This section contains a list of podcasts focused on the way democracy is being affected by COVID-19.

___________________

THE 2020 NETWORK

The 2020 Network, presented by Interac, is a new podcast channel for all things Canadian politics, policy and national affairs. Produced at the Canada 2020 Studios in Ottawa, the 2020 Network serves up new shows each week that dig deep into the big ideas shifting and shaping the political conversation in Canada.

24 February 2022 @Risk: Uncivil Disobedience in Ottawa

To try to make sense of the occupation of Ottawa’s downtown core on this episode of @Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by University of Toronto assistant professor, Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, whose work examines the intersections of race, crime and criminal justice, with a particular focus in the area of policing.

28 October 2020 Open to Debate: Can the US have a free and fair election?

On Tuesday, November 3rd, Americans will head to the polls in the country’s 59th election. After four years in power, Donald Trump’s presidency is on the ballot and on the ropes—things are not looking good for the incumbent.

But will the US election be free and fair? For years, Trump has been working to undermine the integrity of American electoral institutions. He has refused to say whether he’ll recognize the results of the vote. He has attacked the postal service and postal balloting. He has made unfounded and incorrect claims of voter fraud. When stacked alongside gerrymandering and long waits to vote, there are more than a few reasons for concern.

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Adam Gopnik, staff writer with the New Yorker and author of, among many other books, A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism.

3 October 2020 The Recovery Summit: Democracy and Institutions

Listen to a recording of Day 3: Democracy and Institutions, of The Recovery Summit, a virtual, world-wide conference focused on charting the path to global recovery from COVID-19.

We were joined by Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the former Prime Minister of Denmark and the Recovery Summit Co-Chair for Democracy and Institutions, Mete Coban, the co-founder of My Life My Say, Sandro Gozi, French MEP with Renew Europe, and Eli Pariser, co-founder of Avaaz, moderated by Dawn Nakagawa, the Executive Vice President of the Berggruen Institute.

31 July 2020 Democratic Permeability in Times of Global Crises: Power, Politics and Rights

Democracy is a constant work in progress, in need of special attention during moments of crisis. The pandemic has seen some states coordinate efforts with careful attention to individual rights, while others have taken advantage of the centralization of power for other ends. How permeable are democracies in times of crisis? How are democratic practices and institutions being tested? Which countries will emerge more resilient and which will struggle?

ABC RADIO (AUSTRALIA)

Note: These are not podcasts but radio shows. They are included here as the recordings are essentially the same as a podcast.

25 November 2021 Melbourne’s protests — last gasp or harbinger of things to come?

Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen a new wave public protests grow in both size and palpable anger in Victoria. These latest demonstrations began in response to legislation being debated in the Victorian State Parliament — the Pandemic Management Bill 2021. With politicians already trying to make the most of these protests in the lead-up to next year’s federal election, what does this mean for representative politics in Australia? Are we doomed to replicate the same political polarisation that we see in the United States, or could Australia’s system of compulsory and preferential voting pull us back from the precipice?

22 September 2021 How pandemic extremists converge

Riots in Melbourne's CBD yesterday, a march on the city's Shrine of Remembrance today. What is causing seemingly ideologically opposed groups converging in demonstrations at this time? Senior Research fellow from Deakin University Josh Roose says it's almost a case of online grooming by far right activists. He spoke with Steve Austin about why he uses that description.

9 September 2021 Australian politics – is the divide geographical, not ideological?

We’ve been charting, off and on, over the past couple months, some of the effects that COVID-19 has had on Australian politics and civic life. One of the effects we have not touched on, to date, is what COVID-19 has done to our political divide — left versus right, Liberal versus Labor. Are we witnessing a long-term scrambling of Australia’s already unclear political divisions?

THE AGENDA WITH STEVE PAIKIN

The Agenda with Steve Paikin is TVO's flagship current affairs program - devoted to exploring the social, political, cultural and economic issues that are changing our world, at home and abroad. The Agenda airs weeknights at 8:00 PM EST on TVO - Canada's largest educational broadcaster.

3 March 2022 Unpacking Rhetoric of the 'Freedom Convoy'

After weeks of protests, the trucker convoy has dispersed from Ottawa streets, but the conflict sure has not. From terms like "freedom" and "oppression" to the violation of constitutional rights, we dive into the tropes used among the Ottawa protesters and the anti-vax movement. How does the rhetoric affect people's understanding of civil disobedience?

17 February 2022 Is Canada Exporting the Trucker Convoy Protests?

As the Canadian trucker convoy protests enter their third week, having raised millions and led to other protest plans in the U.S., Australia, and Austria, it is clear the movement is being encouraged by and inspiring other factions around the world. The Agenda asks who makes up this group, what type of populism they represent, and why they have been so successful at gaining attention. Has Canada begun the global push back against pandemic restrictions? And what could these protests morph into?

13 September 2021 The Angriest Election in Canadian History?

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said last week, "I've never seen this intensity of anger on the campaign trail, or in Canada." From social media and misinformation to declining trust in institutions and a growing sense of uncertainty about the world, how should Canadians understand what is driving this anger? Is this the angriest election in Canada? And is it here to stay? The Agenda examines the fear, loathing, and anger on the campaign trail.

27 August 2021 Election 2021's Emerging Issues

Affordable housing, climate change, COVID-19 pandemic recovery, health care. What are the issues on the minds of Canadians as they prepare to head to the polls on September 20. And are they even engaging yet in this summertime snap election campaign? Nam Kiwanuka gets a read on the leaders and their parties from Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles and the Globe and Mail's Laura Stone.

19 March 2021 Democracy Against COVID-19: How Goes the Battle‪?

How effective have democracies been in combatting the pandemic? Should measures to contain the virus been harsher? What is the ideal way to balance society and freedom with public-health policies?

asialink - university of Melbourne

7 August 2020 Journalist Maria Ressa on Asialink Insights

“If we don’t clear up the virus of lies, facts won’t hit our citizens.”

Maria Ressa joined Donald Greenlees, editor of Asialink Insights, to discuss press freedom and the reemergence of authoritarianism across many parts of the world.

At a time when the digital media - rather than the press - are the 'gatekeepers' of news, she believes that "the voice with the largest megaphone wins.” “Tools that used to be enablers of normal people were corrupted by people who already had power. They’re being used as part of a dictator's playbook.” “We’re back to the future," she says. "It’s a movement back to authoritarianism and tyranny. People are using tools of democracy and caving it in.”

CARR: RIGHT RISING PODCAST

Right-wing authoritarian and extremist movements are on the march worldwide. This podcast will host some of the globe’s leading experts on the radical right to help us understand the development of these extremists. Each episode, hosts and guests bring their specialist insights to break down the critical people, places, organizations, actions, and ideas of the radical right. Produced by the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right.

24 June 2021 The Radical Right in Scandinavia: Before, During & After the Pandemic

In this special episode hosted by the CARR Right Rising Populism Research Unit, Mette Wiggen and Maureen Eger join Host James F. Downes in providing an introduction to the Radical Right in Scandinavia. This episode explores the rise of the radical right in Sweden and Norway alongside the importance of the Scandinavian political context in Europe.

The episode also breaks down support for the radical right before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The episode discusses the main ideological features of the radical right in Scandinavia alongside the evolution of the immigration issue and how radical right parties are adopting different strategies on the immigration issue, primarily as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

25 May 2021 The Year in Review

Guests Eviane Leidig, Ashley Mattheis, and William Allchorn rejoin Right Rising for a roundtable discussion of the radical right's activities throughout the past year of the podcast. Along with host Augusta Dell'Omo, Eviane, Ashley, and Will take us through an overview of key developments in the far right over the past year, including the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the continued ravages COVID-19 pandemic, and the growth of the Q-Anon conspiracy. Together we speculate - what can we expect the far right to do next?

6 November 2020 The QAnon Conspiracy and Momfluencers

Guest Ashley Mattheis joins Right Rising to break down the QAnon conspiracy and its growth during the COVID-19 crisis. Along with host Augusta Dell’Omo, Ashley walks us through the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories after the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and how these ideas spread across social media. Finally, Ashley takes us on a deep dive into the world of “Momfluencers” and how their conceptions of motherhood have catalyzed QAnon’s reach into the mainstream.

6 October 2020 Populism in Italy a Deep Dive

This episode features the inaugural episode from the CARR Populism Research Unit. Guests Dr. Valerio Alfonso Bruno and Alessio Scopelliti join Right Rising to give us an overview of what populism means in Italian politics – as both an ideology and how it plays out in party politics.

Along with host Dr. James F. Downes (Head of The Populism Research Unit, CARR) Valerio and Alessio shed further light on the electoral volatility and instability of Italian politics. Both guests then address the uniqueness of Italian populism, alongside the impact of COVID-19 and the significance of the recent Italian constitutional referendum. Both guests also step outside of Italian politics and answer the burning question – on the likely outcome of the upcoming 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

29 September 2020 Understanding populism during Covid-19

Guest Dr. James Downes joins Right Rising to give us an overview of populism – as an ideology and a political party. Along with host Augusta Dell’Omo, James helps us understand where populism is on the rise and where it’s falling and works through some common misconceptions about the term “populism.” He also answers the burning question – how is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the growth of the populist right?

CFR: THE WORLD NEXT WEEK PODCAST

CFR's Director of Studies James M. Lindsay and CFR.org Managing Editor Robert McMahon preview international developments in the week ahead.

3 June 2021 Mexico’s Midterms, Hong Kongers Remember Tiananmen, and More

Mexico holds pivotal midterm elections, Hong Kongers attempt to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and Peruvians vote in a divisive presidential runoff.

CIPE: DEMOCRACY THAT DELIVERS PODCAST

Through their personal stories, guests share how their work is helping build stronger democratic institutions in countries all over the world and how they are tackling some of the major governance challenges that many countries face today. The weekly discussion covers a wide range of topics including entrepreneurship, governance, rule of law, and the role of the private sector in democratic processes.

The CIPE Democracy That Delivers podcast encourages guests to freely discuss their experiences, ideas, and opinions. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE).

16 March 2021 The Future of Democracy with Solidarity Center’s Executive Director, Shawna Bader-Blau

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, our host Ken Jaques and our co-host and Executive Director, Andrew Wilson, are joined by Solidarity Center’s Executive Director, Shawna Bader-Blau. This discussion is the second podcast in our series titled, The Future of Democracy. Shawna Bader-Blau shares her insight on the events of January 6th, COVID-19, and how they both have shaped and changed the future of democracy and democracy work.

13 July 2020 Akash Shrestha on Nepal's Post-COVID19 Recovery Plans

Akash Shrestha is the Research Manager at Samriddhi Foundation. He also engages with the politicians, policy-makers, bureaucrats, and sectorial experts of Samriddhi’s research areas as part of Samriddhi’s advocacy efforts. In this podcast, he discusses how the pandemic has hit Nepal and Nepal’s response to how the decentralized system of federalism facilitated the response.

control risk podcast

21 May 2021 Unrest in Colombia drives shift to the left

Covid-19 has fueled inequality in Colombia, leading to violent unrest and a likely shift to the left in the 2022 elections. Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with Raul Gallegos about what this means for businesses operating in the country and the wider region.

6 May 2020 COVID-19: Africa’s battle with disinformation

Barnaby Fletcher, Control Risks’ lead analyst for Southern Africa, and Bukola Bolarinwa, one of our Africa analysts, discuss the perils of disinformation in Africa, how it spreads and what governments are doing to combat it. This is the second in a regular series of podcasts exploring the impact of COVID-19 on this dynamic, but vulnerable, region.

8 April 2020 COVID-19: African responses and challenges from the global pandemic

Barnaby Fletcher, Control Risks’ lead analyst for Southern Africa and Vincent Rouget, our lead on West and Central Africa discuss the key issues facing organisations operating in sub-Saharan Africa as lockdowns, border closures and bans take effect. This is the first in a regular series of podcasts exploring the impact of COVID-19 on this dynamic, but vulnerable, region.

conversation-democracy 2025 Podcast on “Political Trust in Times of COVID-19”

20 July 2020 After the crisis: what lessons can be drawn from the management of COVID-19 for the recovery process?

In this fourth episode of the Conversation-Democracy 2025 Podcast on “Political Trust in Times of Covid-19”, Michelle Grattan and Mark Evans explore the lessons that can be drawn from the management of COVID-19 for the recovery process with the ABC’s Norman Swan and Mark Kenny from the Australian Studies Institute at the Australian National University.

The discussion draws on the very latest findings from a comparative survey conducted by Democracy 2025 and Trustgov in May and June in Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States on political trust and democracy in times of Coronavirus.

The survey investigates whether public attitudes towards democratic institutions and practices have changed during the pandemic. We also asked questions on compliance and resilience issues and whether the way we do democracy in Australia might change post COVID-19.

