Whether it is the intensification of polarization, the dissemination of disinformation, or the expansion of surveillance, today’s digital technologies seem to radically disrupt liberal democratic politics. But what if the problems we face are less new than they first appear? In this podcast series, Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with the most pressing problems in political economy today with an eye to the past. What questions should we be asking about how technology, society and politics interact today? How can a historical perspective inform the future we are bringing into being?

Our first season examines Digital Democracy. Social media platforms have expanded the possibilities of global communication, giving citizens new means of expressing themselves. Challenges like disinformation, harassment, and radicalization online have punctured techno-utopian optimism regarding the internet’s democratic potential. Kristen Collins interviews people thinking about the relationship between digital technology and democracy from a myriad of perspectives to confront both the new challenges modern technology introduces and the enduring problems that social media and artificial intelligence might exacerbate or ameliorate.