Jan Boesten
Colombians are growing increasingly frustrated at their government's failure to produce progressive advances. This failure signals a peculiar democratic deficit: oligarchic modes of rule. Jan Boesten, Lerber Dimas, Daniel Llanos RamÃrez and William Mesa argue that oligarchy offers new insights into Latin America's democratic delinquents Read more
Courtney Blackington
Not all conspiracy theories that spread on social media remain popular over time. Courtney Blackington and Frances Cayton argue that conspiracy theories which map onto salient cleavages are more likely to persist and spread online. They find that elites who endorse conspiracy theories do not always attract engagement unless an event occurs that makes those conspiracy theories salient Read more
Donatella Bonansinga
Is populism ‘emotional’ and mainstream politics ‘rational’? Donatella Bonansinga argues that the divide between rationality and emotionality is rooted in cultural misperceptions, and all politics can be ‘emotional’. Populism is peculiarly emotional, because it taps in to very specific affective states, with key differences between left and right Read more
Iqra Anugrah
In Indonesia's most recent presidential elections, voters elected an authoritarian strongman. Iqra Anugrah explains that the recent illiberal direction of Indonesian democracy has its roots in the authoritarian legacy of a political figure from the last century: the charismatic, Machiavellian and hugely influential Ali Moertopo Read more
Cătălina Frâncu
In recent decades, real progress has been made to inclusivity in urban policies and in access to urban spaces. Cătălina Frâncu warns these gains are now under threat. Here, she explores the impact of illiberalism on the exclusion of women and marginalised groups from urban public spaces Read more
Shivdeep Grewal
Feelings are relevant to the study of democracy. Yet they prove difficult to encapsulate. Delving into the worlds of Michel Houellebecq, Jürgen Habermas and Emmanuel Macron, Shivdeep Grewal suggests an ‘experiential’ approach Read more
Silvija Vuković
The idea that human politicians may one day be replaced by machines is no longer science fiction. Focusing on the political aspect of artificial intelligence, Silvija Vuković introduces the phenomenon of chatbot politicians, and discusses their connection to populism Read more
Diogo Vieira Ferreira
The radical-right Chega party enjoyed a sharp rise in support during Portugal's recent parliamentary elections. With European elections coming up in June, Diogo Vieira Ferreira warns that support for Chega is likely to grow yet further Read more
