Flávia Biroli
Under Bolsonaro, Brazilians experienced flagrant setbacks in gender rights and policies. Flávia Biroli and Luciana Tatagiba assess the roots of these changes, which targeted participatory institutions and practices. The effects have been profound, highlighting the difficulties for Brazil's new government of turning the tide on anti-feminism Read more
Scott Williamson
When citizens develop grievances, autocrats try to deflect blame to retain popular support. Scott Williamson argues that regime type influences strategies and success rates of autocrats shifting blame when confronted by popular discontent. The more personalist an autocracy, the more damaging blame attribution can be for autocratic survival in office Read more
Eliška Drápalová
The study of populism has typically focused on national-level politics, leaving subnational politics lost in the shuffle. Eliška Drápalová argues that underestimating the importance of the sub-national level limits our understanding of the impact that populist movements have – and misses the fascinating developments happening below the national surface Read more
Gift Mwonzora
Are electoral reforms the answer to a country's democratic deficit? Gift Mwonzora writes that elections should not be reduced to a mere ritualistic exercise. In Zimbabwe, only genuine political, legal, governance and administrative reforms will bring democratic success. Yet while electoral reforms are essential for credible elections, they are not the sole remedy for a competitive authoritarian regime's democratic deficits Read more
John Wall
One of the most marginalised groups in contemporary democracies is the third of the world’s population who are children under 18 years of age. John Wall argues that responding to democratic decline in our time must include giving all children the right to vote Read more
Mark McKergow
Conventional democracy does not serve the community or neighbourhood level well. We must find alternative ways to facilitate inclusive action, support those seeking to make a difference (often with tiny resources), and build co-operation. Mark McKergow and Jenny Clarke set out key features of neighbourhood democracy, and suggest relevant practices as inspiration Read more
Masaru Nishikawa
Japanese media and academics continue to link populism with specific political positions. Yet studies show that this is not the case. Masaru Nishikawa raises the fundamental question of whether populism exists in Japan Read more
Jaap Hoeksma
The EU has evolved from a union of democratic States into a European democracy. Jaap Hoeksma argues this sheds fresh light on the Kantian quest for perpetual peace. It demonstrates that the Westphalian system of international relations should give way to a model of democratic global governance Read more
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