Showing papers on "Politics published in 2018"

Exposure to opposing views on social media can increase political polarization

Abstract: There is mounting concern that social media sites contribute to political polarization by creating “echo chambers” that insulate people from opposing views about current events. We surveyed a large sample of Democrats and Republicans who visit Twitter at least three times each week about a range of social policy issues. One week later, we randomly assigned respondents to a treatment condition in which they were offered financial incentives to follow a Twitter bot for 1 month that exposed them to messages from those with opposing political ideologies (e.g., elected officials, opinion leaders, media organizations, and nonprofit groups). Respondents were resurveyed at the end of the month to measure the effect of this treatment, and at regular intervals throughout the study period to monitor treatment compliance. We find that Republicans who followed a liberal Twitter bot became substantially more conservative posttreatment. Democrats exhibited slight increases in liberal attitudes after following a conservative Twitter bot, although these effects are not statistically significant. Notwithstanding important limitations of our study, these findings have significant implications for the interdisciplinary literature on political polarization and the emerging field of computational social science.

Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity

Abstract: Lilliana Mason's Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity is easily the best book on American politics I have read in years. I mean this in two important ways. First, the book tackles what may be the most pressing question in politics: Why has the American public become increasing polarized? The answer—that the increasing overlap between identities changes the way that citizens see themselves and others—provides a clear understanding of polarization. But this is not only an important book, it is a good book. Mason constructs a careful argument, grounded in social psychology, and each chapter in the book builds sequentially on the previous ones. The result is a book that is more than the sum of the parts and represents a major advance in the field. I lost count of the number of times where Mason demonstrates a point that clearly articulated some previously unintelligible hunch I had about politics. There are few books that make this type of contribution to a vital question in the way that Uncivil Agreement does. Disciplines American Politics | Political Science | Political Theory | Social Psychology and Interaction | Sociology of Culture Comments This accepted book review is published as Peterson, D.A.M. Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity Lilliana Mason, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018, pp. 192. Doi: 10.1017/ S0008423919000076. Posted with permission. This book review is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/pols_pubs/61 Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity Lilliana Mason, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018, pp. 192. Review by David A.M. Peterson Lilliana Mason's Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity is easily the best book on American politics I have read in years. I mean this in two important ways. First, the book tackles what may be the most pressing question in politics: Why has the American public become increasing polarized? The answer—that the increasing overlap between identities changes the way that citizens see themselves and others—provides a clear understanding of polarization. But this is not only an important book, it is a good book. Mason constructs a careful argument, grounded in social psychology, and each chapter in the book builds sequentially on the previous ones. The result is a book that is more than the sum of the parts and represents a major advance in the field. I lost count of the number of times where Mason demonstrates a point that clearly articulated some previously unintelligible hunch I had about politics. There are few books that make this type of contribution to a vital question in the way that Uncivil Agreement does. Democrats and Republicans have always been divided, and partisanship has always played a foundational role in shaping mass political behaviour. But something in American politics has changed. The differences between the parties no longer constitute a simple divide over the policies the government should pursue; instead, the disagreements have become more affectively charged. Partisans increasingly dislike members of the other party. Many Americans don't want their children to marry outside of party, choose to forge social connections with people who share their partisanship and will even choose to suffer individual losses if it means that someone from the other party suffers more. It is largely undeniable that something about partisanship or how partisanship matters has changed in ways that create serious concerns about the future of American politics. Mason provides a compelling explanation for how we got here. Her starting place is social-identity theory, as she argues that partisanship is best understood as a social identity. A significant aspect of this idea of partisanship is how we define ourselves: our identity stems from seeing how we fit in key social groups and how others are similar or different from us. Thinking of party as a social identity also explains why partisanship is more important for shaping political behaviour than, say, simple policy preferences. If a person's identity is at stake, he or she will have strong emotional reactions to political outcomes, aside from the gains or losses one might face from a political outcome and even if the stakes are low. As long as that person's side wins, that person gains some reward. This understanding of partisanship, however, is only the starting point for Mason. Party is not the only social identity we have; our faith, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, occupation and a host of other things also shape who we are. When one of these identities is salient, it is piece of our sense of self that helps define how we interpret and react to our social world. Mason's key insight is to recognize that because of the evolution of American politics, these other identities have frequently aligned with partisanship. Now when a person's partisan identity is engaged in something, many of that person's other identities are as well. This means that the pleasure from one side winning and the pain from one side losing are both amplified by other aspects of self-identity. As more Americans have sorted into parties that match their race, ideology and faith, more also hold openly hostile attitudes about people on the other side. This is a powerful argument that helps the reader understand the growth in affective polarization. What makes the book stand out is the ways in which the evidence for the argument incrementally builds throughout the book. After outlining her nuanced theory, Mason documents the increasing partisan sorting in the United States and the power of partisanship in shaping perceptions—and also how this sorting has also expanded. One of the more interesting results is that partisans who are socially sorted have more negative emotions about members of the other party, even when accounting for differences in policy preferences. The implication is that it is the sorting into different groups, and not actual disagreements over politics, that is creating much of the animosity. In many ways, the lesson here is that all politics is identity politics. Chapter 7 is probably my favourite chapter. In this final empirical chapter, Mason convincingly shows that the effects of partisan and social sorting go beyond just our thoughts and feelings about each other. Citizens whose identities are sorted are significantly more likely to be engaged in politics. To many, higher engagement and activism are generally considered normatively positive things. Mason points out, however, that much of this highly sorted activism is intended not to achieve a specific end but to express blind support for a particular side. The result is a reinforcing cycle where activism spurs more positive feelings about the group (and negative feelings about the other side), spurring more activism. In the final chapter of the book, Mason suggests several possible ways forward. Given the chapter's title—“Can We Fix It?”—I was fearful that the chapter would consist of a single word: no. Mason is, thankfully, not that pessimistic, but her discussion of the possibilities for greater contact between the parties, for finding shared goals or for changes to the parties and leaders did not seem persuasive. That lack of persuasiveness is the only thing that is even slightly unconvincing about her argument. Uncivil Agreement is a landmark book that helps the reader understand American politics. While the focus is on the United States, the logic of the argument provides a path forward for scholars of other countries as well. It is a book that will have a lasting effect on our understanding of political behaviour. Copyright: © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423919000076. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 September 2019

Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory : Explaining Stability and Change in Public Policymaking

Abstract: Punctuated-equilibrium theory seeks to explain a simple observation: political processes are generally characterized by stability and incrementalism, but occasionally they produce large-scale departures. Punctuated-equilibrium theory extends these observations by placing the policy process on a dual foundation of political institutions and boundedly rational decisionmaking. It emphasizes two related elements of the policy process: issue definition and agenda setting. The chapter examines punctuated-equilibrium theory and its foundations in the longitudinal study of political institutions and in political decisionmaking. It provides the punctuated-equilibrium theory to national budgeting and provide some recent evidence of punctuations and equilibria in US national government spending since World War II. The chapter shows how the theory has been generalized, including extensions to policymaking in US state and local governments as well as European national governments. It concludes with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this approach to understanding public policymaking.

Social media, political polarization, and political disinformation: a review of the scientific literature

Abstract: The following report is intended to provide an overview of the current state of the literature on the relationship between social media; political polarization; and political “disinformation,” a term used to encompass a wide range of types of information about politics found online, including “fake news,” rumors, deliberately factually incorrect information, inadvertently factually incorrect information, politically slanted information, and “hyperpartisan” news. The review of the literature is provided in six separate sections, each of which can be read individually but that cumulatively are intended to provide an overview of what is known — and unknown — about the relationship between social media, political polarization, and disinformation. The report concludes by identifying key gaps in our understanding of these phenomena and the data that are needed to address them.

