Best Raluca Podcasts (2026)

1
Social Media, AI-Chatbots and the Death of the Evening News: How to Restore Trust in a Fragmented Media World - A Conversation with Raluca Radu 42:00

Play Pause

26d ago42:00

42:00

"We care witnessing in the digital news reports a major shift since the COVID-19 crisis. (…). During the COVID crisis, the main information source became social media. With social media, you have many, many difficulties in finding the rightinformation or the correct information”, stated Raluca Radu, a Professor of Journalism and Communication Studi…

1
End of the Year Podcast 2025 – Part I: Reflections and Reckonings 45:24

3d ago45:24

45:24

As 2025 draws to a close, RevDem editors Alexandra Kardos(History of Ideas), Gabriel Pereira (Cross-Regional Dialogue), and Kristóf Szombati (Political Economy and Inequalities) take stock of a turbulent democratic year through three keywords: imagination, frustration, and realignment. From Latin America’s shifting right and disillusionment with de…

1
Carceral Politics: “Public Life” of Prisons in Modern Iran and Beyond 46:05

9d ago46:05

46:05

In this latest conversation with Golnar Nikpour, we discuss her book, The Incarcerated Modern: Prisons and Public Life in Iran (Stanford University Press, 2024). We discuss how modern Iranian prisons illuminate broader questions about political modernity, state formation, and democratic aspiration. The conversation examines the contemporary stakes …

1
2025 in Perspective: Daron Acemoğlu on Democracy, Delivery, and the Crisis Within 25:06

19d ago25:06

25:06

In this exclusive end-of-year conversation with ourCo-Managing Editor Ece Özbey, Nobel Prize–winning political economist Daron Acemoğlu reflects on what 2025 revealed, and failed to resolve, about the state of democracy. From Trump’s global impact to the limits of personalizedpolitics, from institutional decay to AI-driven distortions of political …

1
An Authoritarian Turn in Contemporary Germany? – In Conversation with Robin Celikates 26:37

23d ago26:37

26:37

The threat of the far-right dominates politics in Germany today. The ascendance of the AfD marks the first time since the end of World War II that such a force has attracted a considerable share of the German electorate. This regularly leads politicians from centrist parties to emphasizethe importance of preventing German history from repeating its…

1
How to Resist Illiberalism: Pedro Abramovay on Reimagining Democracy in Latin America 40:28

29d ago40:28

40:28

In this episode, Pedro Abramovay offers a wide-ranging analysis of the rise of illiberal forces in Latin America and the democratic vulnerabilities they exploit. Drawing on theBrazilian experience, he discusses what is genuinely new about today’s illiberal actors, why they resonate with voters, and why resisting them requires more than electoral vi…

1
Exiles and Diasporas in the Crosshairs of Authoritarian States – Nate Schenkkan on the Rise of Transnational Repression and What Can Be Done to Counter It 46:54

1M ago46:54

46:54

We are thrilled to bring you the next episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy. Inthe framework of this new partnership, our editors discuss outstanding articles from the newest print issue of the journal with their authors. In this discussion with Nate Schenkkan, an independentauthority on human rights and global…

1
An Authoritarian Turn in Contemporary Germany? – In Conversation with Robin Celikates 38:59

1M ago38:59

38:59

The threat of the far-right dominates politics in Germany today. The ascendance of the AfD marks the first time since the end of World War II that such a force has attracted a considerable share of the German electorate. This regularly leads politicians from centrist parties to emphasizethe importance of preventing German history from repeating its…

1
How’s the Rule of Law in Poland? – In Conversation with Jakub Jaraczewski 54:34

2M ago54:34

54:34

On 1 June 2025, Karol Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party, was elected President of Poland. His victory came as a surprise to many in the country. Some pinned it on widespread disenchantment with what was perceived as an overly lengthy implementation of reforms aimed at restoring the rule of la…

1
Work-Life Balance for Young Professionals 30:32

1M ago30:32

30:32

Join Annette, from BBN and Katie Youngblood, from Luxid Group in this latest mixtape episode. We delve into the unique challenges Gen Z professionals face as they navigate the modern workforce. From maintaining personal value amidst rapid changes to adapting to new technologies and work environments, this discussion offers insights into how young p…

