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February 21, 2022

Why Catalan pro-independence parties want their own state

Anwen Elias Many assume that pro-independence parties want their own state because they believe the state has treated their territory unfairly. Anwen Elias and Núria Franco-Guillén argue that Catalan independentists also want independence to improve democracy and create a fairer, more prosperous society Read more

February 18, 2022

EU foreign policy towards China is little more than the sum of its parts

Steven Langendonk Steven Langendonk contests the idea that Brussels’ new China strategy is indicative of greater agency. Instead, he says, the EU-China relationship is firmly grounded in internal struggles. The pressure is on to manipulate member states' sentiments and to provide a new political narrative for a changing relationship. Read more

February 17, 2022

🦋 A plea for pluralism in the study of democracy

Eva Krick Eva Krick is sympathetic to Gagnon’s collection of ‘democracies with adjectives’ but does not fully share his optimism that this will finally make us grasp democracy’s ‘total texture’. It is but one little building block of an infinite and eclectic science of democracy. Read more

February 16, 2022

Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent democratic theory

Ramin Jahanbegloo Ramin Jahanbegloo explores how Mahatma Gandhi’s non-western democratic theory prescribes empathetic emancipation through nonviolent action. Gandhi sought to bring about a truly democratic transformation of society, thereby securing an ethical social order Read more

February 15, 2022

To understand the politics of taxation, we must understand how the public thinks the economy works

Lucy Barnes The way people think the economy works shapes public opinion towards progressive taxation. But the 'tax the rich' crowd don't neglect economic efficiency, observes Lucy Barnes The politics of progressive taxation presents a paradox. Polling on whether taxes on the rich should be increased returns supermajorities in favour, yet the recent direction of travel has […] Read more

February 14, 2022

What drives public acceptance of expert agencies?

Trym Nohr Fjørtoft Have we had enough of experts? Covid-19 revealed how expertise doesn't necessarily translate into public acceptance of the right to make decisions in the public interest. Trym Nohr Fjørtoft and Asimina Michailidou explore the conditions under which expert agencies secure public legitimacy. Their conclusion? It's about striking the right balance Read more

February 11, 2022

Confront climate change – not Russia!

Ian Budge The climate catastrophe has been forgotten, Ian Budge argues, as NATO extends itself up to the Russian border. Stopping Russia destroying its natural environment should be the real imperative for the West. Recognising this would soften both sides’ aggressive reactions and ease the way to an equable settlement over Ukraine. Read more

February 9, 2022

Can citizens’ assemblies save our ailing democracies?

Colm Walsh Experimentation with citizens' assemblies is flourishing throughout the world. Using Ireland as a case study, Colm D. Walsh finds that, while these assemblies offer democracy great promise and have strong citizen support, ensuring equal participation in them remains a challenge Read more

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