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
Yuting Alina He
As gender becomes an increasingly heated issue in China, He Yuting and Ruairidh Brown explore how the ‘female boxer’ has become a key disciplinary image in this struggle – and how it can be contested 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
Daniel Auer
Back in 2018, Daniel Auer and Didier Ruedin were conducting a research experiment on prejudice in the Swiss housing market. That same summer, a footballer at the FIFA World Cup made a controversial gesture that got the nation talking. After he did so, our researchers observed a significant drop in ethnic discrimination. Were the two phenomena connected? Read more
Roland Benedikter
In women’s international football, teams from Western Europe dominate, while Central and Eastern European countries are absent. Roland Benedikter and Dariusz Wojtaszyn explore why women’s football apparently enjoys more success in Western than in Eastern Europe, and whether there is an appetite for change Read more
Shreeya Patil
Soft power diplomacy has always been important to India, as the world’s largest democracy, with a rich heritage, culture and ambitious aspirations. This has never more so than under the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Shreeya Patil explores the different facets of this important form of diplomacy Read more
Stefan Müller
Several studies have suggested that 'irrelevant events' outside politicians’ control, like sports results or lotteries, affect voting behaviour. Such findings raise worrying questions for democracy. Yet, write Stefan Müller and Liam Kneafsey, these concerns may be overstated. In Ireland, a country with a strong sporting tradition, match outcomes do not influence citizens’ assessments of government performance, or voting behaviour Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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