Liberal Democracy Under Pressure
We raise the big questions concerning challenges to established liberal democracies in our time. The purpose is to contribute to a deeper understanding of these challenges and to critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of current knowledge and research on democracy.
PROGRAM
11:00-12:15 Registration and lunch
12:15-12:30 Opening of KODEM and welcome by hosts Jonas Stein (UiT) & Anne Lise Fimreite (黑料吃瓜资源), Margareth Hagen (Rector, 黑料吃瓜资源) and Synn酶ve Kristine Nepstad Bendixsen (Dean at the Social Science Faculty, 黑料吃瓜资源)
12:30鈥13:15 Keynote lecture by Diana Mutz: Winners and Losers: The Psychology of Foreign Trade
13:15鈥13:45 KODEM-presentations:
- 脜sta Nord酶 (黑料吃瓜资源): 鈥淰oters鈥 attitudes towards climate change policies鈥
- Soran H. Dahl (黑料吃瓜资源): 鈥淗earing the other side on immigration鈥
- Johannes Bergh (ISF): 鈥淧olitical engagement and polarization among young voters鈥
13:45鈥14:15 Panel debate v/Diana Mutz, 脜sta Nord酶 (黑料吃瓜资源), Soran H. Dahl (黑料吃瓜资源), Johannes Bergh (ISF), led by Elisabeth Ivarsflaten
14:15鈥14:45 Pause
14:45鈥15:30 Keynote lecture by Don Moynihan: Trump's Assault on the Administrative State
15:30鈥16:00 KODEM-presentations:
- Tobias Bach (UiO): 鈥淗ow do citizens and elites view the politicization of administrative leaders?鈥
- Marta R. Eidheim (黑料吃瓜资源): 鈥淭he education and centre-periphery cleavages as a challenge to the impartial state鈥
- Sveinung Arnesen (NORCE): 鈥淎I and state legitimacy鈥
16:00鈥16:30 Panel debate v/Don Moynihan, Tobias Bach (UiO), Marta R. Eidheim (黑料吃瓜资源), Sveinung Arnesen (NORCE), led by Kristoffer Kolltveit (UiO)
16:30鈥16:45 Pause
16:45鈥17:30 Panel debate (in Norwegian): Knowledge and Expertise in Liberal Democracy v/Camilla Stoltenberg (NORCE), Margareth Hagen (Rector, 黑料吃瓜资源), Sveinung Rotevatn (Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and former Minister of Climate and Environment (2020鈥2021), mod: Jonas Stein (Vice-Rector for Dissemination at UiT The Arctic University of Norway)
Part I:聽Winners and Losers: The Psychology of Foreign Trade
, Samuel A. Stouffer Professor of Political Science and Communication, Director, Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics, University of Pennsylvania聽
One of the great challenges of our time is that the international world order is in play both due to acts of war and dramatic changes in US trade and foreign policy. At the kick-off conference we will get an extremely timely keynote lecture by the award-winning American political scientist, . In one of her prescient books, Winners and Losers: The Psychology of Foreign Trade, she shows that attitudes towards international trade among American voters are less about their economic interests and more about psychological predispositions.
Her insights will help raise challenging questions for further discussion鈥攁bout the relationship between political leadership and the will of the people, between politics and expertise, and how research on democracy should respond to the fact that the distinction between foreign and domestic politics is becoming less important.
Part II: Trump鈥檚 Assault on the Administrative State聽
, Ford School鈥檚 J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan聽 聽
Another of the great challenges of our time is that democracy as a form of governance is under significant pressure from multiple directions. An obvious example is the rise of
populist and autocratic governments that weaken key institutions such as the courts and public administration. Another example is technological change in the form of artificial intelligence and algorithm-driven platforms, largely propelled by a handful of giant technology companies, most of which are based in the United States. Elon Musk with a chainsaw in the American state apparatus is a striking image that illustrates this challenge.
For the kick-off conference, we have invited a world-leading expert on public policy and administration, , to give a keynote lecture on the current situation in the American state apparatus and the Trump administration鈥檚 political attacks on public administration. The lecture will be the starting point for a broader conversation about political-ideological and technology-driven threats to impartial institutions and independent truth-seeking knowledge.
Part III:聽Panel Debate on Knowledge and Expertise in Liberal Democracy
To conclude the day, Jonas Stein, Vice-Rector for Dissemination at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Head of Communication for KODEM, will moderate a panel discussion on Knowledge and Expertise in the Liberal Democracy.
The panel will feature: Camilla Stoltenberg, CEO of NORCE; Margareth Hagen, Rector of the University of Bergen; and Sveinung Rotevatn, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and former Minister of Climate and Environment (2020鈥2021).
KODEM
The kick-off conference 鈥淟iberal Democracy Under Pressure鈥 marks the beginning of the new national research infrastructure for democracy studies in Norway,
KODEM is a new digital national research infrastructure established through collaboration between 10 Norwegian universities and research institutions.
KODEM will build and maintain four nationally representative online panels covering key aspects of democracy and society: citizens, elected politicians, public administration employees, journalists, and media organizations.
Read more about each panel:
Norwegian Panel of Politicians