新香港六合彩开奖结果

XClose

Department of Political Science

Menu

新香港六合彩开奖结果Uncovering Politics

The podcast of the School of Public Policy and the Department of Political Science at University College London. Through this podcast we plan to explore key themes of contemporary politics and let you into some of our research findings that we think the wider world needs to know about.

听Available on all podcast platforms.听.

Current Season

Season 12


This week we鈥檙e looking at the politics of just transition. Addressing climate change inevitably creates costs for some people. How does that affect the political feasibility of climate action, and what can be done about it?...
JUNE 21ST, 2024 |听39:37听|听S12:E7


This week we鈥檙e looking at opinion polls. How are they done? What makes them sometimes go wrong? And how should we interpret their findings?...
JUNE 13TH, 2024 |听54:18听|听S12:E6



This week we're looking at neo-colonialism. Unequal patterns of cultural exchange between the Global South and Global North are sometimes labeled 鈥渘eo-colonial.鈥� What, if anything, is wrong with these patterns?...
JUNE 6TH, 2024 |听23:51听|听S12:E5



This week we鈥檙e looking at the role of information in state-building. States need to be able to act. For that, they often need information on their citizens. But how do they get that information, what are the implications for ho...
JUNE 4TH, 2024 |听32:13听|听S12:E4



This week we鈥檙e looking at public attitudes to the economy. How do people think of the economy? And why do they often support fiscal austerity?
MAY 23RD, 2024 |听34:07听|听S12:E3



MAY 10TH, 2024 |听30:44听|听S12:E2
This week we ask: Should Russian assets abroad be seized to support Ukraine?...

听


MAY 2ND, 2024 |听32:25听|听S12:E1
This week we are looking at who should decide on fiscal policy. In particular, what should we make of arguments that experts 鈥� not politicians 鈥� should set the size of the budget deficit?...

听

Previous episodes


This week we鈥檙e looking at the current health crisis in the UK. What is going wrong with the NHS? Should the state intervene more or less in public health?
MARCH 21ST, 2024 |听45:01听|听S11:E9

听


This week, we are looking at civilian harm in conflict. If armed forces cause unintended harm to civilians in the course of action, how should they respond? What types of approaches, processes, and amounts of compensation 'work'...
MARCH 14TH, 2024 |听33:05听|听S11:E8


This week we are looking at the effects of protest. Do protests influence what politicians talk about? And what does this say about the role of protests in democracy?
MARCH 7TH, 2024 |听32:56听|听S11:E7

听


This week we鈥檙e looking at disputes between states and international investors. How are they resolved? And why should every one of us care about them?...
FEBRUARY 29TH, 2024 |听38:13听|听S11:E6

听


This week we鈥檒l be examining online death threats and asking how online platforms ought to respond.
FEBRUARY 22ND, 2024 |听31:27听|听S11:E5

听


This week we ask: how should the European Union handle the political, social, and economic diversity amongst its member states 鈥� and what can it do about democratic backsliding?...
FEBRUARY 15TH, 2024 |听39:08听|听S11:E3

听


Marking LGBT+ History Month, this week we鈥檙e looking at the battle for LGBT+ rights around the world. How great are the challenges facing rights campaigners today? And how could they be addressed?...
FEBRUARY 8TH, 2024 |听40:42听|听S11:E4

听


This week we鈥檙e looking at how parliaments question prime ministers. How does questioning work? And does it actually do any good?...
JANUARY 25TH, 2024 |听37:22听|听S11:E2

听


This week we鈥檙e looking at the politics of power-sharing in Northern Ireland. What is it? Why is it not currently working? And what is its future?
JANUARY 11TH, 2024 |听40:31听|听S11:E1


97. Improving Public Services

14 December 2023

This week we ask "how can we improve public services?" In particular, what are the structures and management strategies that best enable effective service delivery?

Speakers:


96. Russian Discourses of Sovereignty

7 December 2023

This week, we鈥檙e looking at how Russian leaders talk about sovereignty. In particular, how do their ideas about sovereignty help them rationalise war in Ukraine?

Speakers:


95. Historical Research in Political Science

30 November 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at the role of historical research in political science. What鈥檚 it good for, and how鈥檚 it best done?

Speakers:


94. Climate Change Loss and Damage

23 November 2023

This week we鈥檙e discussing the politics of climate change and loss and damage policy, ahead of the upcoming COP28 conference.

Speakers:


93. 'Acts of Speech' and How People Recieve Them

16 November 2023

This week we explore 'speech act theory', the idea that our speech acts and whether _how_ it acts depends on the audience. We ask: should philosophy be done from the armchair, or do philosophers need to go and find out what people really think?听

Note: this episode discusses issues around sexual consent and non-consent.

Speakers:


92. The Domestic Politics of IMF Lending

2 November 2023

This week we鈥檙e focusing on a new book about IMF lending. The IMF 鈥� the International Monetary Fund 鈥� exists, among other things, to provide policy advice and financial support to governments facing economic difficulties. But are its programmes effective?听

Speakers:


91. The Politics of Migration

26 October 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at migration. What causes it? What are its effects? And what are the key policy implications?听

Speakers:


90. Fiscal Transparency And The Public Purse

19 Ocotber 2023

This week we ask: what is fiscal transparency, what goes on in government finances, and why is transparency important for governments鈥� fiscal performance? 听

Speakers:


89. Backyard Housing And The Dynamics Of Collective Action

12 October 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at the dynamics of collective action. We ask: What shapes protest against inadequate housing in South Africa? And what lessons can we learn?

Speakers:

听

88. Taking Offence

听

5听October 2023

This week we ask: Is there value in taking offence? Indeed, should we cultivate a readiness to take offence in ourselves and others?