1
Delivering Democracies: Maya Tudor on “What Democracy Does…And Does Not Do?” 31:16

2M ago31:16

31:16

In this conversation with Professor Maya Tudor—part of our special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy—we discuss her recent article published in the journal’s October 2025 issue (Vol. 36, No. 4). Tudor explores the factors behind the recent, alleged erosion of democratic ideals worldwide. Drawing on her experiences as an e…

1
A Turning Point in American Politics? The Rise of Democratic Socialists of America and Zohran Mamdani 36:44

2M ago36:44

36:44

To what extent does Zohran Mamdani’s recent election represent a turn in American politics? In an interview for the Review of Democracy, Fabian Holt (Associate Professor at Roskilde University) discusses the political platform that made Zohran Mamdani’s victory possible. Throughout our conversation, Holt maps the evolution of the Democratic Sociali…

1
Radical Ecologies of the Right and Left: A Conversation with Ashton Kingdon and Balša Lubarda 36:12

2M ago36:12

36:12

In this new episode of the “When the Far Right and the Far Left Converge” series, which shares fresh research from aworkshop organised by the CEU DI Democracy in History Work Group, we discuss with Dr Ashton Kingdon and Dr BalšaLubarda how both the far right and the far left mobilise ecological ideas, often drawing from the same language of resista…

1
Will AI Crack the Foundations of Democracy? Dean Jackson and Samuel Woolley on Longer-term Threats and Ways to Counter Them 34:27

2M ago34:27

34:27

In this episode of our special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, we explore “AI’s Real Dangers for Democracy,” the new article penned by Dean Jackson and Samuel Woolley (Journal of Democracy, Vol. 36, No. 4, October 2025) Jackson and Woolley discuss the ways in which AI could strain, or even crack, the foundations of dem…

1
EU Research Spotlight: Zsolt Boda on Moral Emotions in Politics and Democracy 36:48

2M ago36:48

36:48

In the opening episode of Review ofDemocracy’s new podcast series on EU-funded research, Alexandra Kardos speaks with Professor Zsolt Boda, Director of the ELTE Centre for Social Sciences, about the MORES Moral Emotions in Politics project, a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action exploring how emotions shapedemocratic life. The conversation…

1
Long-term versus short-term: Richard (True) and Raluca (STOICA) debate which marketing strategy is better for growth 16:06

2M ago16:06

16:06

In this dynamic debate episode, Richard Parsons, Founding Partner at True Agency in London, goes head-to-head with Raluca Apostol, Demand Gen Expert at STOICA, to tackle one of B2B marketing's most persistent tensions: should you focus on short-term demand generation or long-term brand building? Raluca makes the case for short-term tactics, arguing…

1
When Democracies Start to Self-Destruct: Rachel Myrick on how Polarization Becomes a Geopolitical Threat 37:22

2M ago37:22

37:22

In our podcast, Rachel Myrick, the Douglas & Ellen Lowey Associate Professor of Political Science at Duke University, discusses with us how extreme partisan polarization threatens not only domestic governance but also global stability. Drawing on her new book, Polarization and International Politics: How Extreme Partisanship Threatens Global Stabil…

1
The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics – In Conversation with Alexander Dukalskis and Alexander Cooley 43:42

2M ago43:42

43:42

The end of the last century brought about what scholars have called a “unipolar moment.” With the fall of the Soviet Union, liberalism lost its enemy on the global stage, which led the United States to try to establish an international liberal order by promoting liberalism transnationally. This latter approach has not only been harshly criticized f…

1
Negotiating Sexuality in socialist Poland: In conversation with Anna Dobrowolska 41:31

2M ago41:31

41:31

Anna Dobrowolska's new book Polish Sexual Revolutions. Negotiating Sexuality and Modernity behind the Iron Curtain, published at the Oxford University Press this year, reveals fresh perspectives in the scholarship about the socialist states. In our podcast, she explains how Poland and Eastern Europe developed their own distinct approaches to sexual…

1
The Hungarian Border That Took Years to Draw 30:37

3M ago30:37

30:37

Borders are rarely born in conference halls. As thenewly edited book The Disputed Austro-Hungarian Border: Agendas, Actors, and Practices in Western Hungary/Burgenland after World War I, published this yearby Bergahn Books shows that the borders are created by wars and conflicts and then changed by clerks, soldiers, smugglers and villagers trying t…

