Episode 4: The trust deficit

For the final episode of the series, Ben goes back to basics and asks: how can democracies hold free and fair elections? It’s not as simple as setting up polling stations and handing out ballot boxes,...

16 Okt 202442min

This week, we’re looking at another big potential challenge facing democracy: AI, or artificial intelligence. Ben wants to know how worried we should be when it comes to the rise of these new technolo...

9 Okt 202444min

One of the biggest challenges of our time is climate change. This week, Ben wants to know how effective democracies are when it comes to fighting the climate crisis. How can we settle on solutions whe...

2 Okt 202435min

Democracy can often be knocked off course by political violence, but in some places it’s become an ingrained part of how politics is done. This week Ben wants to find out why violence and democracy ca...

25 Sep 202437min

Where does the boundary lie between bad behaviour and outright corruption? This week Ben wants to understand how corruption and the fight against it are destructive forces in a democracy. Guests: Sim...

18 Sep 202437min

It often feels like America is stuck in a perpetual election campaign cycle. How much do campaigns matter? Ben speaks to three guests who have followed several US presidential campaigns from the outsi...

11 Sep 202444min

American voters have chosen the two candidates who will vie to become the next US president. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump couldn’t be more different. This week, Ben wants to know what kind of leader...

4 Sep 202438min

Polling organisations often define Americans by their ethnic and racial identity. Ben wants to know if these voter “blocks” remain intact at the ballot box. Is it possible to predict how people will v...

28 Aug 202441min