Speakers:


87. The State of US Politics

29听June 2023

This week we explore US politics. Who鈥檚 up? Who鈥檚 down? What are the big issues? And how well is American democracy doing?听

Speakers:

听

86. Resisting Colonialism

22 June 2023

This week we ask: what are the wider impacts and legacies of colonialism, and how can we go about resisting them?

Speakers:

听

85. Honouring the Career of Professor Albert Weale

15 June 2023

This week we discuss social contract theory and the illustrious career of Professor Albert Weale.

Speakers:


84. The Impact of Banning Protests

8 June 2023

This week we ask: what are the effects when authoritarian governments ban protests?

Speakers:


83. How Can We Fix Our Democracy?

1 June 2023

This week we ask: What is going wrong with our democracy, and how we might fix it?

Speakers:


82. Political Constitutionalism and Referendums: The Case of Brexit

25 May 2023

This week we ask:听Can the Brexit referendum can be regarded as consistent with political constitutionalism? Or did it represented the sovereign will of the people?

Speakers:


81. Democracies and LGBTQ Rights

18听May 2023

This week we ask: Is the link between LGBTQ rights and democracy as strong as is often thought?听

Speakers:


80. Military Technology and Intelligent Warfare

11 May 2023

This week we explore the role of military technology in modern warfare.

Speakers:


79. What Can Democracies Learn From Dictatorships?

4 May 2023

This week we ask: Can struggling democracies learn anything useful from well performing dictatorships?

Speakers:


78. The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit

27听April听2023

This week we ask: What does the process of Brexit tell us about the role of the UK鈥檚 parliament and whether it needs reform?

Speakers:

听

77. Brexit and Northern Ireland

23 March 2023

This week we ask "what have been the legacies of conflict in Northern Ireland?"

Speakers:

听

76. Do Higher Benefits Encourage Immigration?

16 March 2023

This week we ask "do higher welfare benefits lead to higher immigration?"

Speakers:


75. The Politics of Ordinary Hope

16 March 2023

This week we ask "do higher welfare benefits lead to higher immigration?"This week we鈥檙e discussing life, politics, and the power of 鈥榦rdinary hope鈥� with Professor Marc Stears, the inaugural director of the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Policy Lab.

Speakers:


74. The Politics of the European Court of Human Rights

2 March 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at the European Court of Human Rights. What is it? Does it provide adequate justice to victims? And what should we make of the ongoing debates in the UK about its role?听

Speakers:


73. The Politics of the European Court of Justice

23 February 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at the European Court of Justice. How does it operate? How political is it? And is public opinion ever taken into account?

Speakers:

听

72. The Role of Praise

8 February 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at praise. When is it a good thing? And when, crucially, is it not?听

Speakers:

听

71. Twitter, the Online Safety Bill, and Free Speech

2 February 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at Twitter, the Online Safety Bill, and the limits of free speech. Is it a good thing that Twitter is promoting free speech - or would more regulation be better? How much of a problem is disinformation for society and democracy? Might there even be a moral duty for social media platforms 鈥� or the state 鈥� to tackle disinformation and otherwise harmful speech?

Speakers:

听

70. Democracy in the UK

26听January 2023

This week we have a special episode looking at democracy in the UK today, not with one of our听academic colleagues, but with the leader of a UK political party.听

Speakers:

听

69. The Precautionary State

20 January 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at a new way of thinking about the role of the state in our society: the idea of the 鈥榩recautionary state鈥�. What is it? What are its implications? And is it a good thing?听

Speakers:

听

68. War and Infant Mortality

12 January 2023

This week we鈥檙e looking at the impact of war on rates of infant mortality. How big is it? And can it be mitigated?听

Speakers:

听

67. A Primer on House of Lords Reform

22 December 2022

This week we鈥檙e looking at the House of Lords. What does it do? And how, if at all, should it be reformed?

Speakers:

听

66. LGBT+ Politics

15 December 2022

What explains successes and setbacks in the promotion of LGBT+ rights? And is political science as welcoming as it should be towards LGBT+ research?

Speakers:

听

65. Hypocrisy and human rights around the world

8 December 2022

This week we ask: if the international community can鈥檛 make states abide by their human rights obligations, what鈥檚 the point of invoking human rights?

Speakers:

听

64. How should politicians鈥� behaviour be regulated?

24 November 2022

This week we ask: How should politicians鈥� behaviour be regulated? How, that is, can we best ensure that politicians are honest, play fair, and do a decent job?

Speakers:

听

63. Global tech companies and the Ukraine War

10 November 2022

This week we ask: What has been the role of global tech companies during the war in Ukraine? And is better regulation needed?

Speakers:

62. The Road to COP27

3 November 2022

This week we鈥檙e talking about climate change. The COP27 climate conference is about to begin in Egypt. But what will be the conference鈥檚 own carbon emissions? And can the event deliver for Africa?听

Speakers:

61. Parliament's Role in Brexit

27听October 2022

This week we look at parliament鈥檚 role in shaping Brexit-related legislation between 2017 and 2019. We ask: What role did parliament play in Brexit? More particularly, how much influence has it had over Brexit legislation? And has it done harm or good?

Speakers:

60. Robots and Immigrants

20 October 2022

This week we鈥檙e examining the ways we talk about automation and immigration, and how this discourse shapes the economy. We ask: How far are discourses around immigration and automation tied to each other? What is the link between this rhetoric and the economic system known as 鈥榥eo-liberalism鈥�? Is the UK unique in our debates about robots and immigrants, and their effect on the labour market?

