Rules of the Game – discussing democratic institutions
61 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago -What does it take to make democracy work? The Rules of the Game podcast discusses and compares democratic institutions from around the world. Institutions are the rules of the game of our societies that direct our everyday lives in fundamental ways. They determine whether we live in a free or repressed society – whether we can make our voices heard. Researchers, grass-roots political activists and politicians will join me on this journey of dissecting the struggle for fair representation in parliament, accountable executive governments, impartial justice, and direct democratic participation.
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Episodes
Power-sharing institutions in multicultural societies – the case of Switzerland with Sean Müller
March 24, 2021 12:15 - 49 minutes - 89.9 MBHow can political power be shared in a multicultural society? And what institutions can make multicultural societies more inclusive, balanced, and give people more control over political decisions and local public goods? Together with Sean Müller, I discuss power-sharing institutions as a crucial element of the success of Swiss democracy. The development of inclusive institutions was a long and troublesome process that started out with lots of social cleavages. Not only had two conflicting ...
Basic principles of direct democracy with Stefan Schlegel
March 18, 2021 18:15 - 55 minutes - 102 MBDirect democracy is a powerful political institution. It is the people's veto power in government. Used in the right way, it is an important check on representative democracy and a way to break politicians and parties’ coalitions directed against the common interest of the voters, thus a way to hedge against excessive politics by elected representatives. Together with Stefan Schlegel, I discuss basic principles of direct democracy that make its use less controversial, less risky, more cohes...
Basic principles of direct democracy
March 18, 2021 18:15 - 55 minutes - 102 MBDirect democracy is a powerful political institution. It is the people's veto power in government. Used in the right way, it is an important check on representative democracy and a way to break politicians and parties’ coalitions directed against the common interest of the voters, thus a way to hedge against excessive politics by elected representatives. Together with Stefan Schlegel, I discuss basic principles of direct democracy that make its use less controversial, less risky, more cohes...
Zimbabwe's struggle for democracy
February 24, 2021 16:23 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBPolitical institutions and power have been changing in Zimbabwe since Robert Mugabe took power as a liberator from colonial oppression in the year 1980. The image of the liberator Robert Mugabe speaking to the public in 1987 is also one of McDonald Lewanika's early childhood memories of politics. While the electoral institutions were more proportional and inclusive in the early 1980s, the dominant ruling party ZANU-PF changed the rules of the game over time to tighten its grip on power. McD...
Zimbabwe's struggle for democracy with McDonald Lewanika
February 24, 2021 16:23 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBPolitical institutions and power have been changing in Zimbabwe since Robert Mugabe took power as a liberator from colonial oppression in the year 1980. The image of the liberator Robert Mugabe speaking to the public in 1987 is also one of McDonald Lewanika's early childhood memories of politics. While the electoral institutions were more proportional and inclusive in the early 1980s, the dominant ruling party ZANU-PF changed the rules of the game over time to tighten its grip on power. McD...
Direct democracy since 1387 with Pascal Vuichard
February 17, 2021 16:59 - 45 minutes - 83 MBCantonal assemblies ("Landsgemeinde" in German) in the town of Glarus have been held on the main public square every year since 1387. In this episode, I welcome my first guest, Pascal Vuichard, on the podcast, and discuss with him one of the oldest, if not the oldest democratic institution in the world. Pascal Vuichard has taken part in the assembly as a voter, a speaker, and a member of parliament, and he is thus best placed to share stories and achievements of the institution based on his ...
Direct democracy since 1387
February 17, 2021 16:59 - 45 minutes - 83 MBCantonal assemblies ("Landsgemeinde" in German) in the town of Glarus have been held on the main public square every year since 1387. In this episode, I welcome my first guest, Pascal Vuichard, on the podcast, and discuss with him one of the oldest, if not the oldest democratic institution in the world. Pascal Vuichard has taken part in the assembly as a voter, a speaker, and a member of parliament, and he is thus best placed to share stories and achievements of the institution based on his ...
4 institutions that break elite political power
February 08, 2021 12:20 - 35 minutes - 65.7 MBHow can we divide and decentralize elite political power? How can we prevent power grabs and reduce the influence of lobbyists? In this episode I briefly discuss four institutions that are capable of diffusing political power and give citizens more control over the political process. I nickname and debate the following four institutions: First, the “constitutional” democratic institution, that is the electoral law, and specifically proportional representation. How do we select people to rep...
The dream of a truly American democracy
January 20, 2021 15:24 - 35 minutes - 64.2 MBCan the American democracy be as colorful, as diverse, as productive, and as creative as the American people? Democrats and Republicans dominate the political agenda and are the gatekeepers of democratic reform. Only a change of the electoral system to make the House of Representatives more representative of the American people can change the US political landscape and make it truly American: competitive, diverse, and inclusive. This would be the "Political American Dream". I compare the US...
Get to know the Rules of the Game Podcast – discussing democratic institutions
January 12, 2021 15:22 - 6 minutes - 5.94 MBThis introductory episode presents the brand new podcast: Rules of the Game – discussing democratic institutions. The episode briefly introduces the host, Stephan Kyburz, and provides an overview of the manifold questions that the podcast will pose, discuss and answer. It provides a first glimpse into the interesting journey ahead of debating how institutions determine the way political power is divided and shared among people in democratic societies. This ultimately leads to the question: h...
Get to know the Rules of the Game Podcast
December 08, 2020 18:37 - 5 minutes - 4.63 MBThis is an introduction to the Rules of the Game Podcast.