We observe that Australia can be considered a global leader in its response to the pandemic and assess whether the highest levels of public trust in federal government seen for a decade can hold in the recovery period.

16 June 2020 Trust, democracy and COVID-19: A British perspective

The prominent Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the situation in the UK was “like a nightmare from which you cannot awake, but in which you landed because of your own fault or stupidity”. London correspondent Christoph Meyer writes, Britain has emerged as Europe’s “problem child” of the COVID-19 crisis. In this podcast Mark Evans and Michelle Grattan explore differences in the management, experience and impact of the crisis in the company of three leading British academic thinkers and members of the Trustgov project at the University of Southampton.

19 May 2020 Democratic Fundamentals: the role of the APS in a post-COVID-19 world

In the latest Democratic Fundamentals, Renée Leon, former Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Human Services, and Peter Shergold, former Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, discuss the challenges and opportunities for the APS as the world eases restrictions with hosts Mark Evans and Michelle Grattan. Democratic Fundamentals is produced in partnership with Democracy…

CONVERSATION: POLITICS WITH MICHELLE GRATTAN

Michelle Grattan, Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation, talks politics with politicians and experts.

27 August 2020 Former Greens leader Richard Di Natale on COVID, climate and his successor

Michelle chats with Richard Di Natale, former Greens’ leader who stepped down from the leadership in February after five years and announced he’d leave parliament to spend for more time with his family. On Tuesday, he delivered his valedictory speech to the senate – remotely – and on Wednesday, he formally resigned.

COVID-19 AND DEMOCRACY PODCAST

The COVID-19 and Democracy Podcast explores the intersection between the Covid-19 pandemic and democratic politics and policy. It is an output of the COVID-19 and Democracy Project, which is based within the Department of Politics, International Relations and Human Rights of Kingston University, London.

3 November 2021 The 2020 US Election and Covid-19: One Year On

This episode is a recording of a panel that occurred on November 2 2021, the first anniversary of the 2020 US election. The panel built on a series of comment pieces being published on the LSE USAPP site. 

15 September 2021 The Sun Goes Down on the Merkel Era: Pandemic Politics in Germany

This episode on German politics and the pandemic features Robert Ledger. Robert teaches at Schiller University Heidelberg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and is a visiting researcher at Frankfurt Goethe University and is the co-author of ‘Pandemic Politics: Covid-19 and the 2020 US Electoral Cycle’.

9 August 2021 German elections and the Covid-19 pandemic

This episode on the German elections and the pandemic features Robert Ledger. Robert teaches at Schiller University Heidelberg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and is a visiting researcher at Frankfurt Goethe University and is the co-author of ‘Pandemic Politics: Covid-19 and the 2020 US Electoral Cycle’.

14 June 2021 Not as Predicted? The Curious Case of European Populism During the Covid-19 Pandemic

This episode of populism in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic features Giuliano Bobba and Nicolas Hubé. Giuliano is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cultures, Politics and Society and a Fellow at the Collegio Carlo Alberto, University of Turin, Italy. Nicolas is a Professor in the Centre de Recherche sur les Médiations, University of Lorraine, France. This year they published and edited volume titled Populism and the Politicization of the COVID-19 Crisis in Europe.

27 May 2021 A Wicked Problem: Covid-19, the administration of the British State, and Dominic Cummings

This episode on Covid-19, the administration of the British State, and Dominic Cummings features Associate Professor Patrick Diamond of Queen Mary University of London. Patrick has published widely on British politics and policy and is a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford; an Associate Member of Nuffield College; a Trustee of the Dartington Service Design Lab and the Prisoners’ Education Trust; is on the Board of the Campaign for Social Science.

15 May 2021 Long-Corbyn? UK elections, party politicking, and the Covid-19 pandemic

This episode on recent UK elections, party politics, and the Covid-19 pandemic features Dr Robert Ledger. Robert teaches at Schiller University Heidelberg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and is a visiting researcher at Frankfurt Goethe University. He also wrote a chapter in our report: Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies, and is a former podcast guest.

11 May 2021 We Beneiden You: Pandemic Politics in the Twilight of the Merkel Era

This episode on the political impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic features Dr Robert Ledger, who teaches at Schiller University Heidelberg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and is a visiting researcher at Frankfurt Goethe University. He also wrote a chapter in our report: Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies, is a former podcast guest and the author of Neoliberal Thought and Thatcherism: ‘A Transition From Here to There? and Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair: The Great Enemy of Democracy?

26 April 2021 Pandemic Politics: Reflections on the intersection between Covid-19 Pandemic and Democracy

This talk was given by our Project Lead, Dr Peter Finn, as part of a faculty talk series on April 15th 2021.

5 March 2021 Forever Delayed? English Devolution and the Covid-19 Pandemic

This episode focusses on the Covid-19 Pandemic with reference to the English devolution. It features Associate Professor Arianna Giovannini, a Reader in Local Politics & Public Policy at De Montfort University. In part, discussions in the episode were based on an article, titled COVID-19 and English Devolution, which appeared in Political Insight.

26 February 2021 The Prime Minister and the Pandemic: Where Next?

This episode focused on the Conservative Party and the pandemic featuring Dr Robert Ledger. Robert teaches at Schiller University Heidelberg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and is a visiting researcher at Frankfurt Goethe University. He also wrote a chapter in our report: Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies, is a former podcast guest and the author of Neoliberal Thought and Thatcherism: ‘A Transition From Here to There?

13 February 2021 Pandemic Publishing: Covid-19, Academia and Democracy

This episode is a discussion of the role of authors, publishing/publishers, and editors in ensuring free speech is protected and in countering false narratives during the pandemic, and the relationship between these roles and functions and democracy. It features: Associate Professor Atsuko Ichijo, an Editor of the journal Nations and Nationalism, the editor of Modernities in Europe book series and a Co-Editor of the Food and Identity in a Globalising World book series, author of chapters on Japan and Taiwan in the report Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies; Dr. James Strong, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary and a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the PSA journal Politics; and Chris Gilson, Managing Editor of the USAPP blogsite of the LSE US Centre.

5 February 2021 Policy Silos & the Value of Learning from Local Innovation: Scotland, the Pandemic and the Union

This episode features a discussion about Scotland, policy and the Covid-19 pandemic (with a fair bit of discussion of UK constitutional arrangements thrown in for good measure) with James Mitchell, Professor of Public Policy, Edinburgh University. Listeners may find the following writing by James of interest: COVID-19 highlights the need for local governance reform in Scotland and Emergency ‘constitutional plumbing’ has reached its limits coping with devolution. It’s time for a new institutional architecture (expanded in: The Scottish Question Revisited pamphlet for the Jimmy Reid Foundation).

November 2020 Electoral and Pandemic Politics Collide: Israel and the Covid-19 Pandemic

The discussions in this episode are an update on a chapter in the report Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies. Ronald Ranta wrote Chapter 5 (pages 53-60) of the report, which examined the political and policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in Israel up to June 30th 2020. Ronald Ranta is a Senior Lecturer the Department of Politics, International Relations and Human Rights at Kingston University, London. He has published on numerous aspects of Israel's foreign and domestic affairs.

2 November 2020 Democratic Technocracy? Germany, Merkel and the Covid-19 Pandemic

This episode on Germany was released on November 2nd 2020, the day Germany entered a second partial lockdown. The discussions in this episode are an update on a chapter in the report Covid-19 and Democracy, First Cut Policy Analyses: Country Case Studies. Rob Ledger wrote Chapter 2 (pages 29-36) of the report, which examined the political and policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany up to June 30th 2020.

CSIS: BABEL: TRANSLATING THE MIDDLE EAST

Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s).

21 September 2021 Tunisia's Popular Authoritarian

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Dr. Monica Marks, a professor of Middle East politics at NYU Abu Dhabi who has been thinking about Tunisia for almost 15 years. They discuss Tunisian President Kais Saied's recent moves to consolidate power, why Tunisians seem to support him, what's at stake for Tunisia's democracy, and what role Western donors and institutions can play in the country. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper continue the conversation about the nature of popular authoritarianism and how we should think about popular despots in Tunisia and the rest of the Arab world.

CSIS: THE IMPOSSIBLE STATE PODCAST

North Korea is the Impossible State. Each episode, join the people who know the most about North Korea—the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Victor Cha, Mike Green, and Sue Mi Terry—for an insiders’ discussion with host H. Andrew Schwartz about one of the United States’ top national security priority.

17 February 2021 Covid-19 in North Korea

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. J. Stephen Morrison of CSIS and Dr. Kee Park of Harvard Medical School to talk about Covid-19 in North Korea. They discussed what we know and don't know about the lockdown and the severity of the health situation there, and what to expect moving forward with how the Biden administration and the international community will deal with the pandemic in North Korea.

THE CURRENT PODCAST

The Current brings you smart, timely, and quick analysis from Brookings experts on breaking news and changing policies. In under ten minutes, learn not only what happened, but why, and how to make sense of it.

17 September 2021 After 16 years of Angela Merkel, what’s next for Germany?

Angela Merkel has been Germany’s chancellor through a series of massive crises. Ahead of the September 26 elections, Constanze Stelzenmüller explains that the question of how Germany’s next leader will shape the country’s role as an anchor of Europe will have far-reaching consequences in a future in which crises are the new normal.

28 October 2020 What trends are we seeing in early voting?

With less than a week before voting in the 2020 election concludes, Elaine Kamarck takes a look at early voting trends—who is voting early, how many votes have already come in, and whether voter turnout will break historic records. Kamarck also explains how states are wrangling with legal challenges to expanded voting access, including this week’s Supreme Court decision on Wisconsin absentee ballots.

2 October 2020 The president has COVID-19. Now what?

What does President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis mean for the functioning of the presidency, the White House, and the 2020 election? John Hudak describes how the executive branch can continue to operate with the president in quarantine, how continuity of government is ensured if the president becomes incapacitated, and how Trump can–and should–campaign over the next few weeks.

20 July 2020 How is China’s new national security law affecting Hong Kong?

China’s national security law for Hong Kong, enacted suddenly before midnight on June 30, is already chilling the media environment there and putting Hong Kong’s customary high degree of autonomy under threat, says Brookings Visiting Fellow Jamie Horsley. However, Horsley cautions the U.S. against too broadly stripping away Hong Kong’s special privileges in response lest it accelerate China’s erosion of the region’s autonomy.

DEMOCRACY! THE PODCAST

Democracy! The Podcast offers listeners a close-up look at some of the most perplexing challenges facing the vitality of democracy around the world.

Move beyond armchair activist, or news junkie, and gain a real understanding for the fight to defend democracy around the world. Hear how teams, from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute, that make up the consortium called "CEPPS," tackle debilitating threats like corruption, disinformation, rising authoritarianism, dictatorships, economic disasters, and failed governments, and learn how you, too, can join the fight for democracy. This work is conducted through the Global Elections and Political Transitions award, in partnership and funding from USAID.

Join the most experienced experts in the field as they explain how they help citizens tackle real-life problems and move their countries toward a more democratic process for all, while standing up for those who suffer discrimination, punishment, persecution, or are simply excluded from their own nation's political processes. These are their first-hand stories from the front lines.

20 August 2021 The Covid Conundrum

All over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned lives upside down, disrupted hundreds of elections, and challenged our status quo of what we typically expect democracies to deliver. In this episode of Democracy! The Podcast, we’ll travel to Ethiopia to hear how elections transpired this spring in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak and what might lie ahead for Africa’s 2nd most populous country when they plan to complete the voting process this fall. Then we’ll check in on the situation in the Balkans. Learn what citizens there had to say about what it would take for them to feel safe enough to vote. And finally, the head of the Task Force for Global Health, Dr. David Ross, sits down with Adrienne to get a 360-degree look at what he thinks has to happen for the Covid-19 pandemic to end. 

DEMOCRACY NOW!

Democracy Now! is an independent daily TV & radio news program, hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. We provide daily global news headlines, in-depth interviews and investigative reports without any advertisements or government funding. Our programming shines a spotlight on corporate and government abuses of power and lifts up the stories of ordinary people working to make change in extraordinary times. Democracy Now! is live weekdays at 8am ET and available 24/7 through our website and podcasts.

29 October 2020 Democracy Now! Daily Show Thurs, Oct 29, 2020

76 million people have already voted in person or by mail in the U.S. election, but the battle over the counting of mail-in ballots continues; Big Tech is grilled on their role in the election; Millions of Americans plunge into pandemic-related poverty.

6 October 2020 Democracy Now! Daily Show Tues, Oct 6, 2020

Trump leaves hospital while still infectious and minimizes the risk of COVID-19 as the U.S. death toll tops 210,000; Kristin Urquiza, whose Trump-backing father died from COVID, speaks out; Meet the college senior running a "White House COVID tracker."