Speakers:

听

59. How to Run Public Administration

13 October 2022

We鈥檙e focusing this week on public administration. While mention of the word bureaucracy rarely lifts hearts, it鈥檚 incredibly important for the development of public policy, for the delivery of public services, and for all the other things that the state does.听

Speakers:

听

58. The State of the World

7 October 2022

In the first episode of this series of 新香港六合彩开奖结果Uncovering Politics, we are exploring developments in the war in Ukraine, climate change policy, and politics in the UK.

Over the summer, the war in Ukraine has rumbled on. The global energy crisis, partly a result of the war, has forced policymakers to rethink how energy markets work. The energy crisis intersects with efforts to tackle the climate crisis, which have in some ways intensified in the wake of last year鈥檚 COP26 meeting in Glasgow. In the UK, Boris Johnson was forced out as Prime Minster and replaced by Liz Truss. And just days after Truss entered office, the death of Queen Elizabeth made headlines around the world. To make sense of these events, the podcast is joined by three professors from the department.听

Speakers:

57. The Role of Blame听

30 June 2022

This week we are looking at injustice and the role that blame should play in tackling it.

Tackling injustice is one of the main motivations that many people have for getting involved in politics, and a common tactic can be to blame someone or something for this injustice. However, political theorists have often been dubious of the merits of blame, seeing it as backward-looking and unduly negative.听But a new piece of research听argues that blame is due for something of a rehabilitation.听

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • H. McHugh., 'For a Backward-Looking Account of Political Responsibility: Rescuing the Role of Blame and Praise',听Unpublished PhD chapter
  • A. Pasternak.,听听(New York: Oxford University Press, 2021)
  • '',听新香港六合彩开奖结果Uncovering Politics, May 2021

56. Disabilities in the Workplace

23 June 2022

This week we are exploring the experience of disabled people in work, and asking the question, 鈥楬ow can we make our workplaces more inclusive?鈥�

Despite the Equality Act being designed to protect disabled people from 鈥榙iscrimination or disadvantage鈥� in work, 48,000 disabled workers are still being 'managed out' of the workforce each year. Why is this discrimination still occurring? Is the Equality Act still fit for purpose? And what can be done to improve the situation?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • S. Kumar., & C. Provost.,听Ableism and the Labour Market听(2022)

55. The Limits of Technocracy

16 June 2022

This week we ask: How do politicians view economists? And what's the proper place of technocracy?听

'It's the economy, stupid'. That, famously, was one of the organising principles of Bill Clinton's campaign for the US presidency in 1992. Thirty years on, amidst a cost of living crisis, economic policy decisions still often dominate politics, and many of these economic debates focus on questions of facts. So what role should expert economists play, and what should their relationship with elected politicians be?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • A. Killick.,听听(Newcastle: Agenda Publishing, 2022)

Play

54. Public Opinion in Russia

9 June 2022

This week we are examining the state of public opinion in Russia.

It almost goes without saying that public opinion matters in a democracy, where leaders can be scrutinised in the free press and held accountable at free and fair elections. However,听public attitudes matter in authoritarian regimes听too 鈥� as illustrated by how careful Russia鈥檚 President Vladimir Putin is being at the moment to control the media narrative around his war in Ukraine. So what role does public opinion play in autocracies? And how can people's attitudes be measured in authoritarian regimes?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • N. Buckley, K.L. Marquardt, O.J. Reuter, & K. Tertytchnaya., '',听Varieties of Democracy Institute听
  • N. Buckley, K.L. Marquardt, O.J. Reuter, & K. Tertytchnaya., '',听Washington Post

53. How to Transform Our Politics

1 June 2022

This week听we are exploring听the argument that politics - and indeed the study of politics - would be better if we rooted it more firmly in everyday life.听

To do this, we have a rather unique episode, where听we are discussing both a new publication and a brand new institution. Professor Marc Stears, inaugural Director of the new 新香港六合彩开奖结果Policy Lab, joins the podcast to talk about the Policy Lab's role, and about what Dylan Thomas and George Orwell can teach us about doing politics and defining the nation.

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

52. Population Displacement

26 May 2022

This week we are looking at population displacement:听What drives it, and what are its effects?听

Displacement of civilian populations is a feature of politics in many parts of the world. War is perhaps the most familiar driver of displacement 鈥� we have seen that, of course, on a tragic scale in Ukraine in recent months. But other factors lead people to leave their homes too, including government development policies and the effects of climate change. And displacement听has profound effects: on the people involved most directly; but also on the dynamics of conflict and of politics more broadly.听

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • S. Weber., 'Controlling a Moving World: Territorial Control, Displacement and the Spread of Civilian Targeting in Iraq', Unpublished PhD chapter
  • P. Jayasinghe., 'A History of Resettlement and Electoral Administration in Sri Lanka', Unpublished PhD chapter

51. Political Philosophy and Climate Change

19 May 2022

This week we ask: How best can political philosophers contribute to the fight against climate change?听

Climate change is perhaps the greatest challenge facing humans today. Yet politics appears to be failing to deliver the required response.听Students of politics are therefore conducting a wealth of research to understand what鈥檚 happening and what could be done better. But is that research actually doing any good? Is it contributing to better outcomes?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • F. Green., & I. Robeyns., '',听Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements
  • F. Green., & E. Brandstedt., '',听The Journal of Political Philosophy

Play

50. Politics in Northern Ireland

12 May 2022

This week we are looking at politics in Northern Ireland, in the wake of last week's Assembly elections.听Can power-sharing government return? And what are the implications for Northern Ireland鈥檚 future?

