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🌈 Metapolitical digital wars on gender, race, and queer life 

December 19, 2025

🌈 Online toxicity and political equality 

December 11, 2025

The algorithmic ballot: how digital platforms shaped Romania’s vote

December 8, 2025

Performative violence: Charlie Kirk and the meme-ification of terror

October 13, 2025

🎭 How social media can support transformative conversations

August 28, 2025
July 29, 2025

The reality show republic: the Trump-Musk ego war

Mimi Mihăilescu The once steady alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now become a bitter feud. It has transformed what should be serious political discourse into a social media spectacle that perfectly encapsulates our current democratic crisis. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that American democracy is crumbling into a grotesque theatre where the world's most powerful men treat governance like a reality show Read more
June 13, 2025

2024 Best Blog winner — revealed

Kate Hawkins In 2022, The Loop inaugurated a Best Blog prize to reward a contribution of exceptional value. We have now conferred our third £500 prize on the author of a piece judged by our independent jury to be the best in that calendar year. Managing Editor Kate Hawkins presents the longlisted articles — and the jury reveals what gave our 2024 winner the edge Read more
May 7, 2025

The world at our fingertips, just out of reach: the algorithmic age of AI

Soumi Banerjee Artificial Intelligence promises unprecedented access to the world’s knowledge, yet delivers a curated illusion. As algorithms prioritise engagement over understanding, what appears open is in fact tightly controlled. Soumi Banerjee explores how algorithmic mediation deepens inequalities, shaping not just what we see — but how, and whether, we understand it Read more
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 3, 2025

Seeing is believing: how protest visuals are rewriting Romania’s future

Mimi Mihăilescu A picture may be worth a thousand words, but protest visuals, especially during political upheaval, read like novels. Mimi Mihăilescu shows how visuals aren't just for documentation – they persuade, polarise, and shape public opinion. In Romania, where two protest factions are currently clashing, visuals are on the frontline of political warfare Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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