What Democracy Does… and Does Not Do

This week on Democratic Dialogues, host Rachel Beatty Riedl welcomes Maya Tudor, Professor of Government and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

In her recent article, “What Democracy Does and Does Not Do,” published in the Journal of Democracy, Tudor examines one of the most urgent questions of our time: Does democracy deliver? As authoritarian models gain visibility and confidence around the world, citizens and policymakers alike are questioning whether democratic systems can still provide stability, growth, and fairness.

Tudor’s research draws on cross-national data and historical evidence to show what democracies have achieved — and where their performance has fallen short. In this episode, she discusses how democracy shapes economic outcomes, social inclusion, and governance quality, and what these patterns mean for democratic legitimacy today.

The conversation also looks ahead: how well equipped are democracies to handle future global challenges like climate change, inequality, and technological disruption? And what can leaders and citizens do to ensure that democracy not only survives but thrives in meeting the expectations of its people?

This is an essential episode for anyone grappling with the question of whether democracy still delivers — and what it must do next.

Books, Links, & Articles

Maya Tudor, “What Democracy Does and Does Not Do,” Journal of Democracy, Vol. 35, No. 2 (2024)

• Maya Tudor, The Promise of Power: The Origins of Democracy in India and Autocracy in Pakistan (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
• Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor, Varieties of Nationalism (Cambridge University Press Elements 2023).

Listen on YouTube, NBN, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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