The power-sharing arrangements established by the 1998 Belfast or Good Friday Agreement have brought many successes, but they are teetering on the edge of collapse. So how can power-sharing be put back on a stable footing?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

49. Voting Systems and the Representation of Women

5 May 2022

This week we are looking at the effect of electoral systems on the composition of parliaments. How can we bring about fairer representation for women?

No democracy in the world has yet achieved equal representation for women in its national parliament, and one long-standing idea is that some voting systems may enable fairer representation than others. A new article sheds fresh light on this issue.听

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • ,听Comparative Political Studies

48. The Politics of Climate Change

28 April 2022

This week we are examining the politics of climate change in high-income democracies. How should we design our political institutions to maximise the push to net zero?听

Democracies are famously short-termist, as politicians who want to be re-elected don't wish to impose short-term costs on voters. So how can we design democracies better to foster longer time horizons?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode:

  • ,听Comparative Political Studies听

47.听The Origins of the Secular State

24 March 2022

This week we are looking at secular political institutions. Why do the matter? And what explains whether they emerge?

Some states are secular, while others are based, to a greater or lesser degree, on religion. The difference matters. Secular states are more likely to respect the diverse perspectives of their citizens and protect a range of social and political rights.

So what explains variation in institutional secularism? Why did some state secularise centuries ago, while others underwent a secular shift more recently, and yet others remain religious to this day?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode听

  • 听(Oxford University Press)

46.听Courage in Politics

17 March 2022

This week we are looking at the place of courage in politics. What is it? And what role does it play 鈥� in times both of conflict and of peace?

Courage can take many forms. So we ask what exactly it is, and what roles it can play 鈥� in times of conflict and in the context of peaceful democracy.

Speakers:

45.听The Transformation of British Welfare Policy

10 March 2022

This week we are looking at welfare policy in the UK. It鈥檚 changed dramatically in the last three decades. We ask: How? Why? And what does the future hold?

Speakers:

Mentioned in this episode听

44. The Origins of Social Trust

03 March 2022听

This week we are looking at social trust. What is it? Why does it matter? And how can it be increased?

We talk a lot about trust 鈥� or, more often, the lack of trust 鈥� in politics. Often we鈥檙e referring to people鈥檚 trust in politicians. But social trust 鈥� our trust in the people around us 鈥� matters too.听The evidence from must countries is that social trust has been falling in recent decades. But the countries of Scandinavia have bucked that trend. Indeed, in Denmark, the survey evidence suggests that social trust has听risen听since 1979 by 30 percentage points.

So what鈥檚 going on? What factors shape social trust? What can policymakers do to promote social trust? And has Covid shifted any of the long-term trends?

Speakers:

Resources:

43.听Why did Argentina invade the Malvinas/Falklands in 1982?

24 February 2022听

This week we are looking at the Malvinas/Falklands War. Why did it happen? And what does it tell us about how dictators decide whether to launch military action?

The fortieth anniversary of the Malvinas/Falklands War of 1982 is coming up in just a few weeks鈥� time. There will no doubt be many retrospectives, which, here in the UK, will focus on the actions of the British government, and whether the UK鈥檚 response would be different if anything similar took place today.

But what about Argentine perspectives on the war? Why did the then Argentine government invade the islands? How was the conflict perceived in Argentina at the time, and how is it seen today? In understanding the thinking of Argentina鈥檚 rulers in 1982, can we gain insights into the calculations of authoritarian leaders who might be contemplating military action today 鈥� not least, of course, President Vladimir Putin of Russia?

Speakers:

Resources:

42. The Pedagogy of Politics听

10 February 2022听

This week we are looking at the pedagogy of politics. What can research tell us about the diverse ways in which we can teach about politics?

How should we teach about politics? How 鈥� if at all 鈥� should teaching politics be different from teaching hard sciences, such as physics, or arts and humanities subjects, such as History or English, or indeed other social sciences, such as Economics or Sociology? The territory of politics is inherently contested, so should we embrace that contestation in our teaching or should we stick to known facts?

These and many other questions are explored by a new centre within the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science called the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Centre for the Pedagogy of Politics.听

Speakers:

Resources:

41.听Freeing Bureaucrats to Succeed

03 February 2022听

This week we are looking at how to deliver effective public services. And also: How can academic research make a difference?

How can you best deliver effective public services? Is it better to exert top-down control over the work of bureaucrats on the ground 鈥� through targets, monitoring, and prescribed procedures 鈥� so that slacking or corruption or inconsistency can be prevented? Or can more be achieved if you free up bureaucrats to work out their own approaches, utilizing their practical knowledge and allowing their desire to do a good job to flourish?

Speakers:

Resources:

40 | Taking Offence听

28 January 2022听

It鈥檚 sometimes said that we鈥檙e living through an epidemic of taking offence. We have become hyper-sensitive, the story goes, to any slight against our sense of self-worth. And a generation of so-called 鈥榮nowflakes鈥� are told they just need to relax a little.听

But what does it actually mean to take offence? How does feeling offended fit in alongside all the other emotions that our social interactions might invoke, such as anger, indignation, or contempt? Is taking offence really such a bad thing 鈥� or might it, at least in some circumstances, actually have positive value?

Well the person who has thought about such questions more deeply than anyone else is听Dr Emily McTernan, Associate Professor in Political Theory in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science. Emily is currently finishing a book to be published by Oxford University Press called听On Taking Offence, and last year a version of the first chapter was published in听听in one of the top political philosophy journals.

