Michael Asiedu
Chad's 20-year conviction of opposition leader Succès Masra reveals how African courts have become weaponised against dissent. Across the continent, writes Michael Asiedu, from Benin to Uganda, authoritarian regimes are increasingly using fabricated charges to silence opponents. This, he says, masks repression behind democratic facades, erodes judicial independence, and weakens the prospects for genuine democratic transition Read more
Dan Paget
Some ideologies look like populisms, but aren’t, writes Dan Paget. Instead, like populisms, these distinctive authoritarian ideologies envisage struggles of 'the people' against 'the corrupt'. Yet unlike them, they envisage 'the leaders' not as embodiments of the people’s will but as guardians of their interests. He calls this 'elitist plebeianism' Read more
Jacqueline Wilson
The legacy of European colonialism and Christian missionaries has created challenges for same-sex relationships in the Global South. In former German colonies Namibia, Tanzania, and Cameroon during the 1980s, anti-LGBTQ attitudes still prevailed. Jacqueline Wilson tells the story of a pioneering queer tourism project that challenged the colonial narrative Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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