How Democracies Die

Abstract: Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face todayDemocracies can die with a coup d'etat - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the election of an authoritarian leader, the abuse of governmental power and the complete repression of opposition. All three steps are being taken around the world - not least with the election of Donald Trump - and we must all understand how we can stop them.In How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt draw insightful lessons from across history - from the rule of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile to the quiet undermining of Turkey's constitutional system by President Recip Erdogan - to shine a light on regime breakdown across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Notably they point to the dangers of an authoritarian leader faced with a major crisis. Based on years of research, they present a deep understanding of how and why democracies die; an alarming analysis of how democracy is being subverted today in the US and beyond; and a guide for maintaining and repairing a threatened democracy, for governments, political parties and individuals. History doesn't repeat itself. But we can protect our democracy by learning its lessons, before it's too late.

Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration

Abstract: Two of Locke's most mature and influential political writings and three brilliant interpretive essays have been combined here in one volume. Among the most influential writings in the history of Western political thought, John Locke's "Two Treatises of Government" and "A Letter Concerning Toleration" remain vital to political debates more than three centuries after they were written. The complete texts are accompanied by interpretive essays by three prominent Locke scholars. Ian Shapiro's introduction places Locke's political writings in historical and biographical context. John Dunn explores both the intellectual context in which Locke wrote the "Two Treatises of Government" and "A Letter Concerning Toleration" and the major interpretive controversies surrounding their meaning. Ruth Grant offers a comprehensive discussion of Locke's views on women and the family, and Shapiro contributes an essay on the democratic elements of Locke's political theory. Taken together, the texts and essays in this volume offer insights into the history of ideas and the enduring influence of Locke's political thought.

Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challenges in cellular agriculture

Abstract: Background Cultured meat forms part of the emerging field of cellular agriculture. Still an early stage field it seeks to deliver products traditionally made through livestock rearing in novel forms that require no, or significantly reduced, animal involvement. Key examples include cultured meat, milk, egg white and leather. Here, we focus upon cultured meat and its technical, socio-political and regulatory challenges and opportunities. Scope and approach The paper reports the thinking of an interdisciplinary team, all of whom have been active in the field for a number of years. It draws heavily upon the published literature, as well as our own professional experience. This includes ongoing laboratory work to produce cultured meat and over seventy interviews with experts in the area conducted in the social science work. Key findings and conclusions Cultured meat is a promising, but early stage, technology with key technical challenges including cell source, culture media, mimicking the in-vivo myogenesis environment, animal-derived and synthetic materials, and bioprocessing for commercial-scale production. Analysis of the social context has too readily been reduced to ethics and consumer acceptance, and whilst these are key issues, the importance of the political and institutional forms a cultured meat industry might take must also be recognised, and how ambiguities shape any emergent regulatory system.

Making carbon pricing work for citizens

Abstract: The gap between actual carbon prices and those required to achieve ambitious climate change mitigation could be closed by enhancing the public acceptability of carbon pricing through appropriate use of the revenues raised. In this Perspective, we synthesize findings regarding the optimal use of carbon revenues from both traditional economic analyses and studies in behavioural and political science that are focused on public acceptability. We then compare real-world carbon pricing regimes with theoretical insights on distributional fairness, revenue salience, political trust and policy stability. We argue that traditional economic lessons on efficiency and equity are subsidiary to the primary challenge of garnering greater political acceptability and make recommendations for enhancing political support through appropriate revenue uses in different economic and political circumstances. Ambitious carbon pricing reform is needed to meet climate targets. This Perspective argues that effective revenue recycling schemes should prioritize behavioural considerations that are aimed at achieving greater political acceptance.

Polarization and the Global Crisis of Democracy: Common Patterns, Dynamics, and Pernicious Consequences for Democratic Polities:

Abstract: This article argues that a common pattern and set of dynamics characterizes severe political and societal polarization in different contexts around the world, with pernicious consequences for democ...

Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration

Abstract: The European Union (EU) is facing one of the rockiest periods in its existence. At no time in its history has it looked so economically fragile, so insecure about how to protect its borders, so divided over how to tackle the crisis of legitimacy facing its institutions, and so under assault by Eurosceptic parties. The unprecedented levels of integration in recent decades have led to increased public contestation, yet at the same the EU is more reliant on public support for its continued legitimacy than ever before. This book examines the role of public opinion in the European integration process. It develops a novel theory of public opinion that stresses the deep interconnectedness between people’s views about European and national politics. It suggests that public opinion cannot simply be characterized as either Eurosceptic or not, but rather that it consists of different types. This is important because these types coincide with fundamentally different views about the way the EU should be reformed and which policy priorities should be pursued. These types also have very different consequences for behaviour in elections and referendums. Euroscepticism is such a diverse phenomenon because the Eurozone crisis has exacerbated the structural imbalances within the EU. As the economic and political fates of member states have diverged, people’s experiences with and evaluations of the EU and national political systems have also grown further apart. The heterogeneity in public preferences that this book has uncovered makes a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing Euroscepticism unlikely to be successful.

Political Discourse on Social Media: Echo Chambers, Gatekeepers, and the Price of Bipartisanship

Abstract: Echo chambers, i.e., situations where one is exposed only to opinions that agree with their own, are an increasing concern for the political discourse in many democratic countries. This paper studies the phenomenon of political echo chambers on social media. We identify the two components in the phenomenon: the opinion that is shared, and the »chamber» (i.e., the social network) that allows the opinion to »echo» (i.e., be re-shared in the network) -- and examine closely at how these two components interact. We define a production and consumption measure for social-media users, which captures the political leaning of the content shared and received by them. By comparing the two, we find that Twitter users are, to a large degree, exposed to political opinions that agree with their own. We also find that users who try to bridge the echo chambers, by sharing content with diverse leaning, have to pay a »price of bipartisanship» in terms of their network centrality and content appreciation. In addition, we study the role of »gatekeepers,» users who consume content with diverse leaning but produce partisan content (with a single-sided leaning), in the formation of echo chambers. Finally, we apply these findings to the task of predicting partisans and gatekeepers from social and content features. While partisan users turn out relatively easy to identify, gatekeepers prove to be more challenging.

Populism as an Expression of Political Communication Content and Style: A New Perspective.

Abstract: In this article, the introduction to a special International Journal of Press/Politics (IJPP) issue on populism, we articulate and define populism as a communication phenomenon. We provide an overview of populist political communication research and its current foci. We offer a framework for ongoing research and set the boundary conditions for a new generation of research on populist political communication, with an aim to push the research agendas and design toward a more interactive, systematic, and in particular, comparative approach to the study of populist political communication.

For a Left Populism

Abstract: Populism, today, is the expression of a crisis of liberal-democratic politics. It is more than an ideology or a political regime. It is a way of doing politics that can take various forms but emerges when one aims at building a new subject of collective action - the people. In this new book the leading political thinker Chantal Mouffe proposes a new way to define left populism. The political is to be constructed by establishing a political frontier that divides society into two camps, mobilising an "underdog" against "those in power". Populism, far from being a perversion of democracy, constitutes the most adequate political force to recover and reconstitute itself. This new politics must recognise its partisan character. This presents itself as more than the image of demagoguery and emotive rabbles seen across our media. Furthermore, it is an urgent struggle, because the future will be formed by the kind of populism that emerges victorious from the conflict against the current threats of post-politics and post-democracy.

Emancipatory rural politics: confronting authoritarian populism

Abstract: A new political moment is underway. Although there are significant differences in how this is constituted in different places, one manifestation of the new moment is the rise of distinct forms of a...