Speakers:

39 |听Intermarriage and Voting in Africa

20 January 2022听

This week we are looking at ethnic voting in Africa. What is it? What are its effects? And how are increasing rates of intermarriage changing it? Ethnic voting means voting on the basis of ethnic identity, rather than, say, policy preferences or how well or badly you think the incumbents have governed.听

Ethnic and other forms of communal voting are found in many parts of the world 鈥� think, for example, of very different voting patterns between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. But ethnic voting is often thought particularly to be a feature of politics in many African countries.听And such voting is also often seen as rather problematic for healthy democracy, because it can shield those in power from accountability if they govern poorly.

Speakers:

Resources:

38 | Governments and Private Sector Suppliers

13 January 2022

Our first episode of season 5 looks at relationships between governments and private sector suppliers. Why do they exist? What forms do they take? And how well do they work?

Now, no one would claim that the subject of contracts between governments and private sector suppliers is all that sexy. But the last two years of the Covid crisis have certainly revealed its importance. In the earliest weeks of the pandemic back in 2020, governments around the world scrambled to secure enough PPE, hospital ventilators, and Covid tests. Then there was the race to buy up vaccines. In recent weeks, shortages of testing kits have been back in the headlines. Here in the UK, vaccine purchasing is held up as exemplary, while contracting for PPE remains mired in allegations of cronyism.

But controversies over government contracting are far from new. Debates about the merits 鈥� or otherwise 鈥� of the contracting out of public services and of public鈥損rivate partnerships have been running for decades. And scandals over nepotism and revolving doors between the public and private sectors have been familiar for a lot longer than that. On the other hand, of course, many would say that close cooperation between governments and private sector suppliers has brought innumerable benefits.

Speakers:

Resources:

37 |听Public Preferences on Taxes and Spending

16 December 2021

This week we are looking at public preferences on taxes and spending. What do people want? Indeed, do people have clear preferences at all?

Few issues in public policy are as important as the size of the state. How much should the state spend? How much, therefore, should it raise in taxes? And what exactly should it spend this money on?

In a democracy, we expect policymakers to be responsive to public opinion in answering such questions. But what do the public actually want? Indeed, to what extent do most of us even have meaningful preferences that take account of unavoidable trade-offs between different priorities?

Such questions have long challenged political scientists. But a new paper just published by three colleagues here in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science offers a new approach to measuring such preferences, and some intriguing answers on what people want. You can read the paper '' .

Speakers:

36 |听Online Public Shaming: Social Media, Ethics and Punishment

09 December 2021

This week we are taking a deep dive into online public shaming. Is shaming ever ethical? What are the consequences of public shaming? And how does OPS deprive an individual of due process?

Today we鈥檙e looking at a brand new article,听,听by听Guy Aitchison (Loughborough University) and Dr Saladin Meckled-Garcia (UCL).听

Online Public Shaming (OPS) is a form of norm enforcement that involves collectively imposing reputational costs on a person for having a certain kind of moral character. OPS actions aim to disqualify her from public discussion and certain normal human relations. In the article, the authors argue that this constitutes an informal collective punishment that it is presumptively wrong to impose (or seek to impose) on others. OPS functions as a form of ostracism that fails to show equal basic respect to its targets. Additionally, in seeking to mobilise unconstrained collective power with potentially serious punitive consequences, OPS is incompatible with due process values.

Speakers:

35 |听Legacies of Armed Conflict in Northern Ireland

02 December 2021

This week we are looking at legacies of armed conflict in Northern Ireland. How are punishment attacks today connected to the violence of the past?

Northern Ireland experienced three decades of violence from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. Thousands of people were killed, injured, or bereaved. The so-called Troubles were brought to an end by the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement of 1998, an accord between the British and Irish governments and most of the main political parties in Northern Ireland that established new governing arrangements for Northern Ireland within the UK and set out how Northern Ireland might in future leave the UK and become part of a united Ireland, if majorities both north and south of the border wanted it.

In many ways, the 1998 Agreement is a model peace settlement. Power-sharing government sputters, but survives. Everyday lives have been transformed. Violence between the communities has almost ended. Yet many legacies of the past live on. Today, we are focusing on one of those 鈥� namely,听violence听within听communities, and, in particular, punishment attacks meted out by paramilitary groups against people whom they accuse of criminal or anti-social behaviour.

What explains the persistence of such attacks? And does that carry lessons for peace-building processes elsewhere?听

Speakers

34 |听COP26 in Review: Reflections on Glasgow

25 November 2021

Today we鈥檙e taking a retrospective look at the outcomes of the COP-26 conference that was held in Glasgow earlier this month.听COP 鈥� or Conference of听the Parties 鈥� is the annual UN climate change conference. A key aim of the conference was to听鈥榢eep 1.5掳C alive鈥� 鈥� but was enough progress made on cutting emissions to reach this goal? Have rich countries stepped up to the plate by agreeing to pay for loss and damage in poorer countries? And, are we making progress fast enough?

Speakers:

听33 | Regulating the Internet

18 November 2021

This week we are looking at regulation of the internet. How much of it is needed, and what form should it take?

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen argues that her former employer persistently puts profit above prevention of harm. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg himself argues that greater regulation of internet companies is needed 鈥� that rules for what is and isn鈥檛 allowed should be made through democratic means. And the UK 鈥� among other countries 鈥� is in the process of preparing legislation with just that goal.

So what exactly are the problems that the current wild west of the worldwide web gives rise to? What principles should guide any new legislation? And where do those principles take us in terms of concrete policy?

