The Oxford University Politics Blog hosts special series on topics ranging from Scottish independence to violence and the state in central Africa, from constitutional issues to sociology.

Democracies under siege

This special series aims to shed light on the reasons for and consequences of the rise of far-right politics, the strongman qualities of far-right leaders, and the possible responses or defences of (militant) democracies.

VIEW

Politics and the Digital

“people are often willing to make drastic changes in the way they live to accord with technological innovation at the same time they would resist similar kinds of changes justified on political grounds”

VIEW

Politics at/from the Periphery

In politics, there are insiders and there are outsiders...

READ MORE

Ballot Box 2020: The US Election

Read More

COVID-19: Politics in a Pandemic

Read More

Technology and Global Affairs

The Centre for Technology and Global Affairs (CTGA) produces research on the transforming impact of modern technology on international relations, government, and society. Based at Oxford University’s Department of Politics and International Relations, it is the first global research initiative focusing on the study of technology in a political science department at any of the world’s major universities.

READ MORE

USA Decides 2016

This special blog series, USA Decides 2016, focuses on the intersection between election coverage and political science, bringing together insight from our academics and students on an election posing a range of contested questions. How is electoral data changing? Will more blue-collar voters drift to the GOP column? What does this election say about the power of political parties? Can the centre-left hold on to power in a year defined by populism?

READ MORE

Rethinking Public Assets

Building on workshops co-hosted by Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, the New Economics Foundation and Positive Money, the blog series aims to inform policy and public debate on the potential of public assets. This should shift political and public discourse beyond “public versus private” dichotomies to help identify innovative ways of financing the twenty-first century state.

READ MORE

Iain McLean: Reflections on a Career

Last year, Professor Iain McLean retired from his full-time position as Professor of Politics and Official Fellow of Nuffield College. Earlier this year, Iain’s former colleagues, students, friends and family gathered at a conference celebrating his career. These blog posts are selections from these presentations – forming a digital Festschrift.

READ MORE

Advances in Political Science Methods

Big data, computer science, experimental methods, and computational text analysis are part of an ever-growing range of methods embraced by political science. This new series, co-hosted by the Oxford University Politics Blog and the Oxford Q-Step Centre is all about “methods”. What advances have we seen in recent years? What can we learn today that we could not a decade ago? And, what is the future of methods in political science? Find out more in our Advances in Political Science Methods series.

READ MORE

Politike Series

A joint special series with Politike, a Brazilian website associated with the magazine CartaCapital.

VIEW

A Separate or United Kingdom

This blog series analyses the issues surrounding Scotland’s impending referendum on independence. The series attempts to shed light on why the referendum is taking place, the context and substance of the debate, and the implications of either a yes or no vote. The prospect of splitting up the British state after more than three-hundred years of voluntary union represents one of the most dramatic developments in the history of the United Kingdom.

READ MORE

Migration and Citizenship

Little is said about who is ‘the migrant’ and who is ‘a citizen’. For example, not all ‘migrants’ are subject to immigration controls, such as EU nationals, those with indefinite leave to remain and nationals returning from abroad. Indeed, policies directed at ‘migrants’ can have very real consequences for those with the formal status of citizenship. To widen the conversation, this blog series, hosted by the Oxford University Politics Blog and Oxford COMPAS, explores the relationship between migration, the ‘migrant’ and ‘citizenship’. It hopes to help us reflect on who counts as a migrant and will consider the impacts of immigration controls and associated policies on the meaning of citizenship.

READ MORE

Brexit

On 23rd January 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron made a speech that set out his vision for a renewed partnership between Britain and the European Union. Apart from a call for repatriating certain powers, the Prime Minister promised the British people an in-or-out referendum in 2017 should his party win the 2015 general election. Now, after the Conservative Party’s surprisingly won an absolute majority in the May ballot, Mr Cameron decided to fast track the referendum, which is now set for June 2016. The referendum raises many important questions for the United Kingdom. Will David Cameron be able to negotiate a “New Deal” for his country before June 2016? How will his diplomacy affect Britain’s relationship with its European partners? Is a referendum of this kind democratic? And, what would a British exit from the EU—a “Brexit”—look like?

READ MORE

The Great Charter Convention

This year is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Following the independence referendum in Scotland, calls for a constitutional convention are widespread and growing. The Oxford University Politics Blog, together with OurKingdom, IPPR and the Department of Politics at the University of Southampton, are hosting the Great Charter Convention – an open, public debate on where arbitrary power lies in the UK today and how we should contest and contain it. What would a new Magna Carta say, and what could a new constitutional settlement for Britain look like?

READ MORE

Decision 2015

What were the predicted outcomes of the general election, and how can we accurately forecast the vote? What would a coalition government have looked like? How has Britain’s relationship with the European Union developed after May 2015? What is the future of party politics in Britain, and what constitutional issues will the new government face? The Oxford University Politics Blog's special series “Decision 2015” explores these questions with experts in the field.

READ MORE

Violence and the State in Central Africa

This series takes as its focus the complex and unusual dynamics of violence in Central Africa. Although sometimes unfairly written off as a region of intractable conflict, kleptocratic big men, and hopelessly poor levels of governance, many regional experts now argue that Central Africa is undergoing a period of profound transition. Are the ‘Illiberal Statebuilders’ of Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni heralds of a new period of robust and durable state formation? Or merely the newest generation of patrimonial caretakers for states in terminal decline? Is the defeat of the M23 mutiny in Eastern Congo the last rebellion, or just the latest? And how has their defeat reshaped the social and political map of the region? We wish to give space here to the emerging debates about the connections between violence and security, the economy, politics, conflict-resolution, gender dynamics, and local governance.

READ MORE

Between Independence & Re-centralisation

In 2014 the push for devolution became a major political issue. Scotland remains in the UK, but only after last minute bargaining devolved further powers to Holyrood. This has encouraged calls for more devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and for the formation of an English parliament. George Osborne’s Autumn Statement proves that Westminster is listening. Meanwhile, MPs and local governments want more powers entrusted to local authorities. Manchester is following Bristol’s lead in appointing a mayor. This Special Series focuses on the diverse angles to this debate by identifying and emphasising certain innovative and thought provoking case studies for the purpose of comparison.

READ MORE

Sociology of Citizenship

With the role of the nation-state in political, economic and social life undergoing a major transformation in most parts of the world, and scholars coming to terms with overlapping and multiple sovereignties, discussions on citizenship and empirically informed observations on forging and imagining the political community are more relevant than ever.

READ MORE
SHARE

Special Series