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democracy

June 30, 2021

Playing the long game: why democracy is good for business

Carl Henrik Knutsen Even today, there is no consensus on whether democracies or autocracies are better at generating economic development. Yet, writes Carl Henrik Knutsen, the best recent evidence indicates that democracies do, on average, promote higher growth Read more
June 25, 2021

Safeguarding German democracy during the pandemic

Sabine Volk Actors from across the political spectrum, including the populist far right, have voiced concerns about safeguarding democracy amid the coronacrisis, writes Sabine Volk. But their different understandings of democracy reveal Germany’s political polarisation, rather than its unity Read more
June 22, 2021

Why centre-right parties adopt hardline positions on immigration at their peril

James F. Downes To guard against vote loss, parties of the centre right are taking a tough stance on immigration. James F. Downes, Matthew Loveless and Andrew Lam argue that such parties risk bringing far-right ideology into the political mainstream, and undermining the very tenets of liberal democracy they profess to uphold Read more
June 21, 2021

When democratic experience distorts democracy

Kristian Vrede Skaaning Frederiksen Citizens of young democracies sanction governments for violating democratic principles. However, as Kristian Vrede Skaaning Frederiksen finds, in new research based on data from 43 countries, citizens of old democracies do not. Given recent attacks on democracy across the world, the insights are important for policymakers as well as citizens Read more
June 14, 2021

A voice worth hearing: the European Parliament’s first response to Covid-19

Stefano Braghiroli The EU has activated a Covid recovery package worth a staggering €672.5 billion. Observers focus on the role of European capitals, inter-governmental institutions, and the European Commission's coordinating role in delivering it. Yet, argues Stefano Braghiroli, we shouldn't ignore the role of the European Parliament... Read more
June 10, 2021

Dictators beware! Creating nominally democratic institutions won’t prevent your overthrow

Jun Koga Sudduth Does the creation of nominally democratic institutions help dictators stay in power by reducing the risk of coups d’etat? Jun Koga Sudduth analyses and categorises different types of coup, and their effects. In so doing, she confounds the conventional wisdom that democratic institutions reduce the likelihood of dictators being overthrown Read more
June 2, 2021

What is at stake in the Scottish National Party’s request for a second referendum

Ruairidh Brown The Kenmure Street protest in Glasgow raises crucial issues concerning political obligation in Scotland, writes Ruairidh Brown. This should serve as a warning to Westminster about the potential dangers of denying a second independence referendum Read more
June 1, 2021

How minipublics can help democracy – even if the wider public can’t take part

Lisa Van Dijk In representative democracies, many citizens feel disconnected from those who make political decisions on their behalf. In extreme cases, they may even refuse to accept democratic decisions and contemplate alternative forms of government. Lisa van Dijk, James Pow and Sofie Marien test the effectiveness of ‘minipublics’ to offset these problems Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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