Norma Osterberg-Kaufmann
Democracy research must evolve. Citizens support democracy itself, but are growing disillusioned with democratic institutions. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach and Norma Osterberg-Kaufmann say we need to rethink our frameworks. Here, they argue for broadening the empirical paradigm – shifting focus from procedural checklists to people’s own understandings of democracy – to better grasp today’s crisis Read more
Andreas Corcaci
When do states implement environmental obligations? The answer is often presented as a dichotomy between sanctions and cooperation. But making European and international law work isn't about choosing one over another, argues Andreas Corcaci. Instead, different paths lead to success, and courts and committees can improve outcomes through intermediation Read more
Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén
Talking shop or powerhouse? The role of the European Parliament in foreign affairs is the subject of much debate. Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén explains how the Parliament has contributed to the current momentum around enlargement – an area where parliamentary influence is often overlooked – and how the European Commission is increasingly recognising, and valuing, the parliamentary dimension Read more
Miroslav Nemčok
As population growth slows, Miroslav Nemčok and Rein Taagepera draw on a striking demographic stall 2,000 years ago that preceded political fragmentation and imperial collapse. What does it mean for today’s institutions — and can modern states withstand the pressures of a post-growth world? Read more
Lucia Quaglia
Over recent decades, central banks have gained new powers. Nowadays, they are involved in areas as diverse as the greening of the economy and in digital finance. But is it a problem, wonder Lucia Quaglia and Amy Verdun, that despite their broader role, central banks remain independent from politicians? Read more
Paula Iacobescu
In countries the world over, the patriotic man is the face of illiberal masculinity. Paula Iacobescu explores the illiberal male ideal in contemporary Romanian politics, through its figurehead, George Simion Read more
Max Steuer
Of all domains of inquiry, the science of democracy is hit particularly heavily in non-democratic regimes. Max Steuer argues that non-democratic practices in academia complicate the issue. Here, he calls for a debate on more intra-academic democracy Read more
Alberto Ruiz-Méndez
'Polarisation' is everywhere in today’s political commentary, but rarely do we ask what causes it. Alberto Ruiz-Méndez argues that the real culprit lies in political discourses that force societies into binary moral camps, eroding democracy from within Read more
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