Democracy, power and governance

In this episode, Jess Miles speaks with Natasha Lindstaedt, author of 'Democratic Decay and Authoritarian Resurgence', about what has caused this breakdown of democracy, the impact COVID-19 is likely to have on a global scale and ways we can try and curb the threats to remaining democratic systems.…Read more

Mike Hough, author of 'Good Policing', assesses the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill, and questions the legitimacy of its provisions on public demonstrations and custodial sentencing.…Read more

Following the publication of the government’s Transforming public procurement Green Paper, which aims to speed up and simplify procurement processes, Mark Neild, senior lecturer at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, calls for a radical rethink of public service commissioning to reflect the public’s values, not economic value.…Read more

Stephen Wenham, Publisher for Politics and International Relations at Bristol University Press, recommends books that address some of the international issues that confront the new presidency.…Read more

Natasha Lindstaedt, author of 'Democratic Decay and Authoritarian Resurgence', explains how Republicans need to more forcefully condemn the violence of the January 6 riots and explain to Trump’s supporters that he lost the election fairly. …Read more

In this episode of the Transforming Society podcast we spoke to criminologist Mike Hough, Emeritus Professor in the School of Law at Birkbeck, University of London, about what the principles and practices of good policing are and how - for policing to work better - it needs to be based on legitimacy and trust.…Read more

Natasha Lindstaedt, author of 'Democratic Decay and Authoritarian Resurgence', explains why Trump’s refusal to concede is just the latest in his series of tactical moves to shift political culture towards authoritarianism. …Read more

Farhang Morady, author of ‘Contemporary Iran: Politics, Economy, Religion’, outlines the cumulative economic effects of sanctions, COVID-19 and government mismanagement on an already shattered economy, but draws hope from the imminent US elections and from regime change in Iran.…Read more

Is it the virus or politics that are out of control in the US? Launching his book ‘Spectacle and Trumpism’, Jacob C. Miller argues that it was consumerism that paved the way for the post-truth politics of Trumpism.…Read more

Presenting the first four titles in the Civil Society and Social Change book series, Paul Chaney outlines the potential of civil society to bring about social change through civic participation and civil engagement. …Read more