Speakers:

32 |听Analysing Politicians鈥� Words

04 November 2021

Today our focus is on what politicians say 鈥� and on processes for analysing what politicians say. Politicians鈥� speech is, of course, a fundamental part of politics.听We can think of it as a product of 鈥� and therefore a window into 鈥� deeper political forces.听And in itself it also helps to听constitute听the political realm and how we think of all the parts of that realm.听

Analysis of what politicians say 鈥� and, indeed, of what others say, but we鈥檙e focusing today on politicians 鈥� is a tool that many political scientists use to explore a whole range of different aspects of politics. Many approaches are used in doing so. And these include increasingly sophisticated techniques for analysing vast bodies of speech systematically.听

Speakers:

31 | The Global Politics of Climate Change

28 October 2021

This week we are looking at the global politics of climate change in advance of the upcoming COP26 conference.

COP stands for Conference of听the Parties, and is the annual UN climate change conference. The conference will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 鈥� a treaty that came into force in 1994. More than 190 world leaders are expected to arrive in Scotland. Together with tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens for twelve days of talks.听

Among academics, campaigners, environmentalists and policymakers, COP26 is seen as a critical event: it's听the moment at which countries must set out more ambitious goals for climate action five years on from the Paris Agreement. It also comes on the back of even more severe extreme weather events, evidence of rising global CO2 emissions, and continued biodiversity loss.听Under the Paris Agreement, countries committed to bring forward national plans setting out how much they would reduce their emissions - known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or 鈥楴DCs鈥�. They agreed that every five years they would come back with an updated plan that would reflect their highest possible ambition at that time.听

Speakers:

Resources:

30 |听Prison Protests in Palestine

21 October 2021听

Today we鈥檙e looking at听protest by prisoners. Some of the most famous cases of protest politics involve protests by prisoners.听

  • Think of hunger striking suffragettes in early-twentieth-century Britain.
  • Think of the dirty protest among republican prisoners in Belfast in the late 1970s, and then the hunger strikes there in 1981.
  • Indeed, just two weeks ago on this podcast we were discussing Alex Navalny, Russian opposition leader, who remains influential despite being behind bars.
  • Prison protests may be invisible to the outside world, but they can nevertheless resonate widely.

And in this episode, we're exploring another case 鈥� the case of Palestinian prisoners 鈥� in particular, of Palestinians who are in prison in jails in Israel. We are joined by听Dr Julie Norman, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations here in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science, whose book,听The Palestinian Prisoners Movement: Disobedience and Resistance,听came out over the summer, and听, Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham.听

Speakers:

Resources:

29听|听How Has Covid Affected Voter Preferences

14 October 2021

In this episode we are looking at a new piece of research -听

This paper focusses on some important questions around covid.听How do emotions and particularly anxiety, shape or influence voters preferences?听How does anxiety resulting from this unforeseen external force, covid, or manufactured for political听gain, influence democratic politics and elections?听Are voters inherently risk averse during periods of uncertainty?听And how did covid听induce a flight to听safety听among voters?

Speakers:

Resources:

28听|听Alexei Navalny and the Future of Russian Politics

07 October 2021

In this, our first episode of the new academic year, we鈥檙e looking at politics in Russia. Alexei Navalny 鈥� who hit the headlines around the world last year by surviving an attempt to assassinate him by lacing his underpants with Novichok, and who now languishes in prison 100km east of Moscow 鈥� is Russia鈥檚 best known opposition leader. Indeed, a new book about Navalny鈥檚 life and activism describes him as 鈥榯he main political counterforce in the country鈥� and 鈥榠ts second most important politician鈥�.听

So who is Alexei Navalny? What does his current predicament say about the state of Russian politics? And what chance is there that he 鈥� or anyone else 鈥� might be able to lead Russia towards a more democratic future?

Our host听Professor Alan Renwick听is joined by one of the new book鈥檚 authors听Dr Ben Noble, Associate Professor in Russian Politics at UCL鈥檚 School of Slavonic and East European Studies, and听Dr Katerina Tertychnaya, Lecturer in Comparative Politics in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science and expert on Russian politics, who is now leading a major research project on 鈥楴on-Violent Repression in Electoral Autocracies鈥�.

Speakers:

Resources:

  • Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future?听Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet, and Ben Noble
    • : use the code NAVALNY25 for 25% discount.
    • : use the code ADISTA5 for 30% discount.

听27 |听Should the Civil Service Be Neutral?

17 June 2021

In this our final episode for the current academic year, we鈥檙e going to tackle one of the biggest questions of political science: How do you run an effective government? In particular, how do you build a bureaucracy that鈥檚 able to deliver? Is it better to have neutral civil servants, who are appointed on merit and retain their posts whichever parties are in power? Or should we prefer a politicized bureaucracy, whose members are appointed at least in part for their loyalty to the politicians in charge, and who come and go with their political masters?

Speakers:

26 | The Principles of Education Policy

10 June 2021

Many of the most important policy decisions that a state can make relate to education. What kind of education should children receive? How far should parents be able to dictate that choice? Is it acceptable to have schools that instruct pupils in a particular religious faith? Should elite private schools be allowed to exist? Given that such schools do exist, can socially progressive parents send their children there with a clean conscience?

Our guest today has been exploring these and many other related questions for decades. Adam Swift is Professor of Political Theory here in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science.听He starts with the basic principles of political theory. And from these he draws out key implications for policy-makers and for parents.

Speakers:

Resources

25 | Deciding Northern Ireland's Future

03 June 2021

The future of the Union here in the UK 鈥� that is, the union of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland 鈥� is very much in the news. In Scotland, many opinion polls over the past year (though not so much over the last few months) have suggested majority support for independence, and political parties that want another referendum on the issue secured a majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament elections last month. In Wales, support for independence seems to have grown, though still at a far lower level. And in Northern Ireland too, there has been a rise in talk of a referendum 鈥� a referendum, that is, on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom or become part of a united Ireland.

