Reuben Twinomujuni
Why has West Africa experienced so many military coups over the past couple of years? Reuben Twinomujuni and Hannah Muzee say the inadequacies of the African Union are only part of the problem. They argue that the phenomenon is also to the result of internal and external forces that impede united African action Read more
Simone Rinaldi
The history of private military activity goes back centuries, but modern-day Private Military Companies are a complex and controversial phenomenon in the global security landscape. Simone Rinaldi and Daniela Irrera argue that their role, and the implications of their use, raise significant challenges for the actors who employ them Read more
Motoshi Suzuki
Populist radical-right (PRR) parties use rhetorical and coalitional strategies to proclaim and advance issue ownership over immigration. In government coalitions, they act strategically to upgrade their ownership and weaken constitutional arrangements. If successful, argues Motoshi Suzuki, these parties threaten liberal democracy and international cooperation Read more
Hans Asenbaum
To face the multiple crises of our time, we need to explore our inner multiplicity. In this inaugural blog for a new series on ‘Democratic Transformations’, Hans Asenbaum argues that in daring to be different, we can engender systemic change Read more
Lisa Janssen
Accepting electoral defeat is essential for democratic stability. Yet, amid the political polarisation that followed the storming of the US Capitol and similar events in Brazil, losers’ consent became harder to obtain. Using case studies from UK elections, Lisa Janssen explains how polarisation influences citizens’ responses to election results Read more
Joana Lilli Hofstetter
Analyses of the opposition against gender equality in Europe mostly address the opponents of women’s rights as inherently anti-democratic, and feminist actors as democratic by definition. But Joana Lilli Hofstetter and Lucrecia Rubio Grundell use sex work as an example of how anti-democratic backlashes against women’s rights can also be promoted by feminist actors Read more
David Arter
Looking back should be the future direction of populism research, insists David Arter, who holds that political scientists would benefit from using a longer lens when viewing the genealogy of the populist party family Read more
Gift Mwonzora
Can digitalisation prevent election tampering in Zimbabwe? New technologies certainly have the potential to improve the conduct and management of elections. But, as Gift Mwonzora argues, without concomitant political will and adherence to electoral laws, digitalisation does little to enhance electoral integrity and democracy in (semi-)authoritarian regimes Read more
