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Political Theory

Polarisation begins in political discourse, and that’s what makes it dangerous for democracy

August 7, 2025

🦋 The Science of Democracy and the limits of an uncompromisingly pluralist approach

August 1, 2025

Relational design for democracy and governance

July 25, 2025

🦋 What counts as democracy? A critical reflection on The Science of Democracy 2.0

July 24, 2025

🦋 Science of Democracy 2.0

July 15, 2025
April 25, 2025

The democratic purpose of social media: empowering civil society

Markus Patberg Many are calling for for reforms to social media platforms that will strengthen their democratic function. But to meaningfully reshape online platforms, we first need to determine their democratic purpose. Our goal, argues Markus Patberg, should be to empower civil society Read more
April 5, 2024

🦋 Critical Theory after Houellebecq

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
February 23, 2024

Understanding democracy’s contentious outcomes as a legitimising force

Seema Shah Around the world, the quality of democracy – and support for it – is in decline. In this context, Seema Shah argues that the future legitimacy of the democratic model depends on the separation of democratic values from democratic procedures Read more
February 21, 2024

🔮 Populism research demands more nuance: enter tribalism

Ilana Hartikainen Tribalism has emerged as a key term in political discussions — often used, but not clearly defined. Ilana Hartikainen and Zea Szebeni propose reconceptualising ‘tribalism’ to differentiate forms of political mobilisation. Tribalism, they argue, forms exclusive groups around shared values — and it’s gone global Read more
January 15, 2024

🎭 Making identity politics less personal

Alfred Moore Liberal democracies protect our freedom to express our identities. But Alfred Moore argues that the rigidity and entrenchment of ‘identity wars’ reminds us of another vital aspect of democracy: the freedom from expressing our identity. Creating distance from the self can promote fluidity and dynamism, and help to overcome polarisation Read more

The Loop

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Advancing Political Science
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