham Smith's book, We Need To Talk About Climate: How Citizens' Assemblies Can Help Us Solve the Climate Crisis, here: https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/ww6qw/we-need-to-talk-about-climate-how-citizens-assemblies-can-help-us-solve-the-climate-crisis
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode of Democracy;Differently, we explore the challenges data ecosystems pose to democracy, including issues of agency, privacy, and the role of legislation and innovative solutions like data trusts.
Sylvie Delacroix is the Director of the Centre for Data Futures at King’s College London, a leading expert on data sovereignty, digital law, and the intersection of ethical agency and data-driven decision-making in modern democracies.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode of Democracy: Differently, host Keith Hyams engages with Tom Hale to explore the concept of "long problems"—issues like climate change that unfold over extended timescales—and discusses how democratic systems can evolve to effectively govern across time.
Tom Hale, Professor of Public Policy at Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, is an expert on global governance and climate policy, focusing on how democratic institutions can better address long-term challenges like climate change.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode of Democracy:Differently, host Jessica Sutherland speaks with Johan Farkas about the impact of disinformation on democracy, the rise of authoritarian arguments against critical journalism, and the need for structural solutions to combat fake news and misinformation. Johan Farkas is an Assistant Professor in Media Studies at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in digital media, journalism, disinformation, and the intersection between these topics and democracy.
New episodes every other Wednesday!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
In this episode of Democracy: Differently, host Keith Hyams and Jo Wolff delve into the cultural foundations of democracy, examining how norms such as mutual respect, the legitimacy of opposition, and civic empathy are essential for a resilient democratic society. Jonathan Wolff is the Alfred Landecker Professor of Values and Public Policy at Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, is a political philosopher whose work bridges theory and practice, focusing on how concepts like equality, ethics, and civic responsibility shape democratic life.
New episodes every two weeks!
For more information on the episode and podcast visit our website https://democracydifferently.org
