Global Democracy Series – Inequality, Human Development, and Democracy with Helena Hofbauer Balmori and James Long

Interviewed by Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Patrick McQuestion, Helena Hofbauer Balmori of the Ford Foundation and James Long of the University of Washington discuss the significance of participation in democratic governance, with a focus on inclusive decision-making processes. Our guests highlight the role of inequality in the relationship between democracy and economic development and the weakening of democracy globally. They also discuss the rise of organized crime in Latin American politics and the need for further research on the deconstruction of judiciaries in countries like El Salvador and Guatemala. The conversation emphasizes the importance of context and the need for more research on understudied topics in the field of political science.

The Return of Military Coups in Africa: A Conversation with Joseph Asunka and Rachel Riedl

This episode of our special Global Democracy Series features a conversation between Rachel Riedl, professor of international studies at Cornell University, and Joseph Asunka, chief executive officer at Afrobarometer, along with Kellogg PhD Fellow Rasheed Ibrahim on the recent military coups in Sub-Saharan Africa. They analyze the potential long-term consequences of these coups, the role of the military in democratic governance, the decline in citizens' commitment to democracy, and the structural constraints that limit the military's effectiveness in addressing security challenges.

Jorge Vargas Cullell and the Uneasy Relationship of Peace, Democracy, and Human Development

Interviewed by Kellogg Doctoral Affiliate Patrick McQuestion, political scientist and peacebuilder Jorge Vargas Cullell, a former Kellogg Dissertation Year Fellow, discusses his long-standing connection to Notre Dame and perspective on the field of democratic theory today.

Love and Despair: How Catholic Activism Shaped Politics and the Counterculture in Modern Mexico, with Historian Jaime Pensado

Interviewed by Kellogg PhD Fellow Victoria Basulto, historian Jaime Pensado discusses his recently published book entitled “Love and Despair. How Catholic Activism Shaped Politics and the Counterculture in Modern Mexico.” The book explores how progressive and conservative Catholic actors were invested in state repression, youth activism, and counterculture in Cold War Mexico.

Gender-Based Violence, Democracy, and Development: The Notre Dame Eliminating Violence Against Women Lab (Violencia de Género, Democracia y Desarrollo: El Laboratorio para la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer)

As Women's History Month draws to a close, Global Stage presents a discussion among political scientist Abby Córdova, Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Isabel Güiza-Gómez, and undergraduate International Scholar Isabela Tasende about their current research and policy work with the Notre Dame Eliminating Violence Against Women Lab. 

Para conmemorar el mes de las luchas de las mujeres, la politóloga Abby Córdova junto con la afiliada doctoral Isabel Güiza-Gómez y la estudiante de pregrado Isabela Tasende discuten sobre la investigación y el trabajo de política pública del Laboratorio para la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer. Este laboratorio del Instituto Kellogg fue recientemente lanzado y está dirigido a comprender una de las preguntas más apremiantes sobre democracia y desarrollo: ¿Cómo podemos resolver de forma efectiva la violencia contra la mujer en contextos donde la violencia criminal a gran escala y las profundas desigualdades incrementan los riesgos para la participación política de la mujer y usualmente conllevan a su migración forzada?

"I Surrender: A Memoir of Chile’s Dictatorship, 1975" with Kathleen Osberger

Interviewed by Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate María Paz Madrid, Notre Dame alumnus Kathleen Osberger talks about her book I Surrender: A Memoir of Chile’s Dictatorship, 1975, which recounts her experience in Chile in 1975, two years after a CIA-assisted coup overthrew the democratically-elected president Salvador Allende and installed the Pinochet dictatorship. The book highlights the prominent role of Chilean people in confronting the military dictatorship, paying tribute to victims after five decades.

Democracy and Electoral Observation with the OAS Secretary for Strengthening Democracy

Interviewed by Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Alejandro González, OAS Secretary for Strengthening Democracy Francisco Javier Guerrero Aguirre discusses emerging and lingering challenges for electoral democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Drawing upon his engagement with 49 electoral observation missions in 34 countries, Guerrero highlights the role of organized crime in weakening democracy – as recently seen in Ecuador – and social mobilization against democratic backsliding – as in Guatemala.