2 October 2020 Democracy Now! Daily Show Fri, Oct 2, 2020

Just days after mocking his presidential rival Joe Biden for regularly wearing masks, President Trump reveals he and the first lady have both tested positive for COVID-19.

25 September 2020 Democracy Now! Daily Show Fri, Sep 25, 2020

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barton Gellman on how Trump could subvert the election results to stay in power; Bernie Sanders warns democracy itself is at stake in November; Bishop Michael Curry on the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 election and more.

10 August 2020 Democracy Now! Daily Show Mon, Aug 10, 2020

Lebanon's government is on the brink of collapse amid protests over the Beirut blast; Trump's postmaster general could sabotage the Postal Service ahead of an election reliant on mail-in voting; Trump's latest executive orders may be unconstitutional.

DEMOCRACY PROJECT PODCAST

The Democracy Project podcast, from the Victoria University of Wellington, brings you interviews and debate on New Zealand and international issues with political commentators and academics from around the world.

29 August 2020 Covid-19 criticism – Democracy Project weekly review

Political analyst John AZ Moore joins the Democracy Project’s Geoffrey Miller to discuss recent articles on the Covid-19 response.

21 August 2020 Aleksandra Dikan: Inside Belarus

Minsk-based human rights activist Aleksandra Dikan and New Zealand-Belarusian Tatsiana Chypsanava talk to Geoffrey Miller about the ongoing crisis in Belarus.

democracy sausage podcast (australia)

31 August 2021 Pandemic planning and political plasticity

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Insiders host David Speers and regular podleague Marija Taflaga join Mark Kenny to talk about the federal government’s COVID-19 recovery plans and how pandemic politics might play out at the next federal election.

In a time of great uncertainty, is the Australian Government unnecessarily locking itself into a COVID-19 recovery strategy that may need to be revised? Is the federal opposition falling behind or doing a good job with a difficult hand? And will the popularity of the Labor state governments in Queensland and Western Australia pose a major challenge for the federal government at the next election? Journalist David Speers and political scientist Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny at the barbecue hotplate for this week’s episode of Democracy Sausage.

6 July 2021 Finger pointing, federalism and alternative facts

After a week of finger pointing between the federal government and some of Australia’s states and territories over COVID-19 management and the vaccine rollout, Mark Kenny speaks with federalism scholar Tracy Beck Fenwick and media expert Margaret Simons about how the federation is functioning.

Is the sense of national unity between the federal government and the states and territories, perhaps best demonstrated through the early days of the National Cabinet, now gone? Is federalism the problem in these increasingly fractious relationships or just a convenient scapegoat? And what role does the media play in their reporting on COVID-19, especially around misinformation? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Director of the Australian Centre for Federalism Dr Tracy Beck Fenwick and Dr Margaret Simons from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions and more.

16 November 2020 Talk is cheap

On this Democracy Sausage, we discuss how policymakers get their messages right (and so badly wrong) with government media and communications experts Fiona Benson and Jannette Cotterell, plus pod regular Marija Taflaga.

How can governments build public trust at a time when following public health directions is literally a matter of life and death? With COVID-19 vaccinations showing promising signs, how can governments convince citizens that it’s safe and beneficial in the midst of a vocal anti-vaccine movement? And how has the changing media and social media landscape impacted the way governments communicate with their constituents? On this special episode of Democracy Sausage presented as part of the GovComms Festival, we discuss the dark art of government communications with former ministerial press secretary Fiona Benson, government relations consultant Jannette Cotterell, and regular podleague Dr Marija Taflaga.

5 November 2020 Riled Britannia with Bevan Shields and Elizabeth Ames

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a new month-long lockdown as the country grapples with high COVID-19 infection rates and a stretched National Health Service. But will the British people and its politicians – so compliant and supportive of the threat first time around – be as willing to back the new measures? Mark Kenny talks to Democracy Sausage UK regulars Elizabeth Ames and Bevan Shields.

In the face of staggeringly high infection rates, a track and trace system that has long since been overwhelmed, and a National Health Service under serious threat, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has locked down the country to tackle its second wave of coronavirus crisis. But while the first time around the UK population was behind the measures, this time around Johnson is facing intense criticism from the public and within his own party. Joining Professor Mark Kenny to talk about the UK’s COVID-19 response are Democracy Sausage regulars Elizabeth Ames and Bevan Shields. The panel also discuss the unfolding US election result, and the merits of Clumber spaniels.

7 September 2020 The on-purpose recession and women in the COVID-19 crisis

On this episode, we chat with Katrine Beauregard and Marija Taflaga about the impact of the crisis on women, truth in political advertising, and political donations. In part two, Peter Martin joins us to talk about Australia’s recession and where to from here.

Officially in recession and with households holding onto their money at an unprecedented scale, what does the future hold for the Australian economy? What might happen if spending never recovers? And what impact will the crisis have on women's participation in the political system? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, we discuss Australia’s economic outlook with Peter Martin AM, Crawford School visiting fellow and Business and Economy Editor at The Conversation. Dr Katrine Beauregard and Dr Marija Taflaga also step up to the hotplate to chat about the impact of the crisis on women’s political participation, transparency in political donations, and truth in political advertising.

31 August 2020 In the national interest

On this special 100th episode of Democracy Sausage, we’re joined by Frank Bongiorno, Jacinta Carroll, Marija Taflaga, and Mark Kenny to talk Australian attitudes towards COVID-19 surveillance, security agencies on social media, and accountability for former political figures.

What do Australian attitudes towards surveillance amidst the COVID-19 crisis suggest about trust in society? After weeks of icy diplomatic exchanges, what is the Australian government’s long-term goal for its relationship with Beijing? And why are Australia’s security agencies taking to social media? On the 100th episode of Democracy Sausage, we’re joined by national security expert Dr Jacinta Carroll, historian Professor Frank Bongiorno, regular podleague Dr Marija Taflaga and, taking a break from his holiday to appear as guest, Professor Mark Kenny.

28 August 2020 The UK’s coming COVID-19 and Brexit challenges

While the coronavirus crisis in the United Kingdom has abated somewhat in recent months, is life in the country going to get tougher if winter brings about a growing risk of transmission and Brexit negotiations falter? With us this week to discuss the challenges facing Britain are Remainiacs and The Bunker host Ros Taylor, pod regular Elizabeth Ames, and Brexit researcher Georgina Wright.

20 August 2020 The gallery view with Phil Coorey and David Crowe

The coronavirus crisis is posing new questions and serious challenges to Australia’s political leaders. And those leaders are responding assertively – closing borders, slowing the economy, and working hard to keep infection numbers down. But are they making the right choices? On this Democracy Sausage Extra Mark Kenny talks with the insiders who ask the tough questions of those leaders every day – press gallery veterans David Crowe and Phil Coorey.

Initial political optimism from an early Federal Government response and subsequent low infection numbers has now given way to fear, with Australia’s internal borders closed, and soul searching and inquiries about community protection and service provision. So what does this unprecedented political time look like to the insiders – the people who report from Canberra’s press gallery? Joining Professor Mark Kenny are Phil Coorey of the Australian Financial Review and David Crowe of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The panel discuss the questions the pandemic raises about Australia’s federated system, why every leader gets judged on the numbers, whether Australia’s good performance through the Global Financial Crisis encouraged complacency about the impacts of COVID-19, and the ‘bad men’ in charge of the world.

13 August 2020 The future of us with Liz Allen

On this episode, academic and author Dr Liz Allen joins us to talk about the myth of the Australian ‘fair go’ and why COVID-19 could be leading Australia into demographic disaster.

Political leaders often pitch Australia as the land of ‘a fair go’. But with real social mobility so hard to come by for many Australians, is this more national myth than reality? What can policymakers do to ensure demography doesn’t equal destiny for Australians experiencing disadvantage? And is the COVID-19 crisis creating a ‘perfect storm’ for demographic trouble in Australia? On this Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny is joined by demographer Dr Liz Allen to talk about what demography reveals about Australia’s democracy, why economic uncertainty might be preventing a COVID-19 baby boom, and her new book The Future of Us.

8 June 2020 The New Zealand election, and the politics of protest in a pandemic

Mark Kenny is joined by New Zealand experts Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment and Professor Janine Hayward to talk about the upcoming New Zealand election, and the panel discuss the global Black Lives Matter protests. On this episode we head across the Tasman to talk about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, arguably the world’s most successful anti-Trump leader. Will her high popularity in New Zealand and overseas translate into votes at the upcoming election? And we discuss the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Australia, why Indigenous incarceration rates and deaths in custody demand urgent policy attention, and whether politicians’ criticism of protesters is tone deaf. Joining Professor Mark Kenny at the hotplate are Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment, Professor Janine Hayward, and regular guest Dr Marija Taflaga.

1 June 2020 Chaos, curfews, and COVID-19

With cities under curfew and the national guard called out, the Democracy Sausage panel take a look at how populism and a president abdicating responsibility is dividing the US. On this episode of Democracy Sausage Mark Kenny is joined by 10 News’ National Affairs Editor Hugh Riminton, Frank Bongiorno, and regular podleague Marija Taflaga to take a look at the violent crisis unfolding in the US, how populism is ill-equipped to respond to a pandemic, the Palace Letters, and the quiet death of robodebt.

18 May 2020 Trust us, we’re the government

Mark Kenny is joined by Phil Coorey, Vanessa Johnston, and Marija Taflaga to talk about Morrison’s first year in charge and getting the message right as Australia takes its tentative first steps out of the coronavirus crisis shutdown measures. Australian governments moved quickly to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and Australians went along with the measures. But as the virus is still with us, and with the threat of a second wave of infection, will Australians be so compliant as the government tries to kickstart the economy back to life? And as Prime Minister Scott Morrison marks a year in the top job, we look back over the highs and lows, from the bushfire crisis to the global pandemic. Joining Professor Mark Kenny this week are the Australian Financial Review’s Political Editor Phil Coorey, public health physician Associate Professor Vanessa Johnston, and regular guest Dr Marija Taflaga.

26 April 2020 Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers on COVID-19 and Australia’s future

On this special episode, Shadow Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers MP speaks to Mark Kenny about crisis politics, economic recovery, and ensuring the future story of Australia is an inclusive one. While Australia has so far avoided the more devastating health impacts of COVID-19 that have befallen other nations, the pandemic has caused one of the most significant economic shocks in the country’s history. With so many in a more precarious financial position than ever, how can policymakers chart an inclusive economic recovery? Does the collegiate approach taken by federal, state, and territory leaders throughout the crisis signal the beginning of a new period of cooperation among Australian governments? And what changes wrought by the pandemic should the country preserve? On this Democracy Sausage Extra, Professor Mark Kenny chats with the Shadow Treasurer and Member for Rankin, Dr Jim Chalmers MP, about COVID-19 and navigating Australia’s economy out of the crisis.

24 April 2020 Has Britain turned a coronavirus crisis corner?

On this week’s Second Serve, we catch up with Sophia Gaston for the latest on Britain’s devastating coronavirus toll. With limited testing, struggles to get protective equipment for health workers, and a high death toll, Britain is still in the grip of its coronavirus crisis. But with the British public throwing its support behind the National Health Service, and a high compliance rate with lockdown measures, has the UK put the measures in place to turn the corner? And does the new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s performance in holding the government to account for its mistakes early in the crisis signal that the country’s democracy is repairing after the damage of the Brexit years? On this Democracy Sausage Second Serve, Mark Kenny chats again to Sophia Gaston to talk about the change from the Corbyn years, whether concerns over government performance extend beyond Westminster, and what kind of prime minister the country might have when Boris Johnson resumes the position.

9 April 2020 Britain's battle with the coronavirus crisis

After four years of a divisive and damaging debate around Brexit, Britain has now been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis. So with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in intensive care, Dominic Raab deputising in the role, a large number of senior government staff taken ill, and a new opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer, what’s in store for the UK? In this Democracy Sausage Second Serve Professor Mark Kenny talks to two leading experts about the UK’s crisis curve, challenges at the heart of government, and the ‘constructive bi-partisanship’ of the new Labour leadership.

6 April 2020 Imagining Australia after COVID-19

Our expert panel discusses whether the coronavirus pandemic will lead to major, permanent changes in Australia’s society and economy. While the immediate devastation of COVID-19 in Australia and around the world is far from over, what are the likely impacts of the pandemic on our political and economic future? Will any economic ‘snapback’ be enough to help the jobless back on their feet? And will changes to the safety net made amidst the crisis remain ‘temporary’, or is this the start of a more permanent shift? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny chats with Dr Marija Taflaga, Crikey’s Bernard Keane and Dr Arnagretta Hunter about Australia’s political and economic future after the COVID-19 pandemic.

