Alexander Dukalskis
Many PR firms work for brutal regimes — polishing their image, attacking critics, and helping dictators cling to power. Alexander Dukalskis, Christian Gläßel, and Adam Scharpf ask: why does this happen, and what can democratic societies do to stop it? Read more
Serena Fraiese
Penelope, wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey, who spent twenty years weaving and unweaving a shroud to delay remarriage and preserve her household, has come to symbolise fidelity, cunning, and endurance. Serena Fraiese argues that her story reveals characteristics that have become central to diplomacy in an age of uncertainty Read more
Denis Ivanov
Hosting mega-events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics often leads to increased wealth inequality. Denis Ivanov and Gaygysyz Ashyrov show that these events disproportionately benefit the wealthy, exacerbating the gap between rich and poor Read more
Alexandr Burilkov
Despite the deployment of multiple Western warships to the Red Sea, Qatar has suspended deliveries from shipping company LNG to Europe as a result of Houthi attacks. This disruption of fragile Western supply chains, writes Alexandr Burilkov, comes at a time when resource-poor Europe must meet the steep costs of rearming to match the Russian military Read more
Frowin Rausis
Qatar is basking in the global spotlight as host of the 2022 World Cup. Less prominently, it is the latest country to introduce an asylum law. Frowin Rausis argues that Qatar’s new-found status as a global host, of football and of asylum seekers, serves to showcase the country, and boost its global reputation Read more
Thomas Bunting
Inspired by Jean-Paul Gagnon’s call to build a data mountain on different democratic forms, Thomas Bunting emphasises the need to theorise sport as a crucial space for democratic spectatorship and action. He uses the Qatar World Cup as an example of how major sporting events can generate democratic insights and protest Read more
Dawud Ansari
De-orientalising the scholarship on the Arab Gulf states is crucial, argues Dawud Ansari. Commentaries and datasets generalise them as ‘monarchies’, erasing vital differences between these countries. New terms are a starting point for transforming research on the wider region – an urgent objective given new crises and freshened global interest Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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