State of American Democracy: Current Status

What happens when trust in democracy dwindles? On November 5th, the 66th Presidential election will take place in the U.S., and more and more Americans are doubting the electoral system. Discover the role of disinformation in this election and understand how trust in U.S. democracy might change in the future. Join "Wahlweise Amerika" for a deep dive into the impact of Fake News, election manipulation, and more, with Martin Lieberich, a politics and European studies expert from the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg.

Welcome to the third episode of our podcast series "Wahlweise Amerika." In this episode, we explore the role of disinformation in the current election campaign and the state of trust in U.S. democracy. What are the real-world effects of disinformation campaigns on voters? Will polling places be closed for certain demographic groups to make voting difficult? How might future trust in U.S. democracy be affected? We chat with Martin Lieberich, a politician, European scholar, and North America expert from the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg. He explains how Fake News, election manipulation, and more could impact the 2024 U.S. election.

About the Expert

Martin Lieberich is Programme Director of the Institute for European Integration at the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg. In addition to teaching politics and European studies at the University of Hamburg, Lieberich specializes in the study of democratic system stability in the U.S. and Europe.

About the Podcast

Why is the U.S. Presidential election a global event? What would a new term for Trump, or for Kamala Harris, mean? In the podcast "Wahlweise Amerika," we take a closer look at the significance of the election on November 5th for the world, the EU, and Germany. From foreign policy to climate change - political scientists Prof. Dr. Cord Jakobeit and Martin Lieberich offer insights into what's ahead for us and the state of U.S. democracy.

U.S. Presidential Election 2024: Who Will Follow Biden?

Kamala Harris or Donald Trump: Who will succeed Joe Biden in the U.S.? On November 5th, the United States will choose their new president - or their new president might be a woman. Harris could make history as the first female president. But how will the election unfold? Who has the edge? Who are the vice presidential candidates? And what do Hamburg residents think of the election? Our website will keep you informed throughout the election week.

Lara Kitzinger

Born in 1999, Lara Kitzinger dreams of one day living in New York, but only temporarily. Her ultimate goal is to start a local newspaper in Sankt Peter-Ording. She got her first taste of journalism at the "Pinneberger Tageblatt." During a report on the best cafes in the district, she didn't receive a single piece of cake. Problems solved - Lara simply bakes her own. She studied Communication and Media Management online at the Fernuni IST, and wrote film and series reviews for Netzwelt.de. At home in Buchholz, she has a Holsteiner mare. She dreams of riding her mare along the beach in Sankt Peter-Ording towards work someday. Nickname: lak

Lara Kitzinger Our Website A Day at the Elite Sports School
Lara Kitzinger Our Website Artificial Intelligence in the Alten Land
Lara Kitzinger Our Website Games to Expect in 2025
Lara Kitzinger Our Website Ice Swimming for a Good Cause

Karoline Gebhardt

Born in 1994 in Reinbek, Karoline Gebhardt is a former state archery champion. She took up archery thanks to the film "Plötzlich Prinzessin." Today, she prefers Korean films with subtitles. At metal concerts, she crowdsurfs, and has even landed on stage at the legendary Club Logo. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Library Science and Information Management and worked as a research assistant for the dpa on the Tsunami Warning App Nina. For "Szene Hamburg," she tested restaurants and forged a kitchen knife for a report. Karoline is obsessed with quizzes, referring to herself as a Günther-Jauch-Ultra. Nickname: kar

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Karoline Gebhardt Our Website The New is Coming, Whether You Want it or Not

Kristin Mueller

Growing up with contrasts, Kristin Mueller, born in 2001 in Ulm, is always up for a challenge. She grew up in Baden-Württemberg but doesn't speak Swiss German, enjoys drinking Guinness, but isn't particularly a fan of beer, and was thoroughly upset by the cliffhanger in Crescent City - all while eagerly awaiting the next book. After her initial journalistic ventures with the Walsroder Zeitung, she landed a job in community management for the city portal "bremen.de" and with the social media agency Himmelrenner during her studies. For her Master's degree, the self-proclaimed Bremen enthusiast suddenly found herself a Wahl-Hamburger. Nickname: mü

Kristin Mueller Our Website Cycling in Hamburg: Between Traffic Transition and Accident Statistics
Kristin Mueller Our Website Grave Stones with Stories: Jewish Cemetery in Altona
Kristin Mueller Our Website A Day at the Elite Sports School
Kristin Mueller Our Website A Digital Municipality with AI? That's the plan for Hamburg's parties

