Democracy IDEAs

On the sidelines of the launch of IDEA’s latest report on climate assemblies in the Global South, Billie Phillips spoke to Dr Sanskriti Menon about the power of citizen assemblies as a tool of public participation in governance  and her experience working with assemblies in both rural and urban communities in India. Guest: Dr Sanskriti MenonBackground Reading: “We need a new story of deliberative democracy” – IDEA launches new report on Climate AssembliesDeliberative Democracy and Climate Change: Exploring the Potential of Climate Assemblies in the Global South

In this episode, Yukihiko Hamada, Programme Manager for Money in Politics, is joined by Dr. Sam Power and Dr. Wouter Wolfs to discuss how political finance shapes the political and electoral landscape in the EU and the UK. In this in-depth conversation on the influence of money in democracy, they dive into the challenges of third-party spending, online campaign finance, and the role emerging technologies—like AI—can play in improving political finance oversight. Background Reading: https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/political-finance-digital-age-case-study-european-union?lang=enhttps://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/digital-disclosure-political-finance-in-europe?lang=enhttps://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/regulating-business-election-campaigns?lang=enhttps://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/codes-conduct-rise-fair-and-ethical-political-campaigning-online?lang=enhttps://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/winning-elections-right-way-online-political-advertising-rules-europe-and?lang=en

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with Alice Hill and Erik Asplund to explore how extreme weather, intensified by climate change, impacts elections and disenfranchises voters. Alice and Erik share their insights on the challenges disasters pose to voting, the role of climate change in increasing the frequency and/or intensity of extreme weather events, and how natural hazards are already affecting elections around the world. They also discuss the impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton on southeastern states ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election on November 5, 2024, and emphasize the need for reforms to safeguard elections from future emergencies and crises.Guests: Alice Hill works as the David M. Rubinstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her work focuses on the risks, consequences and responses associated with climate change. During the Obama administration, she was Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Resilience Policy at the National Security Council. She has co-authored the book Building a Resilient Tomorrow and the recent Climate Central report Disenfranchised by Climate Change. Erik Asplund is a Senior Programme Officer in the Electoral Processes Programme, International IDEA. His research covers elections during emergencies and crises, risk management in elections, and training and professional development in electoral administration. He is the project lead for the natural hazard and elections projects. Recent books include Elections during Emergencies and Crises: Lessons for Electoral Integrity from the Covid-19 Pandemic(International IDEA 2023)Host: Dr. Annika Silva-Leander is Head of North America at International IDEA where she oversees International IDEA’s outreach in the region, including relations with US government agencies, democracy assistance organizations and academic institutions, its engagement with the United Nations, and coordination of the Global Democracy Coalition. Annika is also International IDEA’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, representing International IDEA at the UN General Assembly.  For more information about the episode or the work done by International IDEA on electoral processes, please contact us via [email protected]

The influence of money in Indian politics has long been a subject of debate, with concerns over its impact on democracy, governance, and the political landscape.In this episode, Khushbu Agrawal speaks to Milan Vaishnav, exploring this nexus in India, where money is the currency of power. From the soaring costs of elections to the criminalization of politics, this episode uncovers how financial power has the potential to shape policies, politicians, and political outcomes in the world’s largest democracy.Guest: Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and the Director of South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Washington DCBackground Reading:https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/political-finance-digital-age-case-indiahttps://milanvaishnav.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/costs-of-democracy-proofs-introduction.pdfhttps://milanvaishnav.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/costs-of-democracy-proofs-sridharan-chapter.pdfhttps://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2017/02/if-money-is-not-distributed-you-are-finished?lang=enhttps://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2019/01/political-finance-in-india-deja-vu-all-over-again?lang=en