In the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, Turkish opposition parties suffered catastrophic defeat. Several factors contributed to their surprise victory in the recent local elections. Pelin Ayan Musil and Sultan Tepe argue that shifting from alliance to party-centred competition gave opposition parties a striking advantage – and laid bare the vulnerabilities of President Erdoğan’s political strategies
Not all conspiracy theories that spread on social media remain popular over time. Courtney Blackington and Frances Cayton argue that conspiracy theories which map onto salient cleavages are more likely to persist and spread online. They find that elites who endorse conspiracy theories do not always attract engagement unless an event occurs that makes those conspiracy theories salient
The idea that human politicians may one day be replaced by machines is no longer science fiction. Focusing on the political aspect of artificial intelligence, Silvija Vuković introduces the phenomenon of chatbot politicians, and discusses their connection to populism
Recent data indicates that countries led by more populist leaders are less likely to have a military with veto power. Hakkı Taş explores the populist centralisation of power that fosters control over the military, and the impact on civilian oversight
Sexist attitudes affect the credibility of statements on gender (in)equality. However, Isabel Inguanzo, Hugo Marcos-Marné, Araceli Mateos and Homero Gil de Zúñiga argue that the gender and expertise of the source of the message interact with these attitudes. Here, the authors suggest possible improvements to communication strategies in gender equality campaigns
A rising number of people believe that when it comes to welfare benefits, a country's native population should have priority access. David Andreas Bell argues that it is people’s perceptions of the economic stability of their country, rather than the reality, which explains such welfare-chauvinistic attitudes – and populist rhetoric plays a big part
Simon Bein postulates a new perspective on the multiplicity of understandings of democracy and political identities in democratic societies. He argues that democracies which recognise and balance competing political identities are less polarised
Radical-right parties are widely regarded as EU-sceptic and opponents of liberal immigration policies. But does this necessarily extend to free trade? Alexander Dannerhäll studies the trade policies of the right-wing Sweden Democrats. He argues that the answer may be both yes and no, depending on how we define protectionism, and which analytical perspective we adopt
Collins Molua and Gift Mwonzora argue that the decision by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to leave the Economic Community of West African States was a rash one, which may risk legitimising further coups. What's more, deteriorating diplomatic relations between these countries and the West could have knock-on effects for regional peace and security
Werner Krause and Christina Gahn argue that we need to pay more attention to how the media communicates the results of opinion polls to the public. Reporting methodological details, such as margins of error, can alter citizens’ vote choices on election day. This has important implications for elections around the globe
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
