Democracy IDEAs

“What happens when suddenly people attack the integrity of the electoral process? Well, you actually need to have knowledge then because otherwise you are defenseless. If you know how elections work and how in many countries it's technically almost impossible to rig the election, then you will be protected against disinformation.” International IDEA's Head of Communications Alistair Scrutton talks to Alberto Fernandez Gibaja, Head Digitalization and Democracy about all issues related to misinformation, disinformation and the likes of AI in relation to the 2024 Election Super-Cycle.

International IDEA’s Anna Dziedzic spoke to Dr Yu Jie Chen to hear her reflections on the 2024 Taiwanese elections. They discuss the implications of the new status quo – in which neither of the two major parties hold a majority of legislature seats – and the increasingly sophisticated ways that Beijing seeks to influence Taiwan’s elections. Dr Yu Jie Chen is an Assistant Research Professor at Academia Sinica in Taiwan and an Affiliated scholar of the US-Asia Law Institute of New York University School of Law.

Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretario general de IDEA Internacional y Daniel Zovatto, el director regional de IDEA Internacional en América Latina y el Caribe conversan sobre la evolución de la democracia en la región, los retos de la democracia y cuál debería ser la proyección de IDEA Internacional hacia el futuro. Daniel Zovatto ha sido durante 26 años el director de IDEA Internacional en América Latina. En enero de 2024, será sustituido por Marcela Ríos Tobar. Este podcast es una conversación entre amigos, y expertos que ahondan en innovación política, y es también una despedida llena de gratitud a Zovatto por sus valiosísimos servicios para el Instituto y para el avance de los valores humanos y la cultura política.

The 'Global State of Democracy 2023 Report – The New Checks and Balances' highlighted that there are trends of contraction around the world, but also bright spots of hope. A day after International IDEA’s #GSoD2023 Global Launch event, Marcus Brand, Head of International IDEA’s Myanmar Programme talked to Kunthida Rungruengkiat, Director of the Progressive Movement Foundation about the state of democracy in Thailand. Is Thailand an example of contracting democracy? Is it even a democratic system? And what are the lessons of the past 10 years of struggling for the return to democracy? Guest: Kunthida Rungruengkiat, Director of the Progressive Movement Foundation Host: Marcus Brand, Head of International IDEA’s Myanmar Programme

Drawing from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic the LEGITIMULT (Legitimate Crisis Governance in Multilevel Systems) project aims to identify a model of political legitimate crisis governance that takes into account the interplay between international, national, regional and local governments and institutions. Its guiding research question “Which conditions contribute to democratically legitimate crisis governance?” will allow governments and policy makers to better face the crises of the future. The aim is not only to have effective responses, but that these measures respect and guarantee basic human rights and freedoms. This is the first of a three-episode series featuring LEGITIMULT, its findings and tools for addressing and solving future crises. LEGITIMULT is funded through Horizon Europe and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Host: Miguel Angel Lara Otaola. Senior Advisor for Democracy Assessment at International IDEA. Guests: Eva Maria Belser –Francesco Palermo-Lucia Radici-

Hace 45 años de que la tercera ola de la democracia bañara las costas de América Latina. Se perciben grandes avances, y hoy las elecciones competitivas son la regla en la región, a excepción de Cuba, Nicaragua y Venezuela. Sin embargo, la última década ha traído un descontento generalizado con la democracia, que en ocasiones da paso a que triunfe el canto de sirenas del populismo autoritario. Este podcast explica cuáles son los retos de la democracia en la región y qué podemos hacer como ciudadanos para defender la democracia y las libertades que tanto nos costó conseguir. Yasnaya Guibert, oficial de Comunicaciones en IDEA Internacional y Miguel Ángel Lara Otaola, oficial de programa sénior en la unidad de Evaluación de la democracia, conversan sobre la democracia en América Latina y el Caribe.

The prevailing view is that with primarily human-generated content, democracy has suffered widespread erosion due to the proliferation of misinformation and the manipulation of specific narratives that enhance polarization. To what extent can the growth of massive content creation thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) deepen democracy erosion? What tools are at our disposal to protect democracy from AI threats? International IDEA's Communications Officer, Yasnaya Guibert, talks to Alberto Fernandez, Senior Advisor on Digitalization and Democracy of International IDEA about AI and democracy, from the basic concepts to creative proposals like a global constitutional AI. Background reading: https://www.idea.int/es/news-media/news/es/chatgpt-y-democracia

A conversation between International IDEA's Secretary-General, Kevin Casas-Zamora and Martin Wolf, the author of the recently published book The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. Martin Wolf is chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, and one of the world’s most respected journalists, with his columns read eagerly by policymakers and the public around the world. He was awarded the Commander of the British Empire in 2000 “for services to financial journalism”. His latest book The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism was published this year to widespread acclaim and touches upon many issues at the heart of what we do at International IDEA. Guest: · Martin Wolf, British journalist and writer.