30 March 2020 COVID-19 and Australia in Hibernation

In this episode, we discuss Australia’s new restrictions on social gatherings, whether the government is explaining its approach effectively, and domestic politics during the crisis. As Australia has moved into a new phase in the fight against COVID-19 with greater restrictions on social gatherings, has the government effectively explained new measures as they’ve come into force? Does the national cabinet truly live up to its name? And what is the crisis telling us about who our society’s truly essential workers are? On this week’s Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny, Professor Frank Bongiorno, and Dr Marija Taflaga discuss the government response to the unfolding coronavirus crisis.

19 March 2020 Fintan O'Toole – the Era of Existential Risk

Infection has driven major change in societies, including providing clean water and improved sanitation. So could the coronavirus pandemic crisis be the impetus for progressive and profound global change in public health systems and beyond? In this very special interview, Mark Kenny talks to Fintan O’Toole about the “brutal light” being shone on political systems from the crisis, global leadership, and how COVID-19 could push the world into an era of existential risk. They also discuss Brexit, Irish politics, and threats to the Irish peace process.

Democracy Works podcast (USA)

The Democracy Works podcast is produced by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State. They are doing a series of episodes on COVID-19 and democracy. Two episodes have aired so far.

12 October 2020 The perfect storm for election disaster

COVID-19, partisan gridlock, and Donald Trump have joined forces to create the potential for disaster in this year’s election. This week, the author of “Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020: joins us to explain what could happen and what we might be able to do about it.

In this episode, we review the mechanics of how election results are certified and the work of the Electoral College between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Most of their work has historically happened behind the scenes, but it could become very public this fall if results are contested. We also look at what elections in 2000 and 1876 can tell us about what might play out over the next few months, and why the act of conceding an election is important for democratic legitimacy.

Our guest is Lawrence Douglas, the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He is the author of seven books and a regular contributor to The Guardian.

29 May 2020 Bonus: Mayors And Bipartisanship During COVID-19

Today we’re bringing you a special episode produced by Nicole Gresen, our intern on Democracy Works during the spring 2020 semester. Nicole spoke with Bob Buckhorn, who was mayor of Tampa, Florida from 2011-2019, about the role that mayors have played during COVID-19 and how they have to put partisans allegiances aside during times of crisis. As Bob says, people look to mayors for empathy and solidarity in the face of uncertainty — whether it’s a natural disaster or a pandemic.

25 May 2020 The People Vs. The Experts — And Those Caught In The Middle

These days, it can feel like some politicians are working against experts in public health and other fields when it comes to actions surrounding COVID-19. There’s always been a tension between populism and expertise, but our media landscape and strong partisan polarization are pushing that tension to its breaking point — or so it seems, anyway.

18 May 2020 China’s Role In The COVID-19 Infodemic

As if the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t enough to deal with, the World Health Organization says we’re now in an infodemic alongside it. We’ve seen this play out as misinformation and conspiracy theories move from digital to mainstream media and cast a shadow of doubt about information coming from the government and public health experts.

11 May 2020 A Roadmap to a More Equitable Democracy

COVID-19 has exposed longstanding racial and economic inequalities in American life, which is evident in the fact that communities of color are being hit the hardest by both the medical and the economic impacts of the virus. Our guest this week argues that now is the time to empower those communities to have a stake in building a better future for themselves and making our democracy stronger in the process.

24 April 2020 COVID-19 And Democracy

COVID-19 brings together several issues that have long been talked about separately — political polarization, misinformation, international cooperation, democratic norms and institutions, and many others. We dive into some of those issues in this episode and discuss how we can all work together to protect, and even strengthen, democracy as we emerge from the first wave of the pandemic.

13 April 2020 Will COVID-19 Create A One-Issue Campaign?

This episode addresses the nuts and bolts of campaigning during a pandemic, but we also discuss a broader question — should we even be talking about politics at a time like this? Our guest this week makes an interesting case about why the answer is always “yes.” John Sides is a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and publisher of the Monkey Cage, a political science blog published by the Washington Post.

30 March 2020 Free And Fair Elections During A Pandemic

As COVID-19 intensifies throughout the U.S., questions about the future of the remaining primary elections and the general election in November are beginning to surface. The last thing you want are large groups of people standing in line near each other for long periods of time. At a time when seemingly everything in life has gone remote, states are starting to think about what a remote election would look like, too.Our guest this week is one of the people helping them figure it all out.

23 March 2020 COVID-19 Exposes Democracy’s Tensions

As we’ve seen over the past weeks and months, democracies and authoritarian countries respond to pandemics very differently. There are balances to be struck — liberty and community, human rights and disease mitigation — that every country’s government and culture handle a little differently. We dive into that this week with our first ever all-remote episode as we adjust to the new normal of life during COVID-19. Our guest is Nita Bharti, assistant professor of biology at Penn State and faculty member in the university’s Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics.

ear to asia podcast

Ear to Asia is a podcast produced by the Asia Institute at University of Melbourne.

16 June 2020 Pandemic politics in Turkey

Despite an initial flirt with pandemic denialism, Turkey may well be able to take some pride in its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Yet, coronavirus continues to impose a huge cost on a nation already grappling with faltering economic growth, deepening existing political and social divides. With us to examine the myriad impacts of Covid-19 on Turkey are Monash University politics and international relations expert Dr William Gourlay and Asia Institute Turkish politics researcher Dr Tezcan Gümüş. Presented by Ali Moore.

9 June 2020 Kevin Rudd on China’s place in a post-pandemic world

Special guest former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd AC joins host Ali Moore to discuss a post Covid-19 world marked by an increasingly assertive China and anaemic US leadership. Will growing Sino-American tensions result in a new cold war? And what’s the future for the global institutions responsible for maintaining world order? Kevin Rudd is President of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a China watcher of more than four decades. An Asia Institute podcast. Photo by Elsa Ruiz of Asia Society.

25 May 2020 Is Indonesia’s COVID-19 response too little, too late?

As the Indonesian government’s coronavirus response has shifted from deep denial to broad action, some of its key directives are meeting with public resistance. So what is the pandemic telling us about political leadership, and about existing fault lines in Indonesian society? Long time Indonesia watchers Prof Tim Lindsey and Dr Ian Wilson join host Ali Moore to examine the impact of covid-19 on the world’s fourth most populous nation.

23 April 2020 COVID19 and India’s social and political fault lines

India has been making the headlines with the world’s biggest nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Epidemiology aside, what is the pandemic revealing about the social, political and economic fault lines already existing in India? Health policy specialist Dr Azad Bali (L) and political scientist Dr Pradeep Taneja (R) join host Ali Moore to examine the impact of the coronavirus crisis on India.

ejil: the podcast!

The European Journal of International Law (EJIL) has launched EJIL: The Podcast! is to provide another forum for in-depth, expert but accessible discussion of international law issues in contemporary international and national affairs. The first episode addresses

16 April 2020 Episode 1: Contagion

In the first episode, leading international law scholars discuss the compatibility with international human rights law of the measures taken by states in the fight against the corona virus. Do states have a duty to cooperate in tackling the virus? Should they derogate from rights provided for in human rights treaties or are those flexible enough to permit the measures being taken? What measures can be taken to combat misinformation relating to the virus?

eu scream (europe)

12 April 2020 The High Price of Muzzling Media

Reporters Without Borders | The role of free expression in fighting pandemics | Tracker 19 and Covid-19 | China | Hungary | Slovenia | Egypt | Ivan Bedrov of RFE/RL | Poetry from Ben Ray

6 April 2020 Crisis Communications

EC Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer | Virtual pressers and accountability | Emily Dickinson | Coyness on Hungary | Israel Butler of Liberties | Framing in the age of the virus

29 March 2020 Věra Jourová on Surveillance and Covid-19

Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová discusses digital tracking and privacy.

23 March 2020 Coronavirus vs. Democracy

Joelle Grogan on emergency powers | The Spanish flu | Detentions | Suspending parliaments | Closing borders | Viktor Orbán and rule by decree | Sunset clauses | Poland and Bulgaria

the guardian podcast

18 November 2021 The pandemic powers fuelling anti-government protests

A new pandemic bill introduced to Victorian parliament by the Andrews government was criticised by some legal and civil liberties groups for its broad powers and a lack of checks and balances. But while independent MPs worked with the government and legal advocates to improve the bill, some protesters – including members of far-right groups – co-opted the debate to inflame anti-government sentiment, at times egged on by politicians and commentators.

In this episode, Gabrielle Jackson talks to Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher about the need to separate legitimate criticism from the extreme views of a minority – and what extreme anti-government rhetoric means for democracy.

22 September 2021 Melbourne protests: far-right extremists or construction workers?

After the Victorian government announced restrictions on the construction industry to curb the spread of Covid-19, a series of protests have taken place in Melbourne resulting in violent clashes and dozens of arrests. However, some politicians and union leaders claim that many protesters are not construction workers, but rather far-right extremists.

Guardian reporter Josh Taylor speaks to Laura Murphy-Oates about the role that anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination groups on social media have played and whether the far right has infiltrated these protests.

22 September 2021 Germany decides: who will follow Angela Merkel?

Germans will go to the polls on Sunday in what many analysts are calling the most important and unpredictable election in the country in a generation. The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent, Kate Connolly, talks to Nosheen Iqbal about how, for the first time in 16 years, Angela Merkel will not be standing for election, meaning Germany will have a new leader.

It comes after a turbulent period in which a eurozone debt crisis changed the shape of European politics. That was followed by a migration crisis, in which Merkel gained plaudits and harsh criticism when she threw open Germany’s borders and famously said: ‘We can do this.’ There was Brexit, of course, and then the crisis that Germany and the wider world is still dealing with: the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now Germany’s future will be in the hands of a new chancellor. For Merkel’s CDU party, the hopes rest with Armin Laschet, who is struggling for momentum. Polls currently favour his Social Democrat rival, Olaf Scholz. But whoever wins is likely to have to govern a three-party coalition, which could take weeks to put together.

5 August 2021 Sky News Australia, YouTube and misinformation in a pandemic

After Sky News Australia was restricted from uploading new content to YouTube for a week for violating the site’s medical misinformation policy, some of its commentators claimed the ban was another example of cancel culture, and a violation of their right to free speech. Gabrielle Jackson talks to editor Lenore Taylor and head of news Mike Ticher about the Sky News Australia business model and the complexities of regulating misinformation in a pandemic.

15 June 2021 What’s behind the mass protests in Colombia?

An attempt by the Colombian government to introduce sweeping tax changes in response to the coronavirus crisis was met earlier this year by angry protests. Thousands of people flooded on to the streets throughout the country for four consecutive days. It was enough to prompt President Iván Duque to withdraw his tax plans, but by then it was too late to stop the protests.

Ever since, more and more Colombians have been coming out to protest. Joe Parkin Daniels, who has been reporting on the demonstrations for the Guardian for weeks, tells Rachel Humphreys that they now encompass people from all sections of Colombian society, with a multitude of causes. One thing ever present is a fury at the growing inequality that has been exacerbated by the Covid crisis. As police have cracked down hard on the protesters, more than 50 people have died, with no end to the protests in sight.

23 April 2021 Among the Covid sceptics: ‘We are being manipulated, without a shadow of a doubt’

Who are the people who have come to follow wild conspiracy theories about Covid-19?

4 February 2021 Craig Kelly and the dangers of misinformation

Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher join Full Story podcast host Gabrielle Jackson to discuss Scott Morrison’s public rebuke of Craig Kelly’s spread of Covid-19 misinformation and what responsibilities politicians and the media have in reporting on the pandemic and conspiracy theories.

19 January 2021 Lenore Taylor on why truth, facts and journalism are more important to democracy than ever

In 2020 the media was faced with the dual challenge of covering a pandemic and an avalanche of misinformation. In this episode of Full Story, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor discusses how Australia’s response compared with other countries and the challenges ahead for journalism.

13 October 2020 US election 2020: why are so many Americans being denied a vote?

Millions of American voters will be unable to cast their ballot in this year’s presidential election and those affected will be disproportionately first-time voters and from minority groups, reports Sam Levine.

7 October 2020 Does Sweden have the answer to living with Covid-19?

The Swedish example is regularly raised by libertarian-minded Conservatives when protesting against government restrictions aimed at quelling the spread of the virus in the UK. But what did the Scandinavian country do differently and could it be applied elsewhere?

6 October 2020 US election 2020: how Covid-19 reached the White House

Donald Trump spent the weekend in hospital after developing symptoms following a positive test for coronavirus. But with confusing medical briefings and a controversial drive-by stunt, Americans are still trying to get answers as to how Trump became infected as the election approaches.

21 September 2020 How Queensland's election became all about the premier and the pandemic

With just six weeks to go before Queensland voters head to the polls, it seems people can talk about little else than Covid-19. Annastacia Palaszczuk’s handling of the crisis has been well-received so far, but as Ben Smee explains, there are potential pitfalls in running a presidential-style campaign during a pandemic.

