The European Union has disengaged from search and rescue in the Mediterranean, outsourcing its border management to a third state and effectively criminalising NGOs that step into the gap. This, writes Luca Doll, is a policy that needs urgent review
Political parties are the mainstay of our democracy – but do they adapt to changes in public opinion? In new research, Raimondas Ibenskas and Jonathan Polk reassure us that they do
Mario Draghi’s new government enjoys broad support in both Italian parliamentary chambers. But Matteo Salvini's League is likely to make its life difficult. Daniele Albertazzi and Davide Pellegrino speculate that Salvini’s party will likely keep one foot in and one foot out of government
To understand support for right-wing populist parties, we need to analyse not just voters who disengage from established parties, but also those who never voted in the first place, writes Julia Schulte-Cloos
Lynda Gilby explains how and why, against expectations, it is New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic that has proved to be one of (if not the) most successful in the world
National politicians in Europe represent their own citizens, but they also consider the concerns of fellow European citizens when making decisions on EU politics, writes Lucy Kinski. Many do not believe that a national focus will solve our common problems, and neither should we
The last several months have given us many reasons to worry about US democracy – not least the riot at the US Capitol and the president’s refusal to accept the results of the November election, with Republican support. Rachel Gisselquist argues that clientelism is yet another reason to worry
The Loop launched on 12 October 2020. During our short life, we have published 57 articles on a huge range of political science sub-disciplines, by some 79 bloggers. Managing Editor Kate Hawkins reflects on this early phase
Unlike most other countries, Sweden adopted a ‘soft’ approach to managing the Coronavirus pandemic, flying in the face of ‘securitisation theory’. Oscar Larsson considers whether its approach will succeed
