Summer of protest: Are we witnessing a turning point in Hong Kong politics?
By Denise Y. Ho As Hong Kong’s summer of discontent passes its tenth week of street protests, analysts agree on one key point: this is the biggest political crisis the city has seen since its reversion from British colony to Chinese Special Administrative Region...
Q+A: Will voting changes help bring more Kiwis to the ballot box?
Last month, the government announced proposals for how New Zealanders will go to the polls in 2020. The new legislation will allow voters to enrol on election day, make it easier for New Zealanders to vote from overseas, and could see ballots in public places like...
Taking issue: Is social media good or bad for democracy?
We asked three academics to address the question of whether social media is democratising or eroding democracy. Great democratic potential It’s tempting to dodge this question by arguing technologies don’t determine our politics, or equivocating with a...
What is free speech? ▶
Banned books, defamation suits, de-platformed public figures, alt-righters without a venue: is there a crisis of free speech in New Zealand? And what exactly is free speech: a necessary guarantee of democracy or a misused threat to the common good? On September 10,...
Blood on the floor: How did politics become so uncivil?
By Naomi Lai From Donald Trump’s Twitter rants to the infamous behaviour of former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, how did politics become so uncivil? From imitating a disabled reporter, to name-calling and insulting other world leaders via Twitter, the list of Donald...
Q+A: Can immigration lead to greater democracy?
Can immigration lead to greater democratisation in the world? It depends where the migrants go says, Margaret Peters. Maria Armoudian spoke with Peters, author of Trading Barriers: Immigration and the Remaking of Globalization, about her new research into the impact...
Q+A: Does democracy have a dark side?
Democracy, the idea of governing of, for and by the people, is a long-exhausted principle, particularly in places like the United States and New Zealand. However, Michael Mann suggests that democracy may also have a dark side. Mann suggests that majorities can and do...
After Mugabe, who will hold power in Zimbabwe?
By David B. Moore David B. Moore previews the Zimbabwe general election as the African nation looks forward to life without Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF hope a credible victory in the July 30 election will legitimise...
Q+A: How do we solve incivility in society?
Politics in places like the US has become increasingly hostile and uncivil, say scholars. Language often vilifies citizens and lawmakers. But people overwhelmingly dislike the incivility and have expressed shame at its effect on policy debates. What are the effects of...Subscribe by Email
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