29 August 2020 Covid's impact on Australia's parliament

This week Katharine Murphy talks to Senate president Scott Ryan about the impact of Covid on parliamentary sittings, and whether public health officials and executives should determine when parliaments sit. Ryan questions the current impact of restrictions on Victorian residents and looks at their future consequences

29 June 2020 How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising – podcast

Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But in the past year, an increasingly bold protest movement has transformed the city. Now, as Beijing tightens its grip, how much longer can the movement survive? By Tania Branigan and Lily Kuo

8 June 2020 Cholera and coronavirus: why we must not repeat the same mistakes

Cholera has largely been beaten in the west, but it still kills tens of thousands of people in poorer countries every year. As we search for a cure for coronavirus, we have to make sure it will be available to everyone, not just to those in wealthy nations. By Neil Singh

2 June 2020 Hong Kong: the end of one country, two systems?

Protesters have take to the streets again, this time over a national security law that is set to be imposed by Beijing. Verna Yu and Lily Kuo look at how the standoff compares with those of Hong Kong’s recent history

27 May 2020 Does the Covidsafe app work? [Australia]

The Covidsafe app, rolled out in late April, was sold to the Australian public as a measure that would ‘save lives and protect lives’. On this episode of Full Story, reporter Josh Taylor explores a series of flaws in the app that are causing problems for users, and for at least one state health authority.

11 May 2020 ‘Is coronavirus being used to turn India into surveillance state?’

South Asia correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen reports on the implications of people downloading an app designed to help control the spread of Covid-19 in a country where civil liberties were already being eroded.

IPI: THE PRESS FREEDOM FILES

Join the conversation on the future of quality journalism and the obstacles for a free press.

24 September 2021 Today in Short: Thailand‘s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement

Thailand was one of the 18 countries that introduced measures to control so-called ‘fake news’ last year during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the country has seen massive pro-democracy protests, which have challenged the role of the country’s monarchy – previously a taboo topic. Authorities have resorted to violence to end the protests and journalists and news outlets have also also caught up in the crackdown. The government also recently revived its harsh lese majeste laws, which punish criticism of the royal family.

What’s the status of press freedom in Thailand as of September 2021? My name is Javier Luque, and Today in Short, IPI Helsingin Sanomat Fellow Ronja Koskinen interviews Pravit Rojanaphruk, an award-winning columnist and senior staff writer at Bangkok-based Khaosod English online news.

12 February 2021 Anti-press sentiment in The Netherlands

The tightening of the COVID-19 restrictions in The Netherlands triggered riots and violence that swept the streets of the country’s main cities on the weekend of January 24th. Far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories proliferating across Europe have planted a seed of distrust in the media, increased polarization and, observers say, awakened a dormant racism in the Netherlands. All of this has resulted in a sudden growth of both online and physical attacks against reporters, with female and minority journalists especially targeted.

The second episode of IPI’s podcast ‘The Press Freedom Files’ sheds some light over the causes and consequences of this worrying trend in a country widely known for its progressive and liberal spirit. Guests Clarice Gagard, a prominent Dutch journalist targeted with online abuse; and seasoned journalist Peter ter Velde, manager of the initiative Press Safety, talk with IPI Head of Digital Communications Javier Luque.

THE IRISH TIMES: INSIDE POLITICS

The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Arts & Culture Editor Hugh Linehan.

17 March 2021 Pandemic Politics: Ask Me Anything

In today’s episode, Pat and Jen join Hugh for a special edition of “ask me anything”. From the zero Covid strategy to concerns around global vaccine supply, the team tackle your questions on the politics of the pandemic.

latinorebels podcast

15 July 2021 The Cuba Protests

After a series of rare anti-government protests in Cuba, Latino Rebels Radio speaks with Professor Michael Bustamante on what’s missing in the narrative and what to look out for as the story continues to develop. Bustamante is an Assistant Professor of Latin American History at Florida International University in Miami and the author of “Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile.”

19 April 2020 ‘Internet Voting Won’t Help a Democracy, Even During a Pandemic’

Internet voting to elect our leaders, especially in the time of COVID-19. Sounds seductive and appealing, right? Not so fast. In this latest episode of Latino Rebels Radio, guests Kevin Scogland (chief technologist at Citizens for Better Elections) and Mayte Bayolo (legislative and public policy attorney for the ACLU of Puerto Rico) explain to host Julio Ricardo Varela why going digital for elections is just not a good idea.

THE LAWFARE PODCAST

The Lawfare Podcast is the weekly audio production of the Lawfare staff in cooperation with the Brookings Institution. Podcast episodes include interviews with policymakers, scholars, journalists, and analysts; events and panel discussions.

11 February 2022 The Trucker Convoys and Domestic Unrest in Canada

Over the past few weeks, Canada has been living through its own insurrectionary moment, as a series of trucker convoys have used tractor trailer trucks to occupy much of downtown Ottawa, launch protests in other major Canadian cities, and block points of entry along the country's southern border with the United States. While nominally objecting to Canadian vaccination mandates, particularly as applied to truckers, the convoy movement has at times made even more ambitious demands, including the dissolution of the Trudeau government, and it has close ties to far right-wing nationalists and ethno-nationalist organizations, both in Canada and the United States. While the convoy movement began in Canada, there are signs that is beginning to spread, with similar efforts appearing in Australia and New Zealand and intelligence reports suggesting the same may soon happen in the United States.

To put these recent developments in context, Scott R. Anderson sat down with three Canadian national security experts who have been following the convoy crisis closely: Amarnath Amarasingam, assistant professor at Queen’s University; Stephanie Carvin, associate professor at Carleton University; and Jessica Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence. They discussed the origins of the convoy movement, its relationship with domestic violent extremism and what it might mean for both Canada and the rest of the world.

28 September 2021 An Election in Germany

Over the weekend, Germany held elections to see who will succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor. The results are in, but there's still a lot of coalition building to go. To break it all down, Jacob Schulz sat down with Constanze Stelzenmüller, the Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and trans-Atlantic Relations and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Yascha Mounk, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and International Studies, both of whom are experts in German politics. They talked about the election, how to make sense of the results, and what everything means for the bigger picture of European politics, Germany's role in the world and more.

30 July 2021 Sarah Yerkes on Tunisia's Democracy in Crisis

For the past decade, Tunisia's democracy has stood out as one of the few remaining bright spots of the Arab Spring. But earlier this week, it entered its own crisis as President Kais Saied declared a state of emergency, suspended parliament and stated his intent to move forward with widespread prosecutions as part of a long-promised anti-corruption effort. Some argue that Saied's strong-arm tactics are exactly what's needed to break the stagnation that's been plaguing Tunisia's economic and political systems, but others fear that it may be the beginning of the end for Tunisian democracy as we know it. To discuss these developments, Scott R. Anderson sat down with Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an expert on Tunisia. They discussed the context for Saied's actions, how other actors in Tunisia and the region have reacted, and what the international community can and should do about it.

10 February 2021 An Update from Hong Kong

While we have been dealing with an insurrection in Washington, protestors in Hong Kong are being tried under the city's new Beijing-imposed national security law. For an update on what's going on in Hong Kong and in its relationship with China, Benjamin Wittes sat down with Sophia Yan, Beijing correspondent for The Telegraph in London, and Alvin Cheung, a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University and a non-resident affiliate scholar with NYU's U.S.-Asia Law Institute. They talked about how the national security law is being applied in Hong Kong, whether the protests are likely to reignite as the coronavirus epidemic fades and what activists are doing now that they do not know what Beijing will tolerate.

3 December 2020 Can Democracies Play Offense on Disinformation?

On this episode of Lawfare's Arbiters of Truth series on platforms and disinformation, Quinta Jurecic spoke with Alina Polyakova and Ambassador Daniel Fried, the former U.S. ambassador to Poland and the Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council. The two have a new paper out on “Democratic Offense Against Disinformation,” published by the Atlantic Council and the Center for European Policy Analysis. They have written previously on how democracies can defend themselves against disinformation and misinformation from abroad, but this time, they turned their attention to what it would mean for democracies to take the initiative against foreign purveyors of disinformation, rather than just playing defense.

So how effective are democracies at countering disinformation? What tools are available if they want to play offense? And is it even possible to do so without borrowing tactics from the same authoritarian regimes that democracies seek to counter?

3 November 2020 Are We Having a Healthy Election?

On this Election Day, we are checking in on how healthy the election actually is. Nathaniel Persily of Stanford Law School and Charles Stewart III of MIT together run the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. Zahavah Levine and Chelsey Davidson manage the project on the Stanford side. Together, they have supervised a collection of students who have produced 32 articles for Lawfare on election administration as part of the project. Benjamin Wittes sat down with all four of them to discuss how the election is actually going, what the rules of mail-in voting are, how litigation has affected the conduct of the vote, if we have enough poll workers and what results we can expect this evening.

28 October 2020 Rational Security: The 'Buckle Your Seatbelts' Edition

Americans head to the polls in the face of a virus and potential disruptions at polling places and beyond. Whoever wins next Tuesday, the period between Election Day and the inauguration is bound to be rocky. And we’ll take a big picture look at the national security challenges that the next president will face, whoever he is.

8 October 2020 Yochai Benkler on Mass-Media Disinformation Campaigns

On this episode of Lawfare's Arbiters of Truth series on disinformation, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Yochai Benkler, a professor at Harvard Law School and co-director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

With only weeks until Election Day in the United States, there’s a lot of mis- and disinformation flying around on the subject of mail-in ballots. Discussions about addressing that disinformation often focus on platforms like Facebook or Twitter. But a new study by the Berkman Klein Center suggests that social media isn’t the most important part of mail-in ballot disinformation campaigns—rather, traditional mass media like news outlets and cable news are the main vector by which the Republican Party and the president have spread these ideas.

So what’s the research behind this counterintuitive finding? And what are the implications for how we think about disinformation and the media ecosystem?

7 October 2020 Scott Anderson on State Election Rules

We have an election in less than a month, and a lot of analysts seem to be expecting contested results. Doomsday scenarios are playing out in the pages of national magazines, the campaigns are gearing up for legal challenges and a lot of people are super worried about it. But there's something missing from a lot of these conversations: actual state law. State laws are the rules under which an election will initially be challenged, and they differ a great deal from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Benjamin Wittes sat down with Scott Anderson who led a team for Lawfare that surveyed the key battleground states' challenge regimes for contested elections. They talked about how these regimes differ, how they are similar, which ones give rise to particular concerns and what it all means for the upcoming federal election.

5 October 2020 The President and the Coronavirus

President Trump is at Walter Reed with the COVID virus. A large number of executive and legislative branch officials have also tested positive. What happens when the president is seriously ill? What happens when the president is incapacitated? And what happens when a presidential candidate falls seriously ill—after people have already started voting? These are not all questions entirely answered by the law, but they are all questions on which the law has something to say. To talk it all through, Benjamin Wittes spoke with an all Lawfare panel including managing editor Quinta Jurecic, founding editor Jack Goldsmith and chief operating officer David Priess.

1 September 2020 Election Anxieties and the U.S. Postal Service with Kevin Kosar and Anne Joseph O’Connell

On August 13, President Trump said in a news interview that he opposed supplemental funding for the United States Postal Service because such funding is needed for the delivery of universal mail-in ballots for the 2020 election. His comments sparked panic about whether the Trump administration is slowing Postal Service delivery in order to sway the election. Images of blue mailboxes being removed and anecdotes about slow mail delivery added fuel to the fire. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was called to testify before Senate and House oversight committees. Lawsuits were filed by a host of state attorneys general.

So what’s really going on here? Is this election interference, the implementation of legitimate policies or something else? Margaret Taylor sat down with Kevin Kosar of the American Enterprise Institute and Anne Joseph O’Connell of Stanford Law School to sort through the facts, the policy changes, the investigations and the lawsuits—and what it all means for the 2020 election.

20 August 2020 Alex Stamos on Fighting Election Disinformation in Real Time

This week on Lawfare's Arbiters of Truth series on disinformation, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Alex Stamos, the director of the Stanford Internet Observatory and former chief security officer of Yahoo and Facebook. Alex has appeared on the podcast before, but this time, they discussed a new coalition he helped set up called the Election Integrity Partnership—a coalition focused on detecting and mitigating attempts to limit voting or delegitimize election results. Disinformation and misinformation around the U.S. presidential election has already started popping up online, and it’s only going to increase as November draws closer. The coalition aims to counter this in real time. So how will it actually work?