Journalism beyond democracy: A new look into journalistic roles in political and everyday life:

Abstract: Journalism researchers have tended to study journalistic roles from within a Western framework oriented toward the media’s contribution to democracy and citizenship. In so doing, journalism scholarship often failed to account for the realities in non-democratic and non-Western contexts, as well as for forms of journalism beyond political news. Based on the framework of discursive institutionalism, we conceptualize journalistic roles as discursive constructions of journalism’s identity and place in society. These roles have sedimented in journalism’s institutional norms and practices and are subject to discursive (re)creation, (re)interpretation, appropriation, and contestation. We argue that journalists exercise important roles in two domains: political life and everyday life. For the domain of political life, we identify 18 roles addressing six essential needs of political life: informational-instructive, analytical-deliberative, critical-monitorial, advocative-radical, developmental-educative, and colla...

When Knowledge Is Power: Three Models of Change in International Organizations

Abstract: Do governments seeking to collaborate in such international organizations as the United Nations and the World Bank ever learn to improve the performance of those organizations? Can international organizations be improved by a deliberate institutional design that reflects lessons learned in peacekeeping, the protection of human rights, and environmentally sound economic development? In this incisive work, Ernst Haas examines these and other issues to delineate the conditions under which organizations change their methods for defining problems. Haas contends that international organizations change most effectively when they are able to redefine the causes underlying the problems to be addressed. He shows that such self-reflection is possible when the expert-generated knowledge about the problems can be made to mesh with the interests of hegemonic coalitions of member governments. But usually efforts to change organizations begin as adaptive practices that owe little to a systematic questioning of past behavior. Often organizations adapt and survive without fully satisfying most of their members, as has been the case with the United Nations since 1970. "When Knowledge Is Power" is a wide-ranging work that will elicit interest from political scientists, organization theorists, bureaucrats, and students of management and international administration.

Transition versus transformation: What’s the difference?

Abstract: ‘Transition’ and ‘transformation’ have become buzzwords in political and scientific discourses. They signal the need for large-scale changes to achieve a sustainable society. We compare how they are applied and interpreted in scientific literatures to explore whether they are distinct concepts and provide complementary insights. Transition and transformation are not mutually exclusive; they provide nuanced perspectives on how to describe, interpret and support desirable radical and non-linear societal change. Their differences may partially result from their etymological origins, but they largely stem from the different research communities concerned with either transition or transformation. Our review shows how the respective approaches and perspectives on understanding and interpreting system change can enrich each other.

Colonial Lives of Property: Law, Land, and Racial Regimes of Ownership

Abstract: In Colonial Lives of Property Brenna Bhandar examines how modern property law contributes to the formation of racial subjects in settler colonies and to the development of racial capitalism. Examining both historical cases and ongoing processes of settler colonialism in Canada, Australia, and Israel and Palestine, Bhandar shows how the colonial appropriation of indigenous lands depends upon ideologies of European racial superiority as well as upon legal narratives that equate civilized life with English concepts of property. In this way, property law legitimates and rationalizes settler colonial practices while it racializes those deemed unfit to own property. The solution to these enduring racial and economic inequities, Bhandar demonstrates, requires developing a new political imaginary of property in which freedom is connected to shared practices of use and community rather than individual possession.

Discourse on the origin and foundations of inequality among men

Abstract: Foreword PART I: INTRODUCTION: THE LIFE AND THOUGHT OF JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU Rousseau's Beginnings: The Road to the Second Discourse The Origins of Political Authority Before Rousseau Rousseau's Bombshell: The Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality The State of Nature The Steps to Society The Invention of Property Anthropology, Psychology, and Evolutionary Biology Rousseau and Gender Reception of the Second Discourse 'Citizen of Geneva': The Dedication Rousseau's Later Life and Legacy Rousseau and the French Revolution The Social Contract and Its Paradoxes PART II: DISCOURSE ON THE ORIGIN AND FOUNDATIONS OF INEQUALITY AMONG MEN BY JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU, CITIZEN OF GENEVA Dedication Preface Notice about the Notes First Part Second Part Rousseau's Notes PART III: RELATED DOCUMENTS Politics Drawn from Holy Scripture, 1709 Jacques-Benigne Bossuet Leviathan, 1651 Thomas Hobbes On the Duty of Man and Citizen, 1673 Samuel Pufendorf Two Treaties of Government, 1690 John Locke Discourse on the Nature of Animals, 1753 George-Louis Leclerc Buffon Of the Social Contract, 1762 Jean-Jacques Rousseau Eulogies to Rousseau, 1790s Maximilien Robespierre Principles of Politics, 1810 Benjamin Constant Appendixes A Jean-Jacques Rousseau Chronology (1712-1794) Questions for Consideration Selected Bibliography Index

