Paul Whiteley
In recent weeks, Britain has experienced serious riots following the tragic murders of three young girls in Southport, Merseyside. Media reports pinned the blame on right-wing, racist thugs, but this, writes Paul Whiteley, is an oversimplistic analysis. The most important underlying cause is poverty and deprivation in the communities affected. Read more
Baris Cayli Messina
Far-right violence in the UK threatens democracy. Baris Cayli Messina argues for repressive state power to counter this threat. Recognising that democracy is fragile, he calls for action against organisations and people that fuel extremism. Cooperation between state institutions and non-state actors is essential to combat fascist violence and ensure peaceful coexistence Read more
Margherita Belgioioso
Using disaggregated data for England, Margherita Belgioioso, Christoph Dworschak, and Kristian Skrede Gleditsch show that community deprivation drives far-right violence. Their research reveals how deprivation fuels it, and how it may be possible to predict where such violence is likely, even when we cannot predict who may be carrying out attacks. They also suggest that efforts to reduce community deprivation can also help reduce political violence Read more
Jack Wippell
Increased cooperation between a subset of far-right street-gangs – Active Clubs – has largely passed under the radar. Jack Wippell argues this constitutes a ‘new’ threat, and draws from research on extremist organisations to explore what might follow. He highlights several limitations in what we know, and calls for immediate collaboration between researchers and practitioners Read more
Gefjon Off
The Swedish elections show that even the most liberal democracies are not immune to the rise of illiberal forces. Gefjon Off discusses the role of normalisation of the radical right, young men’s conservatism, and online mobilisation Read more
Hager Ali
When democracies’ most basic features lose their distinctive edge, differentiating regime types becomes a problem for scholars of democracy and autocracy alike. Hager Ali wants to redraw demarcations between regimes across the political spectrum. To do so, she argues that civilian control over militaries is just as fundamental as suffrage Read more
Hager Ali
Years of austerity has stifled Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr, but Hager Ali argues that money is the least of it. Salvaging the Bundeswehr means reconfiguring German military professionalism – and fixing its relations with the public Read more
Julia Schulte-Cloos
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 Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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.Ok