27 July 2020 Anne Applebaum on the Twilight of Democracy

Anne Applebaum is a columnist, writer, historian and most recently, the author of "Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lore of Authoritarianism," a book that explores why authoritarian ideologies are on the ascendance in countries as diverse as Poland, Hungary, Spain, the United States and Great Britain. Benjamin Wittes spoke with Anne about the themes of the book: Why are all of these authoritarian ideologies on the rise now? What is the role of social media in their rise? What are the major themes that they have in common, and how different are they location by location? How did conservative ideology come to fracture the way it has over so brief a period of time? And how is the modern wave of authoritarianism different from earlier iterations of it?

9 July 2020 Brandi Collins-Dexter on COVID-19 Misinformation and Black Communities

In this episode of our Arbiters of Truth series on disinformation, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Brandi Collins-Dexter, the senior campaign director at the advocacy organization Color of Change and a visiting fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She recently published a report with the Shorenstein Center on “Canaries in the Coal Mine: COVID-19 Misinformation and Black Communities,” tracing how different false narratives about the pandemic surfaced among Black social media users in the United States. So what makes this misinformation unique and especially dangerous? And how should the responses of technology companies account for the ways the Black community is particularly vulnerable to this kind of misinformation?

They also discussed Color of Change’s role in the #StopHateForProfit campaign, an ad boycott of Facebook in protest of the company’s handling of potentially harmful speech on its platform. The day after this podcast was recorded, Color of Change and other activists met with Facebook to discuss the campaign, but they walked away feeling that nothing much had changed.

8 July 2020 Xinjiang, Hong Kong and China

The protests in Hong Kong have grabbed international headlines, but Hong Kong is hardly the only region of China that is experiencing brutal repression from the Chinese Communist Party. The latest unrest in the city and the imposition of the new national security law in Hong Kong mirrors actions taken in Xinjiang, the province of China that is inhabited principally by Uighur Muslims. To talk about it all, Benjamin Wittes spoke with Alvin Cheung, a non-resident affiliated scholar of NYU's U.S. Asia Law Institute and an expert on Hong Kong law; Jeremy Daum of the Paul Tsai China Center at the Yale Law School and an expert on Chinese criminal procedure and the detention of Uighurs outside of it; and Sophia Yan, the Beijing-based China correspondent for The Telegraph in London. They talked about what's going on in Hong Kong, what's going on in Xinjiang, what's going on in Tibet, and what's going on in the mainland of China itself.

LIBERTIES: SPEECHBAG PODCAST

Speechbag is a podcast that focuses on human rights and democracy issues across Europe. It is brought to you by Liberties, an EU-wide civil liberties watchdog.

22 February 2022 Do Mandatory Vaccinations Violate Human Rights?

Many European countries have considered mandatory vaccination schemes, and some, like Austria, are pushing ahead with them. That's brought protesters into the streets by the thousands. They claim mandatory vaccines violate human rights. But do human rights groups agree? Orsolya Reich, a senior advocacy officer at Liberties, joins the Speechbag podcast to discuss why this is not necessarily a human rights issue.

lowy institute: COVIDCAST (australia)

COVIDcast is a Lowy Institute pop-up podcast for anyone interested in understanding the effect of coronavirus on global politics. Each week for the next few weeks, Lowy Institute experts will sit down to discuss the implications of coronavirus for the world.

13 August 2020 Salvaging the liberal international order

In this episode of COVIDcast, Ben Scott, Lowy Institute Director of the Rules Based Order Project, sat down with Bobo Lo to discuss Bobo’s new Lowy Institute Analysis: “Global Order in the Shadow of the Coronavirus: China, Russia and the West”. Bobo Lo is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, an independent analyst and an Associate Research Fellow with the Russia/NIS Center at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

17 July 2020 Malcolm Turnbull on Geopolitics and the Pandemic

In this episode of COVIDcast, Herve Lemahieu, Director of the Power and Diplomacy Program at the Lowy Institute, sat down with the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull, 29th Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018, to discuss global politics and the foreign policy challenges Australia must confront in the wake of the pandemic.

12 June 2020 Xi Jinping and COVID-19

In this episode of COVIDcast, Richard McGregor, Lowy Institute Senior Fellow, sat down with Chris Buckley of the New York Times to discuss Xi Jinping’s China. Chris is widely acknowledged as one the world’s leading authorities on Chinese politics. He was back in his hometown of Sydney after the Chinese government refused to renew his visa allowing him to work as a journalist in China.

9 April 2020 Episode 6: Geopolitics and the pandemic

In episode 6 of COVIDcast, the Director of Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Program, Ben Bland, sat down with Hervé Lemahieu to discuss geopolitics and the coronavirus pandemic. Hervé is the Director of our Asian Power and Diplomacy Program where he leads the research for the annual Asia Power Index – launched by the Institute in 2018 – which is a data-driven assessment, developed to map the changing distribution of power in the region.

3 April 2020 Episode 5: Pandemic in the Pacific

In this episode, our Institute experts discuss the current situation in the Pacific, including responses to date by particular governments and leaders; specific risks of coronavirus to the Pacific, including the burden on its health care system and the impact on tourism; widespread fear and misinformation surrounding the virus; and Australia’s role in the global response to coronavirus in the Pacific Islands region.

27 March 2020 Episode 4: Crisis Looms in Southeast Asia

In Episode 4, Lowy Institute’s Executive Director, Michael Fullilove, sits down with Ben Bland, Director of our Southeast Asia Program and resident expert on Indonesia’s political system.

20 March 2020 Episode 3: The China Story

In Episode 3, Lowy Institute’s Director of Research, Alex Oliver, sits down with Richard McGregor, our resident senior China expert and author of several books on China’s politics and government. This episode focuses on the story of China. Our Institute experts discuss US-China power competition, including the recent expulsion of American journalists from China and Hong Kong, Chinese disinformation and propaganda, something we’ve dubbed the 'geopolitics of infection etymology' and more.

13 March 2020 Episode 2: The Virus is Declared a Pandemic

In Episode 2, Lowy Institute’s Executive Director, Michael Fullilove, sits down with Alex Oliver, the Institute’s Director of Research; Herve Lemahieu, Director of the our Asian Power and Diplomacy Program; and Roland Rajah, Director of the Institute’s International Economy Program. They discuss coronavirus anxiety, including #toiletpapergate, panic buying and hoarding; the effect of the virus on public sentiment and the emerging gap in public trust of governments and leaders; vulnerabilities in the international system and the lack of international leadership; and the Australian government’s response, including the $2.4 billion health plan and the $17.6 billion economic stimulus package.

6 March 2020 Episode 1: The Global Response to the Coronavirus

In Episode 1, Lowy Institute’s Executive Director, Michael Fullilove, sits down with Richard McGregor, Senior Fellow and a world expert on the Chinese Communist Party; Natasha Kassam, Research Fellow, expert in China’s domestic politics, and a former Australian diplomat in Beijing; and Ben Bland, director of the Institutes Southeast Asia Program and an expert in China-ASEAN relations. They discuss the effectiveness of China’s response to coronavirus and its implications for the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping, both internally and on the world stage; the limitations of populism and nationalist governments in responding to threats like coronavirus; increasing support for multilateralism and international cooperation; the effect of coronavirus on the 2020 US Presidential election; and Australia’s response to date.

LOWY INSTITUTE AUDIO (AUSTRALIA)

The Lowy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney, Australia. The Institute provides high-quality research and distinctive perspectives on foreign policy trends shaping Australia and the world. On Soundcloud we host podcasts from our events with high-level guest speakers as well as our own experts. Essential listening for anyone seeking to better understand foreign policy challenges!

20 May 2021 ‘Infodemic’ - Social Media Misinformation and Covid-19 in Papua New Guinea

Covid-19 remains a significant challenge for Papua New Guinea. While case numbers appear to have stabilised after a big surge earlier this year, the virus continues to spread and put further strain on already-stretched healthcare resources. Much needed vaccines have arrived and a national rollout strategy has begun. But vaccine hesitancy is a huge concern – with frontline health workers among those reluctant to accept the vaccine. A major factor appears to be online misinformation – with conspiracy theories and fake news proliferating, and adding to the burden for those trying to reduce the pandemic’s impact.

In this online event, the panellists discuss the challenges of Covid-19 and social media misinformation in Papua New Guinea. Researchers at the ABC Media Development Initiative outline their latest data tracking the spread of online misinformation, and panellists to discuss the impact it has on health outcomes, and the broader community.

5 March 2021 International Women's Day: Women in the era of Covid-19

We are one year into a pandemic that has upended life as we once knew it. How has the pandemic affected women across the world – in their employment prospects, their caring and household responsibilities, the rate of domestic violence they suffer, their access to education and the mental health challenges they face?

COVID-19 has also provided lessons in leadership. New Zealand and Taiwan appeared first and third on the Lowy Institute’s recently released COVID Performance Index. To what extent can their success be attributed to the approaches and styles of their female leaders?

In this special event marking International Women's Day 2021, our panel discusses the effect the pandemic has had on women and examine women’s leadership throughout the past year.

munk debates

26 April 2021 Spring 2021 Munk Dialogue with Jonathan Haidt: Episode 1

COVID-19 has fast-forwarded us into a confusing and uncertain future. Nowhere are the accelerating forces of the pandemic more evident than in our democracy. We are being challenged by rising authoritarian regimes, a reckoning on race, and intense debates on cancel culture, identity politics and free speech. The Spring 2021 Munk Dialogues host some of the world’s brightest thinkers for in-depth, one hour conversions on the fate and future of democracy in a world remade by COVID-19. This episode features Jonathan Haidt in conversation with Munk Debates Chair, Rudyard Griffiths. Jonathan Haidt is a leading social psychologist, professor at the New York University Stern School of Business and author of a series of internationally bestselling books on psychology and politics.

30 December 2020 Anne Applebaum on the future of democracy

Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer-prize winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic, on the future of democracy in an era of populist politics and rising authoritarianism.

2 September 2020 Be It Resolved: Sweden Is The Model For How To Fight This Pandemic And The Next

In a world where shutdowns and quarantines have become the norm, Sweden stands out for choosing a pandemic strategy that is markedly different than its peer nations. In Sweden, bars, restaurants, public spaces, and most significantly, elementary schools have continued to operate since COVID-19 began its spread through the country last March. Supporters of the Swedish model argue that its strength lies in being sustainable over the long haul. Critics say this strategy has come at way too high a price. Almost 6,000 citizens have died from the virus, one of the highest per capita death rates in the world. In this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast leading Swedish medical experts Dr. Jonas F. Ludviggson and Lena Einhorn debate the essence of these two competing arguments.

19 August 2020 Be it resolved: The future of Western politics is populist not liberal

Throughout the Western world, politics is undergoing a sea-change. Long-held notions of the role of government, trade and economic policy, foreign policy and immigration are being challenged by populist thinkers and movements. Does this surging populist agenda in Western nations signal a permanent shift in our politics? Or, is it a passing phenomenon that will remain at the fringes of society and political power? On the eve of a contentious US election, the Munk Debates shares an abridged version of the 2018 stage debate about the rise of populism as an ideology between Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, and David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic and former speechwriter for George W. Bush. Sources: City TV, CBC, Canadian Press, Garry Bakuniec

24 June 2020 China v Liberal Democracy

COVID-19: Is China’s system of governance better than liberal democracy? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast, Chinese scholar Zhang Weiwei and Oxford professor Timothy Garton Ash argue the motion Be it resolved, China’s ability to defeat Covid-19 proves its system of governance is a better model than liberal democracy. SOURCES: CNBC, CNN, PBS Newshour, Fox News, Bloomberg News, BBC, NDT Television.

Guests: Zhang Weiwei & Timothy Garton Ash

NCSL OUR AMERICAN STATES PODCAST (USA)

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is producing a podcast series to focus on how states are taking action in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The podcasts and a new webinar series will look at public health responses, workplace issues, education and childcare, the economy, elections and continuity of government.

18 May 2020 COVID-19: Campaigning and Voting Amid a Pandemic

Elections in the age of the pandemic are getting a lot of attention lately, with much of the talk focusing on mail-in balloting for November. But there is a lot more than mail-in ballots to discuss, including election administration, cybersecurity, campaigns amid a pandemic, misinformation, turnout and more. And there are more than 6,000 state legislative seats on the fall ballot. Helping us sort out all the details is Wendy Underhill, director of NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting program.

23 March 2020 Continuity of State Government and Elections

On today’s episode, we talk with two NCSL experts. Natalie Wood, director of NCSL’s Center for Legislative Strengthening, discusses steps legislatures have taken in response to the pandemic and specific actions they’ve taken to ensure legislative operations can continue. Our second guest is Wendy Underhill, director of NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting Program. She discusses how the pandemic may affects voting and also how the U.S. Census Bureau is handling its one-a-decade count during the emergency.

the open mind

27 April 2021 The Unreachable Supermajority for Constitutional Reform

Center for Transnational Law director Jorge Contesse discusses the pandemic’s global human rights fallout and the future of democracy in Chile.