1
Contentious Politics and Democratic Resilience 38:15

3M ago38:15

38:15

In this episode, we sit down with Professor Mohammad Ali Kadivar to explore the urgent and timely question of popular protests amid global democratic backsliding. Drawing from his acclaimed monograph, Popular Politics and thePath to Durable Democracy, Kadivar poses the following questions: What role does dissent play in sustaining democracies? Do p…

1
The Myth of Democratic Resilience – In Conversation with Jennifer Cyr and Nic Cheeseman 43:30

3M ago43:30

43:30

1
Ulrica Wilson 7:43

3M ago7:43

7:43

Learn about the life and work of Ulrica Wilson from a group of campers at the 2025 run of Girls Talk Math at Temple University in Philadelphia.By Girls Talk Math

1
Sijue Wu 10:25

3M ago10:25

10:25

Learn about the life and work of Sijue Wu from a group of campers at the 2025 run of Girls Talk Math at Temple University in Philadelphia.By Girls Talk Math

1
Pamela Harris 16:08

3M ago16:08

16:08

Learn about the life and work of Pamela Harris from a group of campers at the 2025 run of Girls Talk Math at Temple University in Philadelphia.By Girls Talk Math

1
Latanya Sweeney 7:50

3M ago7:50

7:50

Learn about the life and work of Latanya Sweeney from a group of campers at the 2025 run of Girls Talk Math at Temple University in Philadelphia.By Girls Talk Math

1
The Co-optation of Antonio Gramsci’s Ideas by the Contemporary (Far-)Right 31:43

3M ago31:43

31:43

This episode, part of the series When the Far Right and the FarLeft Converge, features Francesco Trupia and Marina Simakova discussing the ideological co-optation of Antonio Gramsci’s ideas by the contemporary (far-)right. They examine when and how right-wing actors adopted his political language, and how political conjunctures in and beyond Europe…

1
Tranformations of the Latin American Right: From Pink Tide to Polarization – Part2 23:49

3M ago23:49

23:49

In the second part of our special two-part episode ofthe Review of Democracy podcast, we continue our conversation with André Borges, Ryan Lloyd, and Gabriel Vommaro, editors of The Recasting of the Latin American Right, published by Cambridge University Press. Building on our first discussion of parties, movements, and leaders, this episode turns …

1
Transformations of the Latin American Right: From Pink Tide to Polarization - Part 1 27:05

3M ago27:05

27:05

In this special two-part episode of the Review of Democracypodcast, we speak with André Borges, Ryan Lloyd, and Gabriel Vommaro, editors of the book The Recasting of the Latin American Right, recently published by Cambridge University Press. The conversation explores how Latin America’s right has been reshaped since the early 2000s — from the rise …

1
The Politics of Migration Narratives – In Conversation with Andrew Geddes 37:56

4M ago37:56

37:56

Migration is one of the most salient issues in European politics today. While its importance for voting decisions is widely acknowledged, many of its key characteristics remain the subject of vivid debate. Opinions about migration often diverge sharply: Does migration pose a threat to European societies, or is it essential for economic survival? Ar…

1
Colonial Roots and Continuities in Europe’s Migration System – In Conversation with Janine Silga 36:15

4M ago36:15

36:15

When the first treaties that laid the groundwork for today’s European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights were signed after the Second World War, many of today’s member states were still significant colonialpowers—empires. It was only in the years that followed that these European empires eroded, and many countries in the Global South…

1
Capitalism’s Democracy: Competition and Resilience in Twenty-First Century 33:14

4M ago33:14

33:14

In our latest episode of the special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, we discuss the recent article co-authored by Steven Levitsky, Semuhi Sinanoglu, and Lucan Way, entitled “Can Capitalism SaveDemocracy?” (Journal of Democracy, Vol. 36, No. 3, July 2025). We engage this provocative piece against the backdrop of recent …

1
Scripts of Revolutions: A Conversation with Dan Edelstein 36:03

4M ago36:03

36:03

In this episode of Democracy and Culture, we speak with Dan Edelstein, William H. Bonsall Professor of French at StanfordUniversity, about his new book The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Stasis to Lenin (Princeton University Press, 2025). His academic investigations range across literary studies, historiography, political thought and…

