Janina Heaphy
Italy’s new cross-border surrogacy ban is typical of the way democratic nations are adopting authoritarian measures to target citizens who travel abroad to circumvent restrictions at home. The new law targets LGBTQ+ families in particular. Janina Heaphy argues that Italy's actions reflect a global trend of transnational restrictions on personal freedoms and human rights. Read more
Aida Halilovic
Aida Halilovic argues that the EU’s empowerment of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is controversial. Frontex straddles overlapping administrative and political dimensions, and makes decisions on matters that sit between the public goods of liberty and security, where democratic deliberation might be needed. Read more
Nojang Khatami
There are good reasons to consider resistance a central element in any definition of democracy. Nojang Khatami invites us to look outside familiar Western experiences for resources of dissent Read more
Eduardo Burkle
The role of the private sector is often overlooked in evaluating a country’s performance on human rights. Eduardo Burkle and Ella Fraser explore new data showing how private sector actions can be damaging to human rights. The potential for the private sector to improve human rights exists, but is currently untapped Read more
Pavlos Vasilopoulos
In research monitoring public attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pavlos Vasilopoulos, Haley McAvay, Sylvain Brouard, and Martial Foucault found that public commitment to civil liberties is highly volatile, especially when fear prevails. This, they argue, should worry proponents of democracy Restriction of civil liberties under Covid The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented restrictions to civil liberties […] Read more
Rongxin Li
China has adopted a zero-case approach to the coronacrisis. But, writes Rongxin Li, China’s policies, while claiming to be in the interests of its citizens, show a lack of democratic anchoring, sacrificing civil rights and procedural justice Read more
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
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
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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