1 February 2021 The Oldest Unamended Constitution in the World

Center for Japanese Legal Studies executive director Nobuhisa Ishizuka discusses the prospects for reforming Japan's constitution, imperative to establish emergency powers during the pandemic, and future of U.S.-Japan relations.

12 October 2020 The Looming Election Disaster in New York

New York NOW host Dan Clark discusses the failure of election reform to ensure early absentee/mail vote counting and the looming election chaos, pandemic resurgence, and economic disaster.

21 September 2020 Will There Be a Legitimate 2020 Election?

Election security advocate Jennifer Cohn discusses the importance of a handmarked paper trail, independent election oversight, and being watchful of an authoritarian president and corrupt companies that would steal votes.

19 September 2020 The Degeneration of Democracy in Belarus

PBS special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky discusses the decline of electoral integrity in Belarus and the protests for democratic rule.

1 September 2020 Will the Pandemic Mean Justice in America?

Minister, activist, and Princeton University scholar Nyle Fort discusses reimagining a post-pandemic America.

31 August 2020 Everything You Need to Know About Voting in 2020

Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project co-director and political scientist Charles Stewart III discusses how to vote by mail or in person in 2020 and request an absentee ballot even if you plan to vote on Election Day.

25 August 2020 How to Ensure a Free and Fair Election

"Election Meltdown" author and legal scholar RIck Hasen discusses the obstacles to a fair and free election in November.

10 August 2020 Anti-Science and Anti-Press Populism

Award-winning Brazilian journalist Patricia Campos Mello discusses what links the two countries, Brazil and the United States, with the worst pandemic responses.

14 July 2020 Will COVID Paralyze the Vote in November?

Mother Jones voting rights correspondent Ari Berman discusses the pandemic’s consequences for voter registration and turnout.

27 June 2020 How to Register and Vote Safely During the Pandemic

Andrea Hailey of Vote.org and Amber McReynolds of VOTE at HOME discuss how to ensure you can register and vote safely during the pandemic.

22 April 2020 How to Protect the Franchise in a Pandemic

In the wake of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Democratic voting rights attorney Marc Elias discusses how to hold Governors accountable for implementing vote by mail solutions.

OUT OF ORDER PODCAST

Out of Order is a German Marshall Fund podcast discussing how our world was, is, and will be ordered. How do we save democracy, reason, rule of law and global cooperation? And why do some people not want to? Co-hosted by a German in America and an American in Germany the Out of Order podcast brings together different international experts from the German Marshall Fund of the United States and beyond to talk about politics, economics, technology and everything else that might help us understand our disordered world.

24 July 2020 Post-Pandemic Order with William Yang

In many ways, Taiwan has a front row seat, with the coronavirus pandemic, Beijing’s new national security law, and geopolitical uncertainty further impacting Taiwan’s already tenuous position. On this episode, GMF’s Julie Smith and Deutsche Welle’s East Asia Correspondent, William Yang, dive into the most relevant questions for the island today. What is the outlook for Taiwan’s future given Beijing’s the implementation of the new national security law in Hong Kong? What lessons did Taiwan learn from battling the coronavirus? Does the Taiwanese public have confidence in the United States’ ability to play a positive leadership role in the region? How have CCP actions in Xinjiang impacted opinions in Taiwan about the Chinese government and its the use of digital surveillance tools? This episode was taped on July 17 as a live virtual event.

3 July 2020 Post-Pandemic Order with Jared Cohen

The perils of disinformation are no new phenomenon, but the last few months have shown just how much damage it can do—and all the different ways it can be used. On this week’s episode, Jared Cohen, founder and CEO of Jigsaw—the independent unit at Google focused on building technology to address global security challenges—joins Derek Chollet to discuss the brave new world of the internet in the post-pandemic order. While disinformation once needed to be manufactured, conspiracy theories now grow organically and can then be exploited by both state and non-state actors in far-reaching ways. Who should be charged with stemming this tide, and who actually has the tools to be successful? According to Cohen, who also has a deep foreign policy background, the international order has two fronts: physical and digital. He explains his surprise (and what early adherents of social media platforms got wrong) with China’s ability to seamlessly adapt to the digital world—and what the coronavirus has exposed about the seeming advantages closed societies have in navigating technology while open societies have struggled.   The conversation also turns to American history and Cohen’s book, “Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America,” and why the upcoming presidential election in the United States could very likely be a perfect storm—a combination of 1876, 2000, and 2020 all in one.

Pacific Council on International Policy

1 May 2020 Democracies in Times of Crisis

A Pacific Council teleconference about democracies in times of crisis. As countries around the world respond to a pandemic, many democratically elected leaders have taken extreme, even undemocratic, measures. In many countries, including Hungary, Brazil, Israel, and France, there is concern that leaders and lawmakers may use the crisis for political gains. These uncertain times prompt the question: How do democracies fare in times of crisis?

Featuring: Dr. Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham Shanthi Kalathil, Senior Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy Moderator: Dr. Katja Newman, President, KSN Consulting Katja Newman is a Pacific Council member and a professor at Loyola Marymount University.

POLICY OPTIONS PODCAST

Policy Options is a digital magazine published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) in Montreal, Quebec. It features daily articles on issues of public policy by contributors from academia, research institutions, the political world, the public service and the non-profit and private sectors. We’re committed to introducing our listeners to a diversity of viewpoints on the important public policy challenges of our time.

8 February 2022 So-called “Freedom Convoy” is a symptom of a deeply unequal society

How Ottawa police treat white protesters compared to others including Black and Indigenous people reveals an entrenched Canadian double standard. Read the full article here.

29 September 2021 Lessons learned from pandemic elections

At the onset of the pandemic, in March 2020, there was an (unconfirmed) collective idea that in a few weeks or months we would be able to go back to our lives as usual, and the pandemic would be a thing of the past. Now we recognize that it wasn’t that simple, that the regular functions of the country must continue, and that we would, at least for now, have to learn to live with the virus.

In September 2020, New Brunswick held Canada’s first election during the pandemic, and electoral management bodies had to grapple with the challenge of how to prepare for an election. Canada has now seen six provincial and territorial elections and a federal election. So what have we learned? And how can we use these lessons to better prepare ourselves for voting in times of emergencies?

POWER 3.0 PODCAST

Power 3.0 explores how savvy authoritarian governments survive and thrive in a globalized information age, and the ways that democracies are contending with this challenge.

20 May 2021 Containing Covid-19 Disinformation: A Conversation with Three Experts

In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, International Forum program officer Dean Jackson interviews three experts about how COVID-19 has accelerated disinformation challenges that undermine the integrity of the information space, and how public officials, civil society actors, and technology platforms can facilitate more effective communication of facts in an increasingly crowded information environment. Featured guests include Vladimir Rouvinski, associate professor of political science at Icesi University in Colombia; Renee DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory; and Will Moy, founder and CEO of Full-Fact, an independent fact-checking charity based in the United Kingdom. Christopher Walker, NED vice president for studies and analysis, hosts the conversation. For more on this topic, read the International Forum’s Global Insights essay collection, “COVID-19 and the Information Space: Boosting the Response.”

price talks: Policy in a Pandemic

The USC Sol Price School of Public Policy presents Price Talks: Policy in a Pandemic, a virtual series examining policy challenges around the COVID-19 pandemic. USC Price faculty share their expert perspective on the critical policy issues that are important to us all in 30-minute lunchtime Zoom presentations open to the entire Price community. Topics will include examining the impact of the crisis on the economy, the homeless crisis, voter turn-out in this year’s election, local government services and our public health infrastructure.

22 April 2020 The Fight for Democracy Continues During a Pandemic

radio free europe podcast

12 July 2021 The COVID Surge And The Elections

With parliamentary elections just over two months away, the wave of coronavirus cases and deaths rolls on and the Russian state continues to struggle to vaccinate the populace. Moscow correspondent Matthew Luxmoore joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

30 November 2020 COVID-19 In Russia, The Sochi Agreements On Belarus

COVID-19 takes a growing toll in Russia, with daily new cases exceeding 25,000 and hospitals struggling to cope. In Belarus, Lukashenka meets with the Russian foreign minister -- and then says he won't be president under a new constitution, whenever that might be. Irina Lagunina, director of special projects at RFE/RL's Russian Service, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

16 November 2020 COVID-19, Moldova, And Belarus

Russia records another record-high daily new coronavirus case number and the health-care system struggles to cope. Developments in Moldova and Belarus deal potential blows to Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions. Merhat Sharipzhan, senior correspondent at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

26 October 2020 Street Protests And Strikes In Belarus

After Alyaksandr Lukashenka ignored an opposition deadline to step down and instead cracked down hard again on massive street protests, opponents are trying to turn up the pressure with a general strike. Will Russia's stance shift along with the events in Belarus? RFE/RL senior correspondent Rob Coalson joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

24 August 2020 A Seesaw In Belarus, And The Kremlin Tries To Figure Out What To Do

Opponents to Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka turned out in droves over the weekend, packing the streets of Minsk and showing that after days of tough talk from Lukashenka, they aren’t ready to give up. But what about the Kremlin? It’s an open secret that they don’t think very much of Lukashenka, but what’s the alternative? Irina Lagunina, director of special projects at RFE/RL’s Russian Service, joins Senior Correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss what Moscow wants out of Belarus.

15 June 2020 Goodbye COVID, Hello Democracy? Unpacking Putin’s Remarks

In remarks broadcast over the weekend, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is handling the coronavirus “quite smoothly” and that constitutional amendments up for a nationwide vote on July 1 are a step toward democracy. Irina Lagunina, director of special projects at RFE/RL’s Russian Service, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

RESISTANCE BUREAU

The Resistance Bureau is a global discussion on the most pressing issues that confront Africa today. They bring together leading activists, civil society representatives, lawyers, journalists and political leaders from all parts of the continent to share perspectives and strategies on how to effectively resist authoritarianism and repression. Their goal is to amplify their voices, identify lessons learned, and build solidarity across Africa and beyond. Various podcasts have focused on the impact of the pandemic. 

29 July 2020 'Speaking truth to power during the pandemic'

This is an edited version of our live show featuring guests Boniface Mwangi, Comfort Mussa, Laura Miti and Fred Muvunyi, hosted by Adeola Fayehun and Jeffrey Smith.

20 July 2020 'How to resist the authoritarian pandemic'

Special guests Bobi Wine, Tundu Lissu and Fadzayi Mahere sit down for a live show about resisting the authoritarian pandemic.

RNZ: THE DETAIL

The news, explained. Join Sharon Brettkelly & Emile Donovan every weekday as they make sense of the big stories with the country’s best journalists and experts. Made possible by RNZ & NZ On Air.

4 March 2022 How the Parliament protest was brought to an end

After 23 days, the occupation at Parliament was finally brought to a chaotic and violent end. The Detail talks to two reporters who were there as it all unfolded. 

25 February 2022 Politicians and the protest at Parliament

The unprecedented protest at Parliament has dragged into a third week, but politicians of all stripes are still grappling with how to respond to it. For the government, there’s an interesting dynamic at play when thousands of people descend on Parliament’s lawn: it really can’t do that much about it.

24 February 2022 On the ground at the Parliament protest

First person - Sharon Brettkelly went to Wellington this week to cover the protest at Parliament. She writes about what she saw and the people she met as she was making today's episode of The Detail.

17 February 2022 Covering the protest at Parliament

The protest at Parliament is like nothing journalists here in New Zealand have ever seen before. The occupation  is into its second week and the police and politicians are struggling to work out how to bring it to a peaceful end. Today on The Detail, Emile Donovan and Sharon Brettkelly speak to three journalists reporting on the protest about how it’s unfolded, how they’ve covered it and what’s so different about it.

 21 July 2021 Political moves pushing the path of Covid-19

Today on The Detail, Emile Donovan speaks to Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman about how reactions to Covid-19 are changing how the world deals with massive-scale issues.

5 March 2021 Rules, messages, Covid and confusion

With large-scale vaccinations on the horizon, we are tantalisingly close to some semblance of closure. But can we keep it together? And, with confusion reigning around the details of this latest outbreak, is the broad communication strategy the powers-that-be have maintained so far, still fit for purpose? Today on The Detail, Emile Donovan speaks to Newsroom.co.nz political editor Jo Moir, and strategic political communications expert Dr Edward Elder, about what we've been doing right; what we've been doing wrong; and the delicate balance decision-makers have to strike between the carrot and the stick.

9 November 2020 Should NZ copy Taiwan?

Taiwan is held up as best in class when it comes to controlling coronavirus and calls are getting louder for New Zealand to follow its lead and end the disruptive lockdowns that are so damaging to the economy. Today The Detail's Sharon Brettkelly looks at how this country of nearly 24 million people on an island a third the size of the South Island, tops the world with around 568 cases and just seven deaths compared with New Zealand's 1973-odd cases and 25 deaths.

