Democratization

Podcasts

Dictocrats and Dictobrats – James Loxton on Why We Elect Former Dictators and Their Children

James Loxton discusses prominent cases of former dictators or the children of former dictators being elected democratically as president or prime minister; how such leaders deal with their authoritarian inheritance; what we might have misunderstood about democratization in the light of this rather widespread phenomenon; and how it might be countered more effectively in the future.

1.06.2026

Podcasts

Authoritarian Waves Crashing: Dan Slater Reinterprets the Third Wave of Democratization

In the new episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Dan Slater discusses the authoritarian origins of the third wave of democratization.

5.05.2025

Three narratives about the Qatari elections

Máté Szalai considers the three key narratives that observers and analysts use when discussing the historic elections held in Qatar this October. The first narrative highlights the elections as a vital milestone in the slow process of democratization, the second noted the importance of identity politics and voting rights, and the final narrative opined that the elections were a PR stunt to bolster Qatar’s public image.

3.12.2021