In this joint International IDEA and Electoral Integrity Project episode on ‘Elections during Times of Crisis’, Therese Pearce-Laanela speaks with the authors of a new book ‘Elections during Emergencies and Crises: Lessons for Electoral Integrity from the Covid-19 Pandemic’. Guests: Host: Therese Pearce-Laanela Background Reading: Elections during Emergencies and crises: lessons for electoral integrity from the covid-19 pandemic

The ongoing 2023 constitution-building process in Chile, and its relationship with the failed 2021-2022 constitution-building process. Guests Background Reading: https://constitutionnet.org/country/constitutional-history-chile

A conversation between International IDEA's Head of Communications and Knowledge Management, Alistair Scrutton and the authors of the recently published report "The Constitution and Laws of the Taliban 1994-2001: Hints from the Past and Options for the Future", M. Bashir Mobasher, Shamshad Pasarlay and Mohammad Qadam Shah. Guests: Read the report: https://doi.org/10.31752/idea.2022.54

Alison Anitawaru Cole, a lawyer in Aotearoa New Zealand, talks to International IDEA's Regional Communications Officer for the Asia and the Pacific, Billie Phillips, about the unique legal and constitutional responses to climate change in New Zealand and the influence of Māori perspectives on environmentalism and representation. Guest: Alison Anitawaru Cole - Kaiwhakahaere Matua Māori General Manager at the Climate Change Commission (New Zealand) Background Reading: COP26 delegate: Treaty of Waitangi offers indigenous rights precedent

Calls to enfranchise people as young as sixteen are growing around the world, with some countries already adjusting the vote to align with the national age of employment, taxation, and military service. In Australia, common consensus is lagging but some experts believe it is only a matter of time. From the sidelines of the Australian National University’s APSA conference, Billie Phillips spoke to Professor Lisa Hill about the growing movement. Guest: Professor Lisa Hill, University of Adelaide

Owen Gaffney talks to International IDEA's Head of Communications, Alistair Scrutton about climate change, sustainability and the future of our planet, joining a lot of dotted lines between politics, technology and science. Owen Gaffney is a writer, editor, and global sustainability analyst, co-author of the recently-published Earth For All: A Survival Guide for Humanity. He has formerly worked for the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and has advised on BBC and Netflix series including EarthShot (2021) and Our Planet. As well as academic publications, he writes and edits articles, features, and speeches, and has produced for TED, World Economic Forum, and WWF. Recommended reading: Earth For All: A Survival Guide for HumanityBreaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

The storming of Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court as well as the deadly anti-government protests in Peru underline the challenges facing democracy in Latin America. Why are the legitimacy of governments being questioned? What is behind the increasing political polarization of the region? And are their grounds anywhere for optimism? International IDEA's Head of Communications and Knowledge Management, Alistair Scrutton , talks to Kevin Casas Zamora, Secretary General of International IDEA.

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with David Towriss and Atsuko Hirakawa to learn more about compounding crises, and the effect of a Richter Scale-7 earthquake on an already vulnerable Haiti, Hurricane Tomas, and a cholera outbreak in Haiti and their postponed elections in 2010. This conversation is based on International IDEA’s case study but also Atsuko’s experience and knowledge on how Haiti’s election administrators implemented their 2016 elections after Hurricane Matthew. Guests: Hosts: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund Background Reading: The Impact of Natural Hazards on Haiti’s 2010 Presidential and Legislative ElectionsDemocracy Tracker – HaitiGlobal State of Democracy Report 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a Time of DiscontentHow hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is neededHurricane Matthew forces postponement of Haiti presidential electionsThe Impact of Natural Hazards on Elections

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak to Miguel de Brito and Domingos de Rosaria about cyclones Idai and Kenneth and their impact on Mozambique’s 2019 Presidential, Legislative and Provincial elections. This was the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones hit Mozambique during the same season. This conversation is based on International IDEA’s case study on how the two cyclones devastated the country and specifically how it impacted the electoral process, as well as a discussion on how the electoral commission can be better prepared for the upcoming 2024 elections. Guests: Miguel de Brito has been International IDEA’s Head of Programme for Mozambique since 2019 and has 20 years of experience in the field of political governance. Domingos de Rosaria is a senior lecturer at the Eduardo Mondlane University, and a senior researcher at the Centro de Estudos Urbanos de Moçambique. HOSTS: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund GUESTS: Miguel de Brito and Domingos de Rosaria

International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2022 Report has been published. Report Editor and International IDEA's Head of Democracy Assessment, Seema Shah, provides an overview of the findings. Democracy is in decline around the world, undermined by problems ranging from restrictions on freedom of expression to distrust in the legitimacy of elections. This decline comes as elected leaders face unprecedented challenges from Russia’s war in Ukraine, cost of living crises, a looming global recession and climate change. But Seema also finds some grounds for optimism.

In our first episode of the new season of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with Sarah Birch and Jeff Fischer to learn more about the effect of wildfires on elections in California. The conversation is based on an International IDEA case study that focuses on the impact of wildfires on the 2016 and 2018 electoral cycles but also on the steps taken by election administrators to protecting elections. The discussion also centres on the increased vulnerability of the United States and its election cycles to climate change effects. Guests: Sarah Birch is a professor of Political Science at King’s College London, Jeff Fischer is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Democracy and Civil Society as well as a consultant on election administration. Hosts: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund Background reading: Wildfires and Elections in California – Case Study Wildfires, Hurricanes, Floods and Earthquakes: How Elections are Impacted by Natural Hazards The Impact of Natural Hazards on Elections How hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is needed