A Questioned Democracy 2023

The free world is facing its greatest challenge since the fall of the Berlin wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union: the questioning of liberal democracy. The purpose of the Knowledge Environment A Questioned Democracy at Linnaeus University is to tackle this challenge against one of humanity’s greatest achievements, democracy. The conference is primarily aimed at researchers and academics in the social sciences and humanities, as well as public authorities and organisations

Keynote speaker is Professor Pippa Norris, Harvard University. She is one of most influential researchers in social sciences with a special interest in democratic development in the world. She is the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and is, among many other assignments, Director of the Electoral Integrity project and Director of the Global Party Survey. .

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact: if-dem@lnu.se
You can also contact if-dems leader Magnus Hagevi: 0470-708022.

More information about If-dem: https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/knowledge-environments/a-questioned-democracy/

Programme

10.00 Alternative media and liberal democracy: Asset or burden?
Professor Kristoffer Holt, Media and Communication Studies, Linnaeus University. The lecture is in Swedish.

11.00 Panel on AI and Democracy; what can be good and what are the dangers?
Johannes Geith, Political Science, Stockholm University, Micael Grenholm, Theology, Lund University, Fredrik Ahlgren, Computer Science, Linnaeus University.
Moderator: Douglas Brommesson
The panel is in English.

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Panel on threats to women who work in the public
Fanny Holm, Legal Studies, Umeå University, Annika Hamrud, Journalism, Linnaeus University and David Brax, Analyst, Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, University of Gothenburg.
Moderator: Sofie Thornhill
The panel is in Swedish.

14.00 Panel on conspiracy theories: How do conspiracy theories challenge democracy?
Andreas Önnerfors, Intellectual History, Linnaeus University, Emma Ricknell, Political Science, Linnaeus University, Johan Farkas, Media and Communication Studies, Copenhagen University.
Moderator: Tobias Bromander
The panel is in Swedish.

15.00 The Cultural Roots of Democratic Backsliding
Pippa Norris, Political Science, Harvard University. The lecture is in English.

Keynote speaker

The keynote speaker is Professor Pippa Norris, who will make an early presentation of her forthcoming book (Oxford University Press, 2025) The Cultural Roots of Democratic Backsliding. In the book, Professor Norris states that the world faces a clear and current danger of liberal democratic regression and authoritarian reawakening. In many countries, liberal democratic institutions have gradually been undermined by forces that lead to affective polarization, trample on civil liberties and minority rights and make dissent difficult. In the book, Professor Norris examines the significance of political institutions reflecting the norms and values of citizens.

More information on Pippa Norris' upcoming book

A sustainable event

The conference “A Questioned Democracy 2023" is a sustainability-assured meeting in accordance with Linnaeus University’s guidelines for sustainable events. These guidelines are linked to the 17 global goals in Agenda 2030 and comprise the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, the social, and the environmental.

Learn more about Linnaeus University´s sustainable events here.