New Books in Political Science

Why are young men leaning right while young women shift left? Hosts Nina dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones speak with NYU’s Scott Galloway, political analyst Sophie Stowers, and commentator Oliver Dean to explore the forces behind this growing divide.Whether it’s a broken social contract where young people no longer believe they will lead better, more prosperous lives than their parents or the work of algorithms that feed off rage and division, the implications are profound.This podcast was recorded live at NYU London, in front of an audience of students who are part of a generation searching for increasingly radical solutions to fix society.GuestsScott Galloway is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business where he teaches Brand Strategy and Digital Marketing to second-year MBA students. He is also a Bestselling author, professor and entrepreneur.Sophie Stowers - A Research Associate at UK in a Changing Europe. Her background is in British and European politics, and her research focuses on UK-EU relations, British politics and parties, and public opinion. She previously worked as a Parliamentary Assistant.Oliver Dean a political commentator with Young Voices UK. He studies History and Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science where he is the Treasurer of the LSE Hayek Society.Producer: Pearse LynchExecutive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Jeffrey Kopstein, Dean's Professor at UC Irvine, and Stephen Hanson, Letty Pate Evans Professor at William and Mary, dive into the rise of right-wing movements globally. They discuss how leaders erode public trust and substitute rational governance with personal loyalty, drawing on Max Weber's patrimonialism. The duo explores conspiracy theories and the 'deep state' narratives that fuel these ideologies. They also highlight the frightening blend of libertarianism and Christian nationalism that supports strongman rule, urging vigilance against the erosion of modern governance.

Caitlin Killian, a Professor of Sociology, joins her fellow experts Nancy Hiemstra, a political geographer, and Jaya Keaney, a Gender Studies lecturer, to discuss the changing landscape of reproduction rights in a post-Roe v. Wade world. They explore the rising maternal mortality rates and the complex interplay of race, gender, and immigration in reproductive health. The guests emphasize a reproductive justice framework, highlighting the political and cultural factors affecting access to reproductive services, including the impact on queer and multiracial families.

The recent coronavirus pandemic proved that the time-old notion seems now truer than ever: that science and politics represent a clash of cultures. But why should scientists simply “stick to the facts” and leave politics to the politicians when the world seems to be falling down around us?Drawing on his experience as both a research scientist and an expert advisor at the centre of government, Ian Boyd takes an empirical approach to examining the current state of the relationship between science and politics. He argues that the way politicians and scientists work together today results in a science that is on tap for ideological (mis)use, and governance that fails to serve humanity’s most fundamental needs. Justice is unlikely―perhaps impossible―while science is not a fully integrated part of the systems for collective decision-making across society.In Science and Politics (Polity, 2024), Boyd presents an impassioned argument for a series of conceptual and structural innovations that could resolve this fundamental tension, revealing how a radical intermingling of these (apparently contradictory) professions might provide the world with better politics and better science.Professor Sir Ian Boyd is currently a professor at the University of St Andrews and Chair of the UK Research Integrity Office. He was Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government on Food and the Environment (2012-2019). He is a marine and polar scientist and previously served as the first Director of the Scottish Oceans Institute at St AndrewsMorteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Russell Blackford, a philosopher and legal scholar from the University of Newcastle, delves into the complexities of liberalism in his latest work. He explores the historical evolution of toleration and its challenges, particularly how liberal principles are often undermined in today’s society. The discussion covers the impact of rising right-wing populism, campus debates on academic freedom, and tensions between individual liberty and critiques of religion. Blackford argues for the preservation of liberal ideals while addressing the pressing need for post-liberal alternatives.

Randy Laist, a Professor of English, and Brian Dixon, co-editor of "Figures of Freedom: Representations of Agency in a Time of Crisis," dive deep into the evolving concept of freedom in contemporary society. They explore how narratives, from popular TV shows like 'Survivor' to the Toy Story franchise, shape our understanding of agency. The discussion touches on the dichotomy of freedom and liberty, the impact of technology on personal freedoms, and how cultural representations influence our perceptions amidst rising authoritarianism. A thought-provoking look at freedom's complex reality!

