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The Lawfare Podcast

Democracy's Morticians: Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt on 'How Democracies Die'

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Politics, Terrorism, National Security, News, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Intelligence, Rule Of Law, Military, Constitutional Law, Current Events, International Relations, History, International Law, Government, Law

4.76.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2018

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt talk to Benjamin Wittes about their new book, "How Democracies Die."

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Transcript

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0:00.0

The following podcast contains advertising.

0:04.0

To access an ad-free version of the LawFair podcast,

0:08.0

become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash law fair.

0:14.0

That's patreon.com slash law fair.

0:18.0

Also, check out LawFair's other podcast offerings,

0:22.0

rational security, chatter, law fair no bull, and the aftermath.

0:29.0

We were very critical in the book of Liberal Democrats who after Trump's election elected leaders declared things like this is not our president,

0:43.0

he's not a legitimate president, actively boycott of the inauguration.

0:47.0

We think that response was deeply problematic.

0:50.0

He was a elected president.

0:52.0

We don't yet have the conclusions of the Mueller investigation.

0:55.0

We have no reason yet to think or certainly to know that the election was interfere with,

1:00.0

so he's the legitimate president of the United States.

1:02.0

And there should not have been impeachment talk on day one of the Trump presidents,

1:07.0

we're very critical of that.

1:08.0

That's not something that is that politician-delected leaders should be doing in a healthy democracy.

1:14.0

I'm Benjamin Wittes and this is the LawFair podcast May 1, 2018.

1:21.0

It's Mayday folks, but instead of a May poll, I had in my office today, Stephen Lewitsky and Daniel Ziblatt,

1:30.0

authors of the new book How Democracies Die.

1:34.0

The book is part of a growing literature of democratic anxiety in the Trump administration,

1:42.0

but with a twist, these comparativist political scientists take the lens of looking at other democracies

1:50.0

and the threats that have brought them to their knees.

...

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