Tom Ginsburg: Saving Democracy

In recent years, the world has witnessed a worrying pattern of many democracies shifting toward authoritarianism. In 2017, WJP’s Rule of Law Index saw a majority of countries decline in rule of law, particularly with respect to constraints on executive power and protection of fundamental rights. What can be done to protect constitutional democracies from countervailing authoritarian forces?

In episode two of Rule of Law Talk, Professor Tom Ginsburg joins us to talk about what can be done to preserve democracy around the world. His new book, How to Save a Constitutional Democracy, examines current trends in democratic governance. Drawing on comparative constitutional and political analysis, Ginsburg and his co-author, Aziz Huq, provide insight into the elements of institutional design that can make a difference in the face of an authoritarian onslaught.

Tom Ginsberg is a Leo Spitz Professor of International Law, a Ludwig and Hilde Wolf Research Scholar, and Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Listen to his conversation with World Justice Project executive director Betsy Anderson in the player above, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play Music, and SoundCloud.

This episode was recorded Sept. 28, 2018.