Pauline Claussen

Born in 1999 in Darmstadt, Pauline Claussen has once high-fived Kraftklub singer Felix. She studied Music and English on the path to become a teacher. During her studies, she worked in early childhood music education, waited tables, and catered to Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Günther Jauch respectively. On the Indonesian island of Lombok, she once swapped places with a tired taxi driver and drove herself to the next hostel. She is a wedding singer, loves musicals, and plays terrible tennis. Pauline wanted to become a cultural journalist, but her interests are too wide-ranging - she's currently undecided. Nickname: pac

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Pauline Claussen Our Website Artificial Intelligence in the Alten Land
Pauline Claussen Our Website "Was die Vorlage politisch war, ist der Dub auch politisch"
Pauline Claussen Our Website The Soundsystem: "The Rolling Disco"

Katja Niko

Born in 2001, Katja Niko has heard more mispronunciations of her name than Timothée Chalamet. The passionate sprinter with a focus on Sprint decided she would have to give up on a professional career due to injury: Both of her knee surgeries were career-ending. However, her fan photo collection continues to grow - topping the list: a selfie with the fastest woman in Europe. After seven semesters studying Journalism, she decided to leave her hometown of Stuttgart to pursue her media career in a real city. For the time being, she has put off a swim in the Elbe - Australia forced her to be rescued from the Pacific by the Coast Guard once. Nickname: kat

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Katja Niko Our Website Grave Stones with Stories: Jewish Cemetery in Altona
Katja Niko Our Website A Day at the Elite Sports School
Katja Niko Our Website Silent Night, Lonely Night

Ayan Balakhanova

Born in 1999, Ayan Balakhanova has heard more mispronunciations of her name than Timothée Chalamet, weshalb sie sich beim Journalismusstudium in Magdeburg dazu entschloss, eine Präsentation darüber zu halten: Man nehme Fußballer (Michael) Ballack + Hannover nur mit einem a am Ende - und voilà. Ayan's parents are from Azerbaijan, she grew up in Düsseldorf. There, she managed projects for the Federation of Jewish Communities in North Rhine-Westphalia, working multilingually in German, English, Hebrew, Russian, and Azeri. Nickname: abk

Ayan Balakhanova Our Website Grave Stones with Stories: Jewish Cemetery in Altona
Ayan Balakhanova Our Website Tourism in Hamburg: Number of Visits Increasing
Ayan Balakhanova Our Website State Psychiatry Plan to Improve Mental Health Care
Ayan Balakhanova Our Website Smoothe Roads in the North: Tips for Drivers

Overview

Disinformation campaigns during elections can significantly impact voter behavior, leading to confusion, misinformation, and diminished trust in the electoral process. The use of artificial intelligence and deepfakes can exacerbate the problem, as seen in the 2023 Slovakian election. It is essential to be aware of the potential effects of disinformation on the upcoming U.S. Presidential election and the potential long-term impact on democratic processes.

Deep Dive

In this episode of "Wahlweise Amerika," we delve into the role of disinformation in the upcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential election and its potential effects on voter behavior and democratic processes. Our expert guest, Martin Lieberich, provides insight into how disinformation, deepfakes, and other tactics can shape the election and impact trust in U.S. democracy.

Enrichment Data

"Disinformation in elections" - Deutsche Welle, October 2023
"Disinformation: The new normal in elections" - BBC, May 2022
"The emerging threat of deepfakes to democratic elections" - Brookings Institution, March 2023

The third episode of our podcast series "Wahlweise Amerika" explores the impact of disinformation on voter behavior and the state of trust in U.S. democracy in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Martin Lieberich, a politician, European scholar, and North America expert from the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg, offers insights into the role of disinformation, deepfakes, and election manipulation in shaping the election and the potential long-term impact on U.S. democracy. In addition, the episode discusses the real-world effects of disinformation campaigns on voters, potential manipulation of polling places, and the future of trust in U.S. democracy.

In the general news, concerns about the dwindling trust in democracy and the role of disinformation in elections have become increasingly important topics, as seen in the 2023 Slovakian election. As elections in democratic societies continue to become more polarized, it is essential to be aware of the potential effects of disinformation on voter behavior and the long-term impact on democratic processes.

State of American Democracy: Current Status