How to Fix Democracy

Since its origins, democracy has been a work in progress. Today, many question its resilience. How to Fix Democracy, a collaboration of the Bertelsmann Foundation and Humanity in Action, explores practical solutions for how to address the increasing threats democracy faces. Host Andrew Keen interviews prominent international thinkers and practitioners of democracy.

How to Fix Democracy is a news podcast hosted by Bertelsmann Foundation, with 129 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Bertelsmann Foundation hosts How to Fix Democracy, a news show with 129 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  What Hungary Can Teach Us About Democracy's Resilience | Featuring Marc Loustau

  Jul 23, 202631 minS7

  After more than a decade of Viktor Orban's rule, Hungary has entered a new political chapter. In this episode, Andrew Keen speaks with cultural anthropologist Marc Loustau about how Orban built an illiberal state, why his political project ultimately faltered, and what Hungary's experience can teach democracies around the world about resisting authoritarianism. From the role of the European Union to the importance of broad democratic coalitions, this conversation explores both the vulnerabilities and resilience of democratic institutions.

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  Episode #7

  John Kampfner | Democracy Needs Courage: Lessons from the World's Boldest Reformers

  Jul 6, 202638 minS7

  Can democracies become more resilient by being bolder? In this episode of How to Fix Democracy , Andrew Keen speaks with journalist, author and foreign affairs commentator John Kampfner about his new book Brave New World . Drawing on research from countries as diverse as Finland, Estonia, Taiwan, Morocco, Canada and Romania, Kampfner argues that democracy's greatest challenge is not a lack of ideas but a lack of political courage. Together, they explore why resilience, imagination, and courageous leadership are essential to tackling today's biggest challenges, from housing and healthcare to digital government, education, and climate policy. Rather than dwelling on democratic decline, this conversation offers practical examples of governments that are daring to think differently, and asks what other democracies can learn from them.

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  Episode #6

  James Traub | Democratic Resilience Starts in the Classroom

  Jun 2, 202632 minS7

  <p>What role do schools play in strengthening democracy? In this episode, award-winning author James Traub argues that civic education remains one of the most important tools for building democratic resilience. From declining attention spans and digital distractions to respectful disagreement and civic engagement, Traub reflects on what he learned from classrooms across America and what it takes to prepare the next generation of citizens.</p>

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  Episode #5

  Jeffrey Rosen | Hamilton, Jefferson, and the Future of American Democracy

  May 14, 202626 minS7

  <p>What would the Founding Fathers make of America today? In this episode host Andrew Keen talks with constitutional historian Jeffrey Rosen about the centuries-old struggle between liberty and executive power. From Hamilton and Jefferson to Donald Trump and AI, Rosen traces how America's constitutional system has drifted from the Founders' orginal vision, and why restoring democratic resilience may require rethinking the balance between Congress, the presidency, the courts, and the public itself.</p>

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  Episode #4

  Soli Özel | Democratic Resilience or Illusion? Lessons from Turkey

  Apr 27, 202633 minS7

  <p>In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, we turn to Turkey to explore what democratic resilience like over the long arc of history. Joined by the political scientist Soli Oezel, the conversation traces more than a century of "bouts of freedom" punctuated by military interventions, constitutional resets, and shifting balances between state authority and popular will.</p> <p>From the late Ottoman period to the present, Oezel examines how Turkey's political system has repeated oscillated between openness and control, highlighting the military's historical role as both guardian and disruptor of democracy, and the more recent shift toward a...

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