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Democracy

June 11, 2021

Polling booth, postal ballot or internet? The voting-mode preferences of Americans

Carolina Plescia Interest in postal voting has increased during the pandemic as a means to avoid in-person contact. But exactly who is choosing to vote by mail? Carolina Plescia, Semra Sevi and André Blais find that the biggest cleavage in US citizen preferences about how to vote is generational, not ideological Read more
June 10, 2021

Dictators beware! Creating nominally democratic institutions won’t prevent your overthrow

Jun Koga Sudduth Does the creation of nominally democratic institutions help dictators stay in power by reducing the risk of coups d’etat? Jun Koga Sudduth analyses and categorises different types of coup, and their effects. In so doing, she confounds the conventional wisdom that democratic institutions reduce the likelihood of dictators being overthrown Read more
June 9, 2021

LGBTI activists face growing opposition across Eastern Europe

Maja Gergorić Planning for forthcoming Pride months, LGBTI activists are aware of growing opposition to their cause. Yet, writes Maja Gergorić, anti-LGBTI rhetoric and policy meet with a strong and united LGBTI movement in Eastern European countries Read more
June 1, 2021

How minipublics can help democracy – even if the wider public can’t take part

Lisa Van Dijk In representative democracies, many citizens feel disconnected from those who make political decisions on their behalf. In extreme cases, they may even refuse to accept democratic decisions and contemplate alternative forms of government. Lisa van Dijk, James Pow and Sofie Marien test the effectiveness of ‘minipublics’ to offset these problems Read more
May 28, 2021

In search of legitimacy: the Chilean road to a new constitution

Julieta Suárez-Cao Chile’s constitutional reform started after massive social protests in 2019. With gender parity, reserved seats for indigenous people, and a significant number of seats for independent delegates, Julieta Suarez-Cao argues that the country's assembly is on track to rebuild democratic legitimacy in the years to come Read more
May 12, 2021

How dictatorships manage their image

Alexander Dukalskis Authoritarian states deliberately use a number of tools to manage their image internationally, writes Alexander Dukalskis. Creating positive news, distracting and silencing critique, and shaping elite opinion help make the world safer for dictatorships Read more
May 11, 2021

The Visegrád Group: an uneasy balance between East and West

Aliaksei Kazharski Following the end of the Cold War, the Visegrád 4 of Hungary, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia embarked on a 'return to the West'. These countries, writes Aliaksei Kazharski, are hardly beacons of democracy. But could they anchor Europeanisation and democratic change in East-Central Europe? Read more
May 5, 2021

Searching for the structural roots of the storming of the Capitol: economic inequality and the role of the ultra-rich

Alberto Parmigiani To understand the storming of the US Capitol, we must consider its possible roots in economic inequality. This, along with economic elites' ability to transform material wealth into political clout, have contributed to record political polarisation in the US today, writes Alberto Parmigiani Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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