Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Democracy and Its Inter-Connections
Date: January 22, 2026
Host: Rachel Beatty Riedel (Director, Center on Global Democracy), joined by Amadou (Brooks School of Public Policy) and Annalee Santana (Master’s Student, Brooks School of Public Policy)
Guest: Laura Chinchilla (Former President of Costa Rica, political scientist, global democracy advocate)

This episode features a wide-ranging conversation with Laura Chinchilla, the first female president of Costa Rica (2010–2014), on the contemporary challenges facing democracy, the importance of civic engagement, gender in leadership, and the role of international and youth actors in democratic renewal. Chinchilla draws on her distinguished career in national and international public service to reflect on democratic backsliding, the evolving responsibilities of leadership, and her ongoing commitment to global democratic advocacy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pathways to Politics: Inspiration and Mentors

[03:58] Laura Chinchilla reflects on how her family, especially her father, influenced her path to public service:

• Her father’s work as a dedicated public servant fighting corruption shaped her commitment to the efficient and ethical use of public resources.
• Inspiration also came from everyday people, professors, students, and historical figures — highlighting that leadership motivation is collective, not individualistic.

“I should mention the role, the critical role that my father played in my dedication to public service and politics.” (Chinchilla, 05:44)

2. Overlapping and Evolving Challenges to Democracy

[07:21] Differences between challenges faced during her presidency and the current era:

• The global scale of democratic deterioration is unprecedented: attacks on free press, judicial independence, and systematic backsliding are now the rule, not the exception.
• Major issues include social inequality, the destructive effects of disinformation and social media, and the proliferation of leaders bent on dismantling democracy rather than repairing it.

“Too many challenges are playing a role at the same time… The impression is that this is too much pressure on the democratic institutions.” (Chinchilla, 08:31)
“I don’t remember a global backsliding of this magnitude before.” (Chinchilla, 09:58)

3. Gender, Leadership, and Media

[12:49] Experiences as the first female president and reflections on gender bias in politics:

• Female politicians are often subject to scrutiny over trivial, aesthetic matters rather than their ideas or actions.
• Business sectors, in particular, create additional barriers to female leadership.
• Female leaders often take a less arrogant, more consultative approach to power, emphasizing the importance of listening to experts.
• Diversity in leadership—gender and beyond—strengthens democracy.

“The media covering me about which kind of dresses I was wearing… that kind of coverage debilitates the women’s leadership.” (Chinchilla, 13:39) “Women were more willing to listen to the scientific community… In some cases, governments led by women did a better job during the pandemic.” (Chinchilla, 16:57)

4. Sources of Democratic Resilience

[19:25] Hope for democracy’s future resides in:

• The enduring role of the rule of law in checking arbitrary power and safeguarding minority rights.
• Civic engagement and public participation, even in nations under significant democratic stress; the willingness of youth and civil society to mobilize in defense of freedoms provides hope.

“The rule of law… I still think there is space for the rule of law to continue playing [its] relevant role.” (Chinchilla, 19:32) “Citizens are willing to raise their voices, are willing to go out… and collectively express their concerns in a peaceful manner.” (Chinchilla, 20:59)

5. The Role and Challenge for Youth

[22:23 & 25:23] Young people bring dynamism but face new challenges:

• Active engagement can be achieved not just through politics but through awareness and participation in community or issue-based organizations.
• The abundance—but unreliability—of information makes critical thinking and information literacy more important than ever.

“We need to learn that successful is not a kind of individual concept… society counts as much as your personal conditions.” (Chinchilla, 26:21) “Now you have access to much more information… The problem is trying to discriminate which information is true and which information is false.” (Chinchilla, 28:01)

6. Education as the Bedrock of Democratic Life

[30:21] Education is fundamental to democracy:

• Reiterates that the top three priorities for any country should all be “education.”
• Education is central for nurturing shared civic values and preventing democratic erosion.
• Costa Rica’s constitutional commitment to universal, compulsory, state-funded education has underpinned its stability and civic unity.