Environmental Violence and Peacebuilding with Anthropologist Drew Marcantonio

Richard “Drew” Marcantonio sits down with Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Patrick McQuestion to discuss the intricacies of environmental violence and peacebuilding. As a researcher and practitioner focused on regenerative livelihoods and environmental management, Marcantonio provides an ethically-motivated framework for assessing violence produced by economic structures, material interventions, vulnerable infrastructure, and power differentials. 

The 40th Anniversary of Uninterrupted Democracy in Argentina (40 años de democracia ininterrumpida en Argentina)

Global Stage celebrates the 40th anniversary of uninterrupted Democracy in Argentina since 1983, when the country transitioned from authoritarianism to democratic politics. Interviewed by Kellogg PhD Fellow Natán Skigin, Kellogg Institute director and political scientist Anibal Pérez-Liñán and Kellogg Faculty Fellow and political scientist Luis Schiumerini highlight the accomplishments, challenges, and future of Argentine democracy with their expertise in political regimes, parties, elections, and polarization, as well as their personal backgrounds as citizens from Argentina.

El podcast Global Stage celebra el cuadragésimo aniversario de la democracia ininterrumpida en Argentina desde 1983 cuando el país transitó del autoritarismo a la política democrática. En entrevista con el candidato doctoral Natán Skigin, el director del Instituto Kellogg y politólogo Aníbal Pérez Liñán y el profesor afiliado al Instituto y politólogo Luis Schiumerini resaltan los logros, los desafíos y el futuro de la democracia argentina, a partir de su experticia en regímenes políticos, elecciones y polarización, así como su experiencia personal como ciudadanos argentinos.

Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects: The Divergent Legacies of Forced Settlement and Colonial Occupation in the Global South with Political Scientist Olukunle Owolabi

In this episode of Global Stage, Olukunle Owolabi, associate professor of political science at Villanova University, expands upon the background, methods, and historical evidence utilized for his recent book Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects: The Divergent Legacies of Forced Settlement and Colonial Occupation in the Global South, (Oxford University Press 2023). In an interview with Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Josephine Lechartre, Dr. Owolabi describes in depth the divergent development trajectories of former settled and occupied colonial governments, including cases from North Africa and the Caribbean Islands.

Anger, Retaliatory Violence, and Peaceful Political Activism: Individual Drivers of Post-Conflict Behavior with Political Scientist Debra Javeline

Interviewed by Kellogg Doctoral Affiliate William Kakenmaster, political scientist Debra Javeline discusses individual factors that shape post-conflict behavior. Based on her new book After violence: Russia's Beslan School Massacre and the Peace that Followed, Javeline tackles the question of what individual characteristics might mobilize somebody to either engage in retaliatory violence or peaceful political activism in the aftermath of large-scale violence. Her research shows that, contrary to expected, anger is a healthy civic emotion since it often drives peaceful political activism instead of violence.

Defensa de los Derechos Humanos y Justicia Transicional en El Salvador, con el Padre José María Tojeira

En entrevista con los estudiantes doctorales Isabel Güiza-Gómez y Patrick McQuestion, José María Tojeira describe la lucha por la justicia transicional y la defensa de los derechos humanos en El Salvador desde la firma de los acuerdos de paz de Chapultepec (1992) hasta el retroceso democrático de los últimos años. José María es sacerdote jesuita y promotor de los derechos de las víctimas a la verdad, justicia, reparación y no repetición. 

Women’s Economic Empowerment: Old and New Trends in Gender Economic Studies with Economist Lakshmi Iyer

Relying on her own research agenda in women’s economic empowerment, economist Lakshmi lyer lays out old and new trends in gender economic studies, highlighting lingering questions on whether economic autonomy increases women decision-making within households and in society at large across different realms. Iyer also introduces the new Kellogg Policy and Practice research lab “Building Inclusive Growth (BIG).”