3 November 2020 The fraught and divided US election

The US election has made the history books even before the vote is tallied, from the record numbers turning out to vote early to the angry clashes between the candidates and the protests that have divided the country. But overshadowing it all is the pandemic with a new wave now washing over the US.

"This election is a referendum on the president's handling of Covid 19," says New York-based New Zealand lawyer and commentator Danielle McLaughlin. She says there are "lots of indicators in the swing states particularly that this is bad news for Donald Trump".

Today, The Detail's Sharon Brettkelly talks to McLaughlin and American Tim Fadgen, who lectures in political science and international relations at Auckland University, about the fraught and controversial voting system.

21 August 2020 How Singapore carried out its Covid-19 election

Singapore’s 2020 general election will be remembered for more than being a pandemic election. It shook up Singapore's democracy, shook up the ruling PAP or People's Action Party and for the first time the main opposition the Workers Party got official recognition as the opposition.

RSA EVENTS PODCAST

The RSA hosts one of the world’s leading public events programmes, delivering over 100 lectures, talks, screenings and debates a year. These events provide a platform for our most exciting public thinkers, and encourage intelligent exploration of today’s most urgent social challenges. Our public programme welcomes speakers from across the world and across disciplines – all united by a belief in the power of ideas to inspire and motivate social change.

9 October 2020 Active Democracy in Times of Emergency

As the world faces the critical issues of Covid-19, climate emergency and political disquiet, what are the novel democratic approaches we can deploy to tackle these acute and existential challenges? How can a more ‘active democracy’ break political deadlock, build civic trust and drive transformative collaboration between government, civil society and communities? One month on from Climate Assembly UK’s reported recommendations and with the US election looming, RSA chief executive Matthew Taylor is joined in conversation with OECD policy analyst Claudia Chwalisz, chief executive of Reboot Panthea Lee and professor of politics Graham Smith to explore practical strategies for long-term change.

SCHWARTZ MEDIA: 7AM PODCAST

A daily news show from the publisher of The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Hear from the country’s best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday.

17 November 2021 Death threats and nooses: How a pandemic bill sparked far-right protests

Everyday for the past week hundreds of protesters have camped outside the Victorian Parliament, protesting a new bill that would extend the state’s public health orders, the tools used to combat the pandemic. Some of the protesters are far-right extremists, who have threatened violence against politicians and brought nooses to the steps of the parliament. But opposition to the government’s proposed pandemic bill isn’t only coming from the far-right. It’s also been criticised by civil libertarians and human rights lawyers. Today, outgoing President of Liberty Victoria, Julia Kretzenbacher on what the pandemic bill is really about, and why it sparked such an intense backlash.

Slate: Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts

3 October 2020 Testing the Election

Votes are already being cast. Will chaos be the winner?

29 August 2020 Dozens of Baby Bush v. Gores

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and professor Samuel Bagenstos of the University of Michigan School of Law, to discuss the status of voting rights litigation as we count down to November’s election. Then Dahlia is joined by Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to talk about the alarming developments in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

25 April 2020 States’ Rights

Colorado State Attorney General Phil Weiser on cooperative federalism, COVID-19, and faithless electors.

11 April 2020 Why, Wisconsin?

Election lawyer Marc Elias on what this week’s election mess can teach us ahead of November.

28 March 2020 Protecting Democracy in a Pandemic

What we need to hold onto, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

slate: political gabfest podcast

18 March 2021 The “I’ll Get the Vaccine If You Give Me a Pony” Edition

The politics of vaccine acceptance, the changed conversation on policing, and Texas undeterred by failing to find voter fraud.

29 October 2020 The “Almost” Edition

Voting accessibility, how to digest Election Day updates, and gratitude for life-changing individuals.

2 October 2020 The “The President Has COVID” Edition

President Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus, now what?

17 September 2020 The “Giant Fires Everywhere” Edition

Wildfires and the climate crisis, apocalyptic election talk, and imagining the post-pandemic work week—with guest host Jamelle Bouie at the Texas Tribune Festival.

4 June 2020 The “Inspecting the Bunker” Edition

Protests against police brutality and racism, Trump’s increasingly authoritarian response, and the pandemic, with guest Jamelle Bouie.

28 May 2020 The “It’s Not a Lie, It’s a Tweet” Edition

Trump versus Twitter, the realities of a partisan pandemic, and U.S.-China relations, with Sheena Chestnut Greitens.

14 May 2020 The “There Is No Plan” Edition

COVID-19 without federal leadership, Trump’s taxes at the Supreme Court, and novelist Isabel Allende on crisis as an opportunity for change.

7 May 2020 The “Vote By Mail” Edition

States’ reopening before it’s safe, this year’s election security challenges, and economist Gene Sperling on “economic dignity.”

9 April 2020 The “It’s Easy to Talk About Lysol” Edition

Where efforts to curb virus transmission go from here, with epidemiologist Amesh Adalja; Trump’s purge of investigators general; and what Bernie Sanders’ exit should mean for the Democratic Party’s agenda.

thomas carothers: interviews

Thomas Carothers is an expert on international democracy support, democratization, and US foreign policy. He is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he founded and directs the Democracy and Rule of Law Program. The following are recent interviews he has given on separate podcasts.

13 April 2020 Democracy in a Post COVID-19 World 

Thomas Carothers and Rachel Kleinfeld on the podcast, The Recovery Project.

9 April 2020 Interview on the pandemic and global democracy 

Podcast, Two Gringos with Questions, Canadian Council for the Americas.

trending globally (USA)

Trending Globally is a podcast hosted by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University.

13 May 2020 How States are Taking the Lead in the Coronavirus Crisis

What does it actually mean for a state’s revenue to ‘dry up’? Who’s paying for coronavirus testing sites? How are states working together -- and how are they competing? There’s never been a more important time to understand state and local government, as states have become the political, logistical, and moral center of the US's pandemic response.

13 April 2020 A Global View of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Mark Lurie is an epidemiologist and expert in infectious disease at Brown University's School of Public Health. On this episode he talks with Sarah about the underlying issues of the coronavirus pandemic: how the virus spreads, what can be done to slow it down, and the different ways it's being treated by countries around the world. They also discuss lessons we can learn from previous public health crises in fighting this one, and how the pandemic is interacting with other social and economic issues.

18 March 2020 The Coronavirus Pandemic and US Politics

On this episode: how the coronavirus is affecting US politics, and how US politics are affecting the development of this public health crisis. Guest host Dan Richards talks with Wendy Schiller, Watson Faculty Fellow and Chair of the Political Science Department at Brown University. They discuss the wide-ranging affects of this crisis on American politics, from the Democratic Primaries to voting reform to how might it affect the concerns and considerations of voters going into the general election.

THE WEEK IN HEALTH LA‪W PODCAST

Frank Pasquale, Nicolas Terry and their guests discuss the significant health law and policy issues of the week.

20 February 2021 George #covidlawbriefing. Challenges of state-based pandemic responses‪

As new variants spread throughout the country, Lance Gable of Wayne State University, Ross Silverman of Indiana University, and Jill Krueger of the Network for Public Health Law discuss the challenges of state-based pandemic responses and the centrality of interstate and intrastate cooperation in any successful national strategy.

5 February 2021 George #covidlawbriefing: Disinformation in the Pandemic

Nicolas Terry of Indiana University, Wendy Parmet of Northeastern University, Timothy Caulfield of the University of Alberta, and Brian Castrucci of The de Beaumont Foundation discuss how public health disinformation and the framing of scientific fact as partisan opinion have hamstrung the response to the first post-truth pandemic—and what can be done going forward.

WHAT MATTERS TODAY PODCAST - GRADUATE INSTITUTE GENEVA

15 July 2020 The Impact of Covid-19 on Human Rights

Over the past few months, the coronavirus has had a major impact on many different facets of our daily lives. One topic that isn't often addressed however, is the impact the pandemic has, and will continue to have, on human rights. In this second episode of our special series which examines a post coronavirus world, we examine how the pandemic has changed how human rights are viewed and respected, how it is affecting victims of domestic violence, and how it has become a barrier, in some instances, for the exercise of human rights.

This episodes features guests from the Graduate Institute's International Law department and include Vincent Chetail, Professor of International Law, Chair of the International Law Department, Director of the Global Migration Centre (Graduate Institute) and President of the Board of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights; Andrew Clapham, Professor of International Law, he was the first Director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (June 2006 - July 2014). He teaches international human rights law, the laws of war, and public international law; and Stefania Di Stefano, a PhD candidate at the Graduate Institute. Her doctoral research focuses on the human rights implications stemming from the role that social media platforms perform in today's society.

WORLD POLITICS REVIEW: TREND LINES

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa.

7 July 2021 Colombia Braces for More Protests, With Few Offramps

After Colombians took to the streets on April 28 to protest a tax reform plan, President Ivan Duque quickly rescinded the unpopular proposal. But that didn’t stop the demonstrators, who continued to march in support of more fundamental economic changes to address persistent inequality and poverty, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Colombian security forces responded to the unrest with a typically heavy-handed approach, and at least 60 people have died so far, many at the hands of the police.

Protest leaders have paused their activities for now, but are planning more strikes and demonstrations for later in the month. Today on Trend Lines, WPR’s Elliot Waldman discusses the situation in Colombia with Elizabeth Dickinson, the Bogota-based senior analyst for Colombia at the International Crisis Group. For more on the protests, check out the recently released Crisis Group report, “The Pandemic Strikes: Responding to Colombia’s Mass Protests.”

11 November 2020 How the Pandemic Is Fueling New Infringements on Digital Rights

Many aspects of our response to the coronavirus pandemic have relied on digital technology. Schools and workplaces are moving online, holding classes and meetings using virtual tools. Public health experts are using data analytics and contact tracing apps to slow the contagion. And in some cases, authoritarian governments are using the pandemic as an excuse to impose sweeping restrictions on their citizens that limit their scope for protests and other forms of criticism.

According to researchers at the watchdog group Freedom House, the implications of the pandemic for digital rights worldwide are bleak. The organization released a new report last month as part of an annual series looking at online freedoms, to document what it calls, “The Pandemic’s Digital Shadow.” This week on Trend Lines, WPR’s Elliot Waldman is joined by one of the report’s co-authors, Adrian Shahbaz, to discuss COVID-19’s indelible impacts on our online lives. Shahbaz is the director for technology and democracy at Freedom House.

29 October 2020 ‘Reality Is Catching Up’: Edward Luce on Trump, the Election and What Comes After

Over the past four years, American politics have been consumed and subsumed by one man: Donald Trump. Since his election in 2016, Trump’s disregard for convention has upended the norms of the U.S. presidency and undermined the separation of powers on which America’s constitutional system depends. His iconoclastic approach to foreign policy has further frayed the global order the U.S. has historically used to advance its interests, while raising questions about America’s commitment and dependability as an ally. Long-standing political partisanship and divisions within the U.S. have become particularly acute in the runup to next week’s election, amid heightened anxiety over the potential for tampering and manipulation of the outcome.

In today’s big picture Trend Lines interview, Edward Luce joins WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, to discuss the impact of Trump’s four years in office, the atmosphere surrounding next week’s election and what’s at stake for America and the world. Luce is a columnist and the U.S. national editor for the Financial Times, and has long been a highly regarded observer of American politics, which he has been covering for FT since 2006.

19 August 2020 Are Lukashenko’s Days Numbered in Belarus?

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is facing the greatest challenge yet to his rule as pro-democracy demonstrations rock the country. This week on Trend Lines, Candace Rondeaux joins Elliot Waldman to discuss the competition for influence in Belarus, and what the protests mean for its future.

10 July 2020 Hong Kong Silenced, and a One-State Solution for Israel-Palestine

In this week’s editors’ discussion on Trend Lines, WPR’s Judah Grunstein, Freddy Deknatel and Prachi Vidwans talk about the new national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, and the chilling effect it has already had on dissent and speech there. They also discuss a new proposal for a one-state solution for Israel and Palestine based on equal citizenship rights for all, and how the debate over ways forward in that conflict has broadened recently, in part due to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

8 July 2020 Why the Work of Independent Election Observers Just Got More Difficult: Election Observation in the Age of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has created a vexing challenge for democratic societies: How to safely hold free and fair elections. Some countries that saw early success in containing the spread of COVID-19, like South Korea, have been able to hold national elections safely, while a slew of others have been forced to postpone their votes.

The pandemic has also changed the facts on the ground for independent election observers. For this week’s interview on Trend Lines, WPR’s Elliot Waldman is joined by David Carroll, director of the Democracy Program at the Carter Centre. He has participated in dozens of observation missions in elections around the world and has been at the forefront of efforts to develop standards and best practices for global election observation.