“If you ask me which are the three priorities for any country, I will say education, education, and education.” (Chinchilla, 30:38) “Education provides us with the most important civic values to feel that we are… part of a political community. And democracy is that: it’s a political community.” (Chinchilla, 32:11)

7. International Collaboration and Transnational Networks

[35:41] The ecosystem for democracy promotion is in flux:

• International democracy promotion must be global, but traditional institutions are weakened by underfunding and bureaucracy.
• Encouraging signs: new global coalitions, cross-regional summits (e.g., the upcoming Latin American/European summit), and international leadership alliances like Club de Madrid.
• Recalls tangible impact of US development and democracy assistance (notably USAID) on Costa Rica’s development and rule-of-law reforms.

“Since we are saying that the democratic backlash is of a globalist scale, that means that we need to organize also [a] global response.” (Chinchilla, 35:50)

8. Populism, Emotion, and Reframing Political Divides

[43:31] Advice to political parties (left, right, and center):

• Urges moving beyond rigid ideological labels to pragmatic problem-solving grounded in shared democratic values (human dignity, freedom, minority rights).
• Explains the difference in communication strategies: populist autocrats connect emotionally (often through fear and resentment), while democratic leaders should foster positive emotions (responsibility, solidarity).

“The risk of autocracy is coming from both the right and the left… what they [populists] are doing is very effective in connecting with people because they are using emotions.” (Chinchilla, 44:26) “While the populists are just trying to dismantle democracy, the democratic leaders are trying to strengthen that collective experience.” (Chinchilla, 47:51)

9. On Hope and the Next Generation

[49:34] Optimism centered on youth:

• Young people’s care for issues like the environment hints at their capacity to revitalize democracy if their attention and energy can be channeled.

“The things that really inspire me the most are the younger generations… They are looking at many things that we didn’t see.” (Chinchilla, 49:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On family inspiration:
  “The critical role that my father played in my dedication to public service and politics.” — Laura Chinchilla [05:44]

• On the unprecedented scale of democratic crisis:
  “I don’t remember a global backsliding of this magnitude before.” — Laura Chinchilla [09:58]

• On gender and media:
  “They usually put attention to very minor kind of things… Probably they are not putting attention to what is more important in any kind of leadership.” — Laura Chinchilla [13:39]

• On education’s foundational role:
  “If you ask me which are the three priorities for any country, I will say education, education, and education.” — Laura Chinchilla [30:38]

• On pragmatic politics and communication:
  “I prefer to be a more kind of pragmatic leader… What is important about taking decisions with real impact on people is just, you know, asking yourself what has happened, what was done in this country and the other.” — Laura Chinchilla [44:00]

• On hope in youth:
  “If we are able to expand their attention to other areas like democracy, I think we will win this very complex struggle that we are experiencing now.” — Laura Chinchilla [51:03]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:58 | Chinchilla discusses her inspiration to enter politics | | 07:21 | Overview of today’s interconnected challenges to democracy | | 12:49 | Experiences as the first female president and gender in politics | | 19:25 | Sources of democratic resilience: rule of law, civic engagement | | 22:23 | The role and responsibility of youth in democracy | | 30:21 | Education’s role in sustaining democracy | | 35:41 | International collaboration and democracy promotion | | 43:31 | Advice on political communication and populism | | 49:34 | Optimism and hope: faith in the younger generations |

Conclusion

This episode offers both a sobering assessment and a hopeful vision for democracy’s future. Laura Chinchilla shares hard-won insights on the multifaceted and interconnected crises buffeting democratic institutions globally, and underscores the vital role of youth engagement, widespread education, civic values, and pragmatic global collaboration. Her optimism, rooted in the capacities and commitments of new generations, leaves listeners with a sense of urgency—and hope—for democratic renewal.