The Parties in Our Heads: Misperceptions about Party Composition and Their Consequences

Abstract: We document a large and consequential bias in how Americans perceive the major political parties: people tend to considerably overestimate the extent to which party supporters belong to party-stere...

How social media facilitates political protest: information, motivation and social networks

Abstract: It is often claimed that social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are profoundly shaping political participation, especially when it comes to protest behavior. Whether or not this is the case, the analysis of “Big Data” generated by social media usage offers unprecedented opportunities to observe complex, dynamic effects associated with large‐scale collective action and social movements. In this article, we summarize evidence from studies of protest movements in the United States, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine demonstrating that: (1) Social media platforms facilitate the exchange of information that is vital to the coordination of protest activities, such as news about transportation, turnout, police presence, violence, medical services, and legal support; (2) in addition, social media platforms facilitate the exchange of emotional and motivational contents in support of and opposition to protest activity, including messages emphasizing anger, social identification, group efficacy, and concerns about fairness, justice, and deprivation as well as explicitly ideological themes; and (3) structural characteristics of online social networks, which may differ as a function of political ideology, have important implications for information exposure and the success or failure of organizational efforts. Next, we issue a brief call for future research on a topic that is understudied but fundamental to appreciating the role of social media in facilitating political participation, namely friendship. In closing, we liken the situation confronted by researchers who are harvesting vast quantities of social media data to that of systems biologists in the early days of genome sequencing.

Ecological civilization: Interpreting the Chinese past, projecting the global future

Abstract: Ecological civilization (shengtai wenming ) has been written into China’s constitution as the ideological framework for the country’s environmental policies, laws and education. It is also increasingly presented not only as a response to environmental degradation in China, but as a vision for our global future. In this article, scholars from the disciplines of media science, anthropology and sinology analyse media representations of eco-civilization in order to explore which values and visions this highly profiled state project actually entails. The article argues that eco-civilization is best understood as a sociotechnical imaginary in which cultural and moral virtues constitute key components that are inseparable from the more well-known technological, judicial, and political goals. The imaginary of eco-civilization seeks to construct a sense of cultural and national continuity, and to place China at the center of the world by invoking its civilization’s more than 2000 years of traditional philosophical heritage as a part of the solution for the planet’s future. It is constructed as a new kind of Communist Party led utopia in which market economy and consumption continue to grow, and where technology and science have solved the basic problems of pollution and environmental degradation. Download : Download high-res image (6KB) Download : Download full-size image

National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy

Abstract: A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR A crucial new guide to one of the most urgent political phenomena of our time: the rise of national populism Across the West, there is a rising tide of people who feel excluded, alienated from mainstream politics, and increasingly hostile towards minorities, immigrants and neo-liberal economics. Many of these voters are turning to national populist movements, which have begun to change the face of Western liberal democracy, from the United States to France, Austria to the UK. This radical turn, we are told, is a last howl of rage from an aging electorate on the verge of extinction. Their leaders are fascistic and their politics anti-democratic; their existence a side-show to liberal democracy. But this version of events, as Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin show, could not be further from the truth. Written by two of the foremost experts on fascism and the rise of national populism, this lucid and deeply-researched book is a vital guide to our transformed political landscape. Challenging conventional wisdoms, Eatwell and Goodwin make a compelling case for serious, respectful engagement with the supporters and ideas of national populism - not least because it is a tide that won't be stemmed anytime soon.