1
A New Constitutional Settlement for Poland? – In Conversation with Maciej Kisilowski (Part 2) 33:24

4M ago33:24

33:24

On 1 June 2025, the second round of Poland’s presidential election resulted in a surprise win for Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party, over Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate of the ruling Civic Coalition. The knife-edge campaign highlighted deep social divisions in the Polish society. In Par…

1
The Illiberal Trap: Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley on Trilemmas and Warnings from Poland 58:02

4M ago58:02

58:02

In this new episode of our special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley draw on their new article “Democracy After Illiberalism: A Warning from Poland” (July 2025, Vol. 26, No. 3) to discuss the challenges, dilemmas, and paradoxes ofliberalism after illiberalism in Poland. They reflect on the co…

1
Trail-makers: wob's 38-Year Journey with BBN International, with Carola Hecker 15:03

4M ago15:03

15:03

Welcome to our Trail-makers series - special episodes celebrating the incredible agencies that have shaped BBN's rich history. These episodes honor those relationships and reflect on how they've evolved over the years and benefited from being part of BBN, as we build towards BBN's 40th anniversary celebration in 2027. Today we celebrate wob and the…

1
From Competitive Authoritarian to Hegemonic: Berk Esen on the Decline of Turkish Democracy and the Prospects for Its Revival (Part 2) 39:49

4M ago39:49

39:49

In Part 2 of our latest episode in the special seriesproduced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Berk Esen turns to the other side of the equation: how Turkey’s opposition is pushing back against an increasingly hegemonic regime. This episode builds on Part1, where we explored the regime’s authoritarian escalation through thecourts, medi…

1
War, Oligarchs, and the Future of Ukraine’s Political Economy – Inna Melnykovska on Civic Transformation, Reconstruction and EU Influence in Wartime Ukraine 48:42

5M ago48:42

48:42

How is war transforming Ukraine’s economy—and itsoligarchs? In this Review of Democracy podcast, political economist Inna Melnykovska (Central European University) discusses how the full-scale Russian invasion has led to surprising shifts in business-state relations, including a turn toward civic responsibility among Ukraine’s biggest companies. In…

1
Trail-makers: Luxid's 28-Year Journey with BBN International, with Susanna Juusti 21:57

5M ago21:57

21:57

Welcome to our Trail-makers series - special episodes celebrating the incredible agencies that have shaped BBN's rich history. These episodes honour those relationships and reflect on how they've evolved over the years and benefited from being part of BBN, as we build towards BBN's 40th anniversary celebration in 2027. Today, we celebrate Luxid Gro…

1
From Competitive Authoritarian to Hegemonic: Berk Esen on the Decline of Turkish Democracy and the Prospects for Its Revival (Part 1) 37:14

5M ago37:14

37:14

In Part 1 of our latest edition in the special series in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Berk Esen unpacks how Turkey’s competitive authoritarian regime is veering toward full autocracy. Drawing on his co-authored piece with Şebnem Gümüşçü, “How to Fight Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn” (July 2025, Vol. 36, No. 3), Esen charts Erdoğan’s inte…

1
Holding Frontex Accountable – In Conversation with Joyce De Coninck 29:01

5M ago29:01

29:01

In current public discourse, human rights violationsat the EU’s borders are inextricably linked to one specific actor: the European Border and Coast Guard Agency – or, in short, Frontex. Since its establishment in 2004, human rights activists have become increasingly aware of variousrights violations committed by the agency, particularly in the Med…

1
The Aftermath of Poland’s Presidential Election – In Conversation with Maciej Kisilowski (Part 1) 42:13

5M ago42:13

42:13

On 1 June 2025, the second round of Poland’s presidential election resulted in a surprise win for Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party, over Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate of the ruling Civic Coalition. Trzaskowski had previously lost in 2020 to the incumbent President Andrzej Duda, albeit…

1
The Paradox of Dynastic Democracy: Richard Javad Heydarian on Current Developments in the Philippines, Sharpening Global Competition, and the Prospects of a Liberal-Progressive Breakthrough 36:47

5M ago36:47

36:47

In this new episode of our monthly special created in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Richard Javad Heydarian discusses the Philippines’ dynastic democracy and political prospects in a truly global framework. Drawing on his recent article, “The Philippines’ Dynastic Democracy” (July 2025, Vol. 26, No. 3), Heydarian dissects the main issu…