Become a Patron! Party System Institutionalization and Democracy Political parties do not exist independently. They operate as a system or a network. Scott Mainwaring developed a term he calls party system institutionalization (PSI). A party system with high degrees of institutionalization encourages long-term party formation. On the other hand, weakly institutionalized party systems discourage the... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! The Nested Games of Brexit It's typical to talk about a political calculus, but less common to think about politics like calculus. A common misconception about politicians is they care about public opinion. This is a half-truth. They do care about what voters think, but they don't care about the totality of... Continue Reading →
Ashutosh Varshney is the Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Brown University, where he also directs the Center for Contemporary South Asia. His chapter "India’s Democratic Longevity and Its Troubled Trajectory" appears in the forthcoming book Democracy in Hard Places. Become a Patron! Nehru is... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! The BJP's Hindu Nationalism Interferes with India's International Relations The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power through an ideology of Hindu Nationalism. Hinduism is an Ancient religion with deep roots in India, however Hindu Nationalism is a more recent invention. It is a political ideology based on religious identity rather than... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! American Carnage Stops Right Here On January 20th, 2017, Donald Trump began his presidency with an unconventional speech at his inauguration. It was dark and gloomy rather than hopeful and optimistic. Among the most talked about lines caught most listeners off guard. Trump said, "This American carnage stops right here and stops... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Does Gun Control Save Lives? The United States House of Representatives passed new legislation to restrict the sale of firearms on Wednesday. The legislation is unlikely to pass in the Senate due to broad Republican opposition. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to work on bipartisan legislation. However, it's unlikely any legislation will receive... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Criminal Governance in Mexico Yesterday The New York Times highlighted a lack of medical doctors in rural Mexico due to ongoing criminal violence. It describes how "doctors are being kidnapped to tend to gang members wounded in battle" and how medical staff were killed "because they transported enemy cartel members to a hospital."... Continue Reading →
Evan Lieberman is a Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Director of the MIT Global Diversity Lab, and the faculty director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). He is the coauthor with Rorisang Lekalake of the recent article "South Africa's Resilient Democracy" in the Journal... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Russia Continues to Escalate Russian hypocrisy has no limits. They routinely warn the United States and Europe about steps that might escalate the conflict. Yet Russia continues to escalate the conflict with seeming impunity. Last Tuesday President Biden announced plans to provide Ukraine four HIMARS systems able to launch rockets a distance... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Saudi Arabia as an American Ally President Joe Biden plans to visit Saudi Arabia in a scheduled trip to Europe and Israel. Normally, the visit would come across as business as usual. Saudi Arabia has been a key American ally in the Middle East for decades. However, President Biden tried to take... Continue Reading →
