What Democracy Looks Like In...

“I think that it’s not always understood that the ultimate day-to-day working of elections, like on the ground, facilitating, making sure somebody can vote, is done by your neighbors.” In this last episode of the season, on Democracy in the United States, Nicola Sharratt describes her experiences as an election worker in Fulton County in Georgia, we debate just how pervasive corruption is in US ci...

“Our biggest flaw as a nation, which resulted to us never really attaining independence or democracy, is that, somehow we have a flawed sense of nationalism. We are very family oriented as people, but the thing is, we value our family more than our country.” Revisit this conversation from June 2024 on Democracy in The Philippines. Jackline and Jabs introduce me to a county that has survived waves...

“Oh, boy, the corruption. Even people who go and vote, whether they believe, whether they are skeptical a bit like me; they can still say it doesn't matter. Not because my vote doesn't matter but because eventually, when have we ever heard of a politician who had a promise that they kept?” In Jun 2024, following the European Parliamentary Elections, I interviewed  Federica Bressan  and  Piero Q.P....

“If you have money, then you are in politics. In India the same thing happens. People in money come to politics and they think that they have to they spend money to win elections, and then they think their job is to take that money back.” In this re-visited interview on What Democracy Looks Like In India from Sep 2022 , Father and daughter Venkat and Vidhya demonstrate a generational shift in how...

“If you're part of this generation, there’s a training that many of us got just because we were young in that moment in history. The way we think about politics and the way we do politics is completely different. We were making important decisions and participating [in national politics] when we were 13, 14 years old.” Revisit a conversation from Sep 2022 on Democracy in Chile, with Paloma Contrer...

“How can we talk about Mexico being a democracy if you don't have the basic right to walk around freely secured in all the country, for example, and also to vote securely?…. How can you report on news and how can we have free speech in a country where journalists are killed every day?” Revisit this conversation from Aug 2022 about What Democracy Looks Like in Mexico, with Brenda Lopez and David Pa...

On Dec 3 President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea caused a political crisis by calling for Martial Law. To provide some background to this situation we are revisiting our interview about Democracy in South Korea, recorded back in February 2024. This week I am re-releasing all the interviews from this podcast in their full-length versions. This is in preparation for the last episode of the season, an...

“I find it hard to get too angry about the Monarchy partly because it seems SO miserable. You might be really rich but… You know the reason you were born. You never have to ask what “Why was I even born?”. You were born to be part of the apparatus of state. Your only purpose is to exist and have babies.” This week I am re-releasing all the interviews from this podcast in their full-length versions...

In Part Two of my conversation with Jackline and Jabs about voting and politics in The Philippines, I learn about the active role the Catholic Church plays in Filipino elections – something that hasn’t come up in other countries featured in this podcast before. Also the influence of China, everyday corruption, and whether electronic voting prevents violence on election day. This is Part Two of Two...

“There was hope for our country. And then it hit like a meteor. All the bad politicians starting popping up and they are winning out of nowhere.” What does democracy in The Philippines look like today? Jackline and Jabs introduce me to a county that has survived waves of colonial occupation, military coups, a dictatorship, and intractable family dynasties. But in 2016 it was hit by a then underest...

“As Lebonese we love our culture very much. It’s our politicians who are always trying to divide us.” Lebanon has unfortunately dominated the news this week for all the wrong reasons. To help those of us abroad try to understand a little of the context, I decided to republish the lively, informative, and often hilarious conversation I had with Lebanese expat  ⁠Toufic Sarieddine⁠ back at the beginn...

What does the greatest democracy in the world look like? Let’s go find it! What Democracy Looks Like In… is a podcast where ordinary people from around the world tell me about how democracy and voting work in their country. Local people break down the details of the things you might hear on the news. And we get a glimpse into the kind of arguments and debates people are having with their families...

In Part 2 we talk 'Christian washing,' and irregularities at the polls that go as far as violent intimidation of voters and destroying ballots. Additionally, in contrast to discussions of gender in other countries featured on this podcast ⁠⁠ Toufic Sarieddine ⁠⁠ describes how a kind of "cheeky bad boy" machoism might actually increase tolerance of corruption. This is the second o...

Recorded as war looms, I get to ask some really basic questions like "what is Hezbollah anyway?" and "Isn't having two competing armies in your country a bit problematic?" I also learn about "confessionalism" - a quota system where political positions are assigned by religious affiliation. And in this lively and revealing interview with ⁠ Toufic Sarieddine ⁠ , a m...

A special one-off episode covering the UK's July 4, 2024 General Election. Mary catches up with John, a guest from our first show on Democracy in the UK, to learn how ordinary people on the ground are feeling about the Conservative Party's massive defeat at the Polls. We explain some basics about why this election was so significant, and find out whether it brings a feeling of hope or incr...

In Part Two Piero describes how Italy has fought back against the corrupting influence of organized crime on politics . And computer scientist Federica adds her expertise to the electronic v. paper voting debate. We also hear about traditional forms of cooperative and democratic organization in Italian society that continue despite the breakdown in trust in national-level politics.  This is Part T...

In the wake of 2024's European Parliamentary Elections I interview Federica Bressan and Piero Q.P. Carlucci about democracy and voting in Italy. In part one we talk about how everyday voters navigate elections, given Italy's infamously complicated system of coalition politics and proportional representation. And we get a fresh perspective on an question this podcast has never quite been ab...

In Part Two of my conversation with Kim and Zeno we talk gender, corruption, social media, and what South Korean voters think about their politicians engaging in hunger strikes. My guests help me understand political acts that might be misunderstood abroad. But also questions that maybe we should all be asking... such as, are angry young incels a threat to democracy everywhere? This is Part Two of...

Season Two kicks off with South Korea! My guests Kim and Zeno explain why every former president gets impeached, why compulsory conscription shapes the way voting is organized, and the pros and cons of a one-term Presidential limit. Along the way they describe a curiously devious way to subvert a system that is meant to ensure smaller parties are represented in the National Assembly. Does South Ko...

Part 1 of 2 episodes exploring what Democracy looks like in India, with father & daughter guests Venkat and Vidhya. We talk about famous political dynasties, whether being a politician should be a full-time job, and how the "states rights" question plays out differently in India versus the U.S. What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy w...

In Part 2 of our conversation about democracy in Chile, my guests Paloma Contreras and Rodrigo Retamal explain the enormous political power teenagers and young adults wield in Chile. And we learn what makes casting and counting the votes a spectator sport. What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy works in their countries. In each episode an emigrant...

Part 1 of 2 episodes exploring what democracy looks like in Chile. My guests Paloma Contreras and Rodrigo Retamal try to explain the recent failed attempt to re-write Chile's consitution, and discuss the grip the 1973-1990 dictatorship still has on this democratic nation.  What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy works in their countries. In each...

The third and final part of our conversation on Democracy In Mexico. Brenda and David reflect on whether the average citizen can make change at either the local or national level. And after decades of reforms, is the Mexican democratic system getting fairer - or slipping into complacency?  What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy works in their count...

Part 2 of 3 exploring what democracy is like in Mexico. My guests Brenda and David discuss election security. From voting IDs that take two years to aquire, to narco-trafficer violence that makes the act of casting a vote potentially deadly. What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy works in their countries. In each episode an emigrant voter and a vot...

Part 1 of 3 exploring what democracy is like in Mexico (or to give it it's official title, the United Mexican States). My guests Brenda and David teach me what made the recent referendum on presidential power so bizarre, as we compare the federal versus state relationship in Mexico to the US. What Democracy Looks Like In... is a podcast where ordinary voters explain how democracy works in thei...