The politics of accelerating low-carbon transitions: Towards a new research agenda

Abstract: Meeting the climate change targets in the Paris Agreement implies a substantial and rapid acceleration of low-carbon transitions. Combining insights from political science, policy analysis and socio-technical transition studies, this paper addresses the politics of deliberate acceleration by taking stock of emerging examples, mobilizing relevant theoretical approaches, and articulating a new research agenda. Going beyond routine appeals for more ‘political will’, it organises ideas and examples under three themes: 1) the role of coalitions in supporting and hindering acceleration; 2) the role of feedbacks, through which policies may shape actor preferences which, in turn, create stronger policies; and 3) the role of broader contexts (political economies, institutions, cultural norms, and technical systems) in creating more (or less) favourable conditions for deliberate acceleration. We discuss the importance of each theme, briefly review previous research and articulate new research questions. Our concluding section discusses the current and potential future relationship between transitions theory and political science.

A Nation In Waiting : Indonesia's Search For Stability

Abstract: Adam Schwarz's highly acclaimed and best-selling "A Nation in Waiting" brings the story of contemporary Indonesia right up to date, covering the collapse of the economy, the fall of Suharto, the series of brief subsequent presidencies and the challenges facing the nation in the run-up to the 2004 elections. "A Naton in Waiting" lifts the veil on the Indonesia of the 1980s and 1990s and spans a wide variety of contemporary issues to offer a detailed and thought-provoking glimpse of one of the world's least-understood nations. Using a wealth of first-hand information, Adam Schwarz gives life to the heated debates on economic policy, corruption and the controversial role of ethnic Chinese Indonesians. He analyzes the political demands of Indonesia's Muslim community, the mishandled incorporation of East Timor, the debate on human rights and the dilemma facing the Indonesian military as it struggles to redefine its role.

Measuring Populist Attitudes on Three Dimensions

Abstract: Theoretically, populism has been conceptualized as a political ideology with three sub-dimensions: anti-elitism attitudes, a preference for popular sovereignty, and a belief in the homogeneity and virtuousness of the people. However, empirical research to date has treated populist attitudes as a unidimensional construct. To address this issue, we propose to conceptualize populist attitudes as a latent higher-order construct with three distinct first-order dimensions. A 12-item inventory was developed using two survey studies conducted in Switzerland in 2014 and 2015. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the construct validity of this measure of populist attitudes. The measurement that is proposed allows for a fine-grained study of populist attitudes in the general public.

Electoral competition in Europe's new tripolar political space: Class voting for the left, centre-right and radical right

Abstract: The rise of the radical right fundamentally changes the face of electoral competition in Western Europe. Bipolar competition is becoming tripolar, as the two dominant party poles of the twentieth century – the left and the centre‐right – are challenged by a third pole of the radical right. Between 2000 and 2015, the radical right has secured more than 12 per cent of the vote in over ten Western European countries. This article shows how electoral competition between the three party poles plays out at the micro level of social classes. It presents a model of class voting that distinguishes between classes that are a party's preserve, classes that are contested strongholds of two parties and classes over which there is an open competition. Using seven rounds of the European Social Survey, it shows that sociocultural professionals form the party preserve of the left, and large employers and managers the preserve of the centre‐right. However, the radical right competes with the centre‐right for the votes of small business owners, and it challenges the left over its working‐class stronghold. These two contested strongholds attest to the co‐existence of old and new patterns of class voting. Old patterns are structured by an economic conflict: Production workers vote for the left and small business owners for the centre‐right based on their economic attitudes. In contrast, new patterns are linked to the rise of the radical right and structured by a cultural conflict.

On Karl Marx

Abstract: This study of Marx serves not only as an excellent introduction to that most influential of "worldly philosophers" but is also a significant resume of the central issues of Bloch's own profound and wide-ranging thought. Special attention is given to the political maturation of the young Karl Marx and to his studies and intellectual relationship to important thinkers of his time. Bloch concludes with an insightful summons to the West to consider Marx anew as a thinker still vitally relevant to contemporary social issues, and not merely as the father of a sovietized political system.