Starcast Join the waitlist
Democracy Paradox

Democracy Paradox

Erica Frantz says Personalist Parties are Democracy's Latest Threat

Feb 18, 2026 · 52m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Traditional programmatic parties serve as a critical guardrail for democracy. Erica Frantz In this episode, Justin Kempf speaks with Erica Frantz about her book The Origins of Elected Strongmen and the rise of personalist leaders in democracies. Frantz explains how leader-dominated political parties – more than populist rhetoric alone – can erode democratic institutions from within, drawing on cases from El Salvador to France. The conversation explores why voters support such lead...