The starting point of this book is the 'civil war' of ideas that broke out during the early 2010s about the purpose and even the desirability of the European Union as a polity, with a number of right-wing populist formations openly advocating for exiting the Union. The sovereign debt crisis triggered a spiral of ideological decommunalization: national leaders seemed to have lost that sense of 'togetherness' and mutual bonds that had been laboriously developed over decades of integration. Politics and Social Visions: Ideology, Conflict, and Solidarity in the EU (Oxford UP, 2024) explores this politically disruptive process from an ideational perspective, on the assumption that symbols and visions play a crucial role. In processes of polity formation, ideologies offer competing partisan views, but tend to converge along the 'communal' dimension, which defines the nature and boundaries of the emerging polity. This convergence has been a challenge for the EU since its origins, as it has required the construction of a coherent and acceptable image of Europe as a compound polity of nation-states with a divisive past. Maurizio Ferrera offers a reconstruction of how the main ideological currents have struggled - and often failed - to reconfigure their horizontal profiles (i.e. their images of the national within Europe) into a new vertical profile (i.e. an image of the European within the national). The challenge has been especially demanding for European left-wing parties, which have been largely unable to forge a shared and recognizable 'social vision' of the European Union. Only during the COVID pandemic have the seeds of a novel communal consensus emerged that might prove capable of defeating the anti-communal views of Eurosceptic ideologies and free market technocrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Hosts Nina dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones analyze the global fallout after Donald Trump plunged America and the world into a trade war with China. David Rennie, The Economist’s geopolitics editor and former Beijing and Washington D.C. bureau chief, joins the podcast to unpack how Xi Jinping is playing the long game and playing to win.In this episode, we explore Xi’s high-stakes strategy in the global trade war. From embracing economic pain to fostering innovation under autocracy, China is challenging Western dominance on every front. However, as the controversy over British Steel demonstrates, Beijing’s drive to exert control often at the expense of freedoms abroad—risks alienating future partners.In the second half, activist Chloe Chung shares her personal story of falling afoul of the Chinese authorities. A pro-democracy campaigner, Chloe awoke in December to news that police in Hong Kong had issued a HK$1 million ($128,000; £102,000) bounty for information leading to her capture abroad.With democracy under pressure, this is more than just a trade war—it’s a battle for the future of the global order.Producer: Pearse LynchExecutive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Marcus Kreuzer, a Political Science Professor at Villanova University, discusses his book, which synthesizes interpretive and positivist research designs in Comparative Historical Analysis (CHA). He explores the concept of the 'grammar of time,' emphasizing its importance in understanding context and historical methodology. Kreuzer advocates for bridging methodologies to enhance political analysis and critiques traditional methods. His enthusiasm for teaching complex concepts reflects his commitment to making research more accessible for students, fostering a renewed appreciation for CHA.

After being sworn in as the 47th president, President Donald Trump quickly altered American government – and political discourse. He issued a slew of executive orders that affected how American government functions and he spoke about officers of the government, federal agencies, executive power, the press, the Constitution, and the rule of law in ways that surprised citizens, journalists, and many scholars. Postscript has devoted three podcasts to how professional historians have assessed Trump’s actions. Today, we look at how political scientists understand the second Trump presidency and how they have organized to amplify their concerns. Over 1200 trained political scientists signed a statement that lays out alarming changes to American government – and today’s podcast features the incoming president of the American Political Science Association, Dr. Susan Stokes, to discuss the statement and what it means for so many political scientists to sign it. With her forthcoming book, The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies (Princeton University Press), Sue Stokes is the perfect person to assess democratic erosion and autocracy. Our conversation provides insights into the state of American politics, resources for people who want to oppose democratic erosion, and particular suggestions for teachers – and sneak peak into her new book.Dr. Susan Stokes is the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor of political science and Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy at The University of Chicago. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is co-director of Bright Line Watch, a group of political scientists who monitor democratic practices, their resilience, and potential threats. Dr. Stokes has spent her career unpacking how democracy functions in developing societies, distributive politics, and comparative political behavior. Her books include Brokers, Voters, and Clientelism: The Puzzle of Distributive Politics (Cambridge, 2013), and Why Bother? Rethinking Participation in Elections and Protests, co-authored with S. Erdem Aytaç (Cambridge, 2019).Mentioned: Statement signed by over 1200 political scientists (closed for signatures) Bright Line Watch: political scientists monitor democratic practices, resilience, and potential threats APSA “take action” suggestions (really helpful if you are calling or writing your leaders) APSA public statements and letters Nancy Bermeo, “On Democratic Backsliding,” Journal of Democracy (2016) Timothy Snyder, On Freedom (2024) and On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017) Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, Tyranny of the Minority: How to Reverse an Authoritarian Turn, and Force a Democracy for All (2024), New Books Interview with Levitsky and Ziblatt by Karyne Messina Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, How Democracies Die (2018), New Books Interview with Daniel Ziblatt by Jenna Spinelle Brendan Nyhan’s work and commentary Democratic Erosion Consortium (nonpartisan effort with resources) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science