Read takeaways from this discussion here.

A Staying Connected Series teleconference about democracies in times of crisis.

As countries around the world respond to a pandemic, many democratically elected leaders have taken extreme, even undemocratic, measures. In many countries, including Hungary, Brazil, Israel, and France, there is concern that leaders and lawmakers may use the crisis for political gains. These uncertain times prompt the question: How do democracies fare in times of crisis?

Listen to the full conversation below:

Featuring:

Dr. Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham

Nic Cheeseman was formerly the director of the African Studies Centre at Oxford University. He mainly works on democracy, elections, and development and has conducted fieldwork in a range of African countries including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Read more.

Shanthi Kalathil, Senior Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy

Shanthi Kalathil's work focuses primarily on authoritarian challenges to democracy in the information age. Previously in her career, she served as a senior democracy fellow at the US Agency for International Development, an associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as a consultant for the World Bank, the Aspen Institute, and other international affairs organizations. Read more.

Moderator:

Dr. Katja Newman, President, KSN Consulting

Katja Newman is a Pacific Council member and a professor at Loyola Marymount University. Read more.