In this episode we鈥檙e going to focus on Northern Ireland. If there were a referendum on the constitutional question there, how would it best be designed and conducted? Who would get to vote? What would the question on the ballot paper be? Would there need to be a referendum in the Republic of Ireland as well? Who would work out designs for a united Ireland? Would they do so before a referendum, or only afterwards, in the event that the vote went in favour of unification?

Speakers

  • Host:听Dr Alan Renwick
  • Professor Katy Hayward听
  • Dr David Kenny听
  • Dr Etain Tannam

Resources

24 | Does the UK Still Have a Political Constitution?

27 May 2021

Most countries have a document call the Constitution 鈥� a legal text setting out basic principles of how that country is governed. And in most of those countries there鈥檚 a constitutional court (or supreme court) that determines whether the ordinary laws passed by the legislature are compatible with the Constitution and that strikes them down if it concludes they are not.听The UK, famously, has no such capital C Constitution 鈥� no codified rulebook. And the courts here in the UK can鈥檛 (at least formally) strike down laws on the basis that they contravene higher law.听

So what kind of constitution do we have? Well, it鈥檚 often said that, in contrast to the听legal听constitutions found in many other countries, the UK has a听political听constitution 鈥� a constitution whose norms are enforced in the realm of politics rather than in the realm of law.听But many think that the UK鈥檚 political constitution is today under threat, with potentially serious consequences for the polity鈥檚 ability to serve all those who live within it.听

So today we ask the question, 鈥楧oes the UK still have a political constitution?鈥� And to do so, we鈥檙e joined by one of the leading experts on constitutional theory, Professor Richard Bellamy. Richard, who is Professor of Political Science here in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science, is the author of ten monographs 鈥� the most relevant of which to our conversation today is听, published by Cambridge University Press.

Speakers

Resources

23 | The Ethics of Violent Protest

20 May 2021听

The coming week sees the first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His killing by a white police officer in the American city of Minneapolis, sparked a global wave of protests. The vast majority of these were peaceful. But some were not. It鈥檚 estimated that, in the United States, acts of rioting, arson, and looting in the weeks that followed caused over a billion dollars-worth of damage 鈥� the highest recorded damage from civil disorder in US history.

So can such violent protests ever be justified? Much public and political opinion says no. Here in the UK, even last year鈥檚 toppling of the inanimate statue of a seventeenth-century slave trader was condemned across much of the political spectrum.

But one of our colleagues here at the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science argues differently. Dr Avia Pasternak, who is Associate Professor in Political Theory here, argues that, sometimes, violent protests are morally justified.

Speakers:

Resources:

22 | Fostering Norms for Dispute Resolution

13 May 2021

Alexandra Hartman is Associate Professor in Political Science and Public Policy here at UCL, and her research focuses on the political economy of institutions in fragile states. She looks not just at听formal听political institutions such as courts or legislatures, but also at what we political scientists like to call informal institutions 鈥� the unwritten structures of norms and established practices that people follow in their interactions with each other. Such informal institutions can be crucial in shaping how society operates. And Alex examines whether policymakers can intervene to nudge them in directions that might lead to better outcomes.

In particular,听听鈥� recently published in the听Journal of Politics听and co-authored with Robert Blair from Brown University and Christopher Blattman from the University of Chicago 鈥� looks at ways of resolving land disputes in Liberia. It鈥檚 fair to say that the results are mixed. And they help us think both about the kinds of policy mechanisms that might be effective鈥攂oth in Liberia and elsewhere鈥攁nd about how we can measure that effectiveness so that we can seek to identify the best policies for the future.

Speakers:

Resources:

21 | Biden's First 100 Days

06 May 2021听

This week, we鈥檙e focusing on politics in the United States. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been in office for a little over 100 days now. So how is it going?听

Has Biden been sleepy Joe? Has he pursued the path of moderation and coalition-building that has characterized so much of his long career? Or has he turned out much more of a radical than many expected? What role is being performed by Vice President Harris? How, meanwhile, have Republicans responded to their defeat? And just want is Donald Trump up to now that he is out of office and banned from Twitter?

Speakers:

听

20 | Ideas of Democracy

25听March听2021听

Democracy is what one social scientist once famously called an 鈥榚ssentially contested concept鈥� 鈥� one that we are never likely all to agree about. And disagreements over the form that democracy should take have lately sparked major political conflicts in many democratic countries. How far were politicians in the UK obliged to follow the so-called 鈥榳ill of the people鈥� as expressed in the Brexit referendum of 2016? Can the strongman democracy pursued by leaders in Hungary, India, and Brazil be called 鈥榙emocracy鈥� at all? And what should we make of contemporary arguments in favour of bringing more public deliberation into our democratic processes?

Questions such as these have prompted a new research project recently launched by听UCL鈥檚 Constitution Unit, called Democracy in the UK after Brexit. Led by Dr Alan Renwick, working alongside Professors Meg Russell and Ben Lauderdale, the project will explore how people in the UK conceive of democracy and what kinds of democratic arrangement they prefer.听

Speakers:

19听| Global Climate Justice听

18听March听2021听

In this episode we focus on global climate justice. What is it? Are we anywhere near achieving it? And, if not, what changes are needed?

We鈥檙e returning this week to the topic of climate change. You may have heard our episode a few weeks ago exploring global climate governance. Well this week, we turn our attention to global climate justice. The climate crisis has been caused mostly by the rich countries of the old industrial world. But many of the effects of that crisis are being felt first and most harshly elsewhere 鈥� in countries that bear little responsibility and often lack the resources to adapt.听

So what would a just response to the climate challenge look like? How close have past rounds of negotiation come to that? And how are things looking for the COP26 climate summit taking place in Glasgow in November?

