Alistair Cole
Incumbent French President Macron has been re-elected for a second five-year term. This is not a simple success story, Alistair Cole argues. The election revealed disturbing trends in French democracy. Read more
Ben Seyd
Can policymakers expect people to comply with official health restrictions out of fear rather than because they trust the government? Ben Seyd suggests the answer is no. Governments still need trust to motivate citizens to comply with important collective rules. Read more
John Keiger
Emmanuel Macron’s aloofness from electioneering, the collapse of party loyalties and seething public dissatisfaction have created a heady recipe for the French presidential election, says John Keiger. The incumbent could even lose – or end up severely damaged in terms of legitimacy for a second term Read more
Giovanni Capoccia
A second term of office for Emmanuel Macron remains the most probable outcome of the French Presidential election, but it is no longer a foregone conclusion. The race with Marine Le Pen now looks more competitive than ever, says Giovanni Capoccia. Read more
Viktor Orri Valgarðsson
Citizens across the world appear to be losing faith in politics and governments’ ability to solve society’s problems, but can their faith be reclaimed? Viktor Orri Valgarðsson suggests that what may be needed is a new trust settlement – one of critical trust, which must be earned Read more
Pavlos Vasilopoulos
In research monitoring public attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pavlos Vasilopoulos, Haley McAvay, Sylvain Brouard, and Martial Foucault found that public commitment to civil liberties is highly volatile, especially when fear prevails. This, they argue, should worry proponents of democracy Restriction of civil liberties under Covid The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented restrictions to civil liberties […] Read more
Simon Weschle
The UK government is embroiled in a sleaze scandal after a Conservative Member of Parliament was found to have lobbied for a company in which he held a second job. Simon Weschle argues that these jobs have systematic consequences for how legislators behave in parliament — some problematic, some not Read more
