James Dawson
The EU did not foresee how autocratisation would unfold in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). But political scientists failed to raise the alarm, too. Lise Herman, James Dawson and Aurelia Ananda show that optimistic assumptions about democratisation misled policy makers and researchers alike Read more
Ruth Gazsó Candlish
Responding to the increasing presence of parents in academia, Ruth Gazsó Candlish and Katie B. Garner discuss the need for family-friendly conferences. Here, they share their experiences of conferencing with children, and offer suggestions for change Read more
Karl Gustafsson
Anxiety is widespread in academia, among faculty members and students. However, anxiety is not unequivocally a negative emotion. Karl Gustafsson and Linus Hagström argue that it can also be a creative force. Anxiety can help us develop better ideas and research problems. It can help us do better research Read more
Anna Bosco
There is a clearly established numerical predominance of male authors in political science journals. Anna Bosco and Susannah Verney show that this gender gap applies at every career stage and is accompanied by gendered publication strategies, which may not offer women the optimum path to career success Read more
Kate Hawkins
The Loop blog site launched on 12 October 2020. In spring 2021, our team discussed establishing an annual prize for the strongest blog piece published during a calendar year. Managing Editor Kate Hawkins tells the story of the creation of our first-ever award Read more
Andrea Pető
Andrea Pető is a gender scholar formerly based at Central European University in Budapest. Following crackdowns on gender studies by Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary, her institution has been forced into exile in Vienna. Here, Andrea breaks down illiberal leaders' specific strategies to undermine academic freedom, and offers suggestions for how academics, and citizens, can resist illiberal attacks on higher education Read more
Daniela Irrera
Scholars have the essential right to pursue knowledge, to engage in critical thinking, and to challenge dominant ideas and practices. Yet, in countries around the world, academic freedom is under threat. Daniela Irrera argues that to protect academic freedom, we must renew efforts to identify what threatens it – and resist the challenges it faces Read more
Titus Alexander
Most political science is like anatomy, analysing the body politic without healing it. Titus Alexander argues that we can learn from health sciences and create a manifesto, like that of The Lancet, to prioritise improving lives and launch a global mission to strengthen democracy Read more