Speakers:

18听| The Prerogative Powers of Governments

11 March听2021听

We typically divide the modern state into three branches: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. On a traditional view, the legislature makes the laws, the executive implements them, and the judiciary decides on disputes.

In reality, in most states, the executive in fact plays a much bigger role than that. It not only executes the will of the legislature, but also shapes the policy agenda, develops legislative proposals, and conducts a great deal of foreign policy.

And on some matters the executive can act without the consent of the legislature 鈥� even, in some cases, against its explicit opposition. Here in the UK, such powers are called prerogative powers, and they have been pretty controversial in recent years 鈥� relating, for example, to the government鈥檚 ability to suspend sittings of parliament. And they raised eyebrows in the United States too, when, on his first day in office, President Biden reversed a whole series of Trump-era policies just by signing a set of executive orders.

So what such prerogative powers exist? How do they work? And, in the context of modern democracy, should they be subject to greater constraints?

Speakers:

17听| Business Lobbying in the EU

04 March听2021听

How the European Union relates to the world of business has long been a matter of great contention. Scepticism towards the EU on the right of politics has for decades been fuelled by the perception that Brussels is a bureaucratic regulation generator, with little understanding of how business operates. On the Eurosceptic left, by contrast, the EU has been seen as a capitalist club, in hock to big business, incapable of seeing the interests of ordinary people.

How has the relationship between business and the EU evolved over time? How does it vary from sector to sector? And what does it all mean for policy outcomes? A new book sheds much fresh light. Called听Business Lobbying in the European Union, the book is co-authored by UCL鈥檚 very own David Coen, along with Alexander Katsaitis from the London School of Economics and Matia Vannoni from King's College London.听

Speakers:

Resources:

16听| Global Climate Governance听

25 February听2021听

There is common agreement that climate change poses the greatest policy challenge of our age. The costs of getting it wrong would be immense, but the barriers to getting it right are dauntingly high. Action is needed on a global scale. But global politics is deeply fractured, and individual countries may be tempted to free ride on the actions of others.

So what are the global governance structures through which the world is attempting to address this challenge? Are they delivering, or do they need reform?

Speakers:

Resources:

15听|听The Politics of Asylum

11 February听2021听

The politics of asylum is more important than ever before. At the end of 2019, according to data from the UNHCR, there were 80 million displaced persons around the world. More than half of those were displaced within their own countries. But 25 million were refugees, and a further 4.2 million were seeking asylum in another country.听

So how do the countries that refugees and asylum-seekers flee to respond? And what determines the degree to which these countries adopt an open or a closed approach?

Well two of our colleagues here in the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Department of Political Science are seeking answers to such questions in their research.听

Speakers:

听

14听|听Care and Punishment

04 February听2021听

Care ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that focuses on how we relate to, respond to, and care for each other. Its central question is not about what abstract principles of justice we should follow, but rather about how we should respond to the needs of a given person in a particular set of circumstances.

It鈥檚 been around for several decades, but now one of our colleagues here at 新香港六合彩开奖结果has applied it to a setting that we might not think its natural home: the world of punishment. Dr Helen Brown Coverdale argues that looking at our practices of punishment through the lens of care gives us a new and valuable perspective on them.

So what would it mean to approach punishment through an ethic of care? And what counterarguments might there be to taking such an approach?

Speakers:

Resources:

13 |听The Limits of Free Speech on Social Media

28 January 2021听

Talking with each other about matters of politics and policy is an essential part of democracy. And today much of that conversation takes place online, through social media. The digital revolution has given voice to millions of people who previously had little chance to be heard beyond the dinner table or the pub or the local town hall. That has great benefits, opening up the democratic conversation to much wider participation. But it also has costs. Misinformation, hate speech, and words inciting violence can all rapidly spread.

That raises big questions about how speech online should be regulated. And if it should be regulated more, who should set and enforce the rules: the state, or the social media companies themselves?

Such events were cast in yet starker relief by events earlier this month in the United States. Is it right that Donald Trump was banned from Twitter? And that Parler 鈥� the alternative to Twitter that became popular on the far right 鈥� has been squeezed from the internet by service providers?

We explore all of this and more with Dr Jeffrey Howard, Associate Professor of Political Theory, New Generation Thinker, and Leverhulme Trust Research fellow.

Speakers:

12 | Trump's Legacy and the Biden Presidency

21 January 2021

Joe Biden is President, Kamala Harris is Vice-President, and Donald Trump is out of office. The Senate and the House are both controlled by Democrats. A dramatic power shift is (more or less) complete. But the process of getting there has been fraught, and potentially damaging for American democracy for years to come.

So what are the repercussions of the last few weeks 鈥� and indeed the last four years 鈥� likely to be? And what will the presidency of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris bring?

We explored such questions in November when the votes were still being counted. But so much has happened since then that we thought, in this inauguration week, we should reconvene our US politics expert panel and scan the horizon once again.

Speakers:

11听| Contentious Politics under Covid-19

14 January 2021

This week we focus on the political impact of Covid-19, and particularly the pandemic鈥檚 effects on so-called 鈥榗ontentious politics鈥� 鈥� politics conducted through confrontational means, whether protests, or strike actions or, indeed, insurrections.

What is the role of contentious politics in the political process as a whole? And how has the pandemic changed contentious politics around the world? Has the heightening of inequalities increased people鈥檚 willingness to protest? Or have social distancing measured stifled popular voice? Indeed, have those in power in some countries used the pandemic as a pretext for suppressing free speech and other civil liberties?

Speakers:

听

logo

Contact us