Democracy, power and governance

In this episode, George Miller talks to Professor Paul Spicker about some of the historical roots, moral foundations, and practical workings of different welfare systems.…Read more

Janos Mark Szakolczai, author of 'Onlife Criminology' shows how the Onlife blurs digital and physical boundaries, creating a hyperconnected world where surveillance, control, and resistance define everyday life and its hidden harms.…Read more

Lee Gregory, Vanessa Boon, and Dave Beck highlight how the UK’s consultation on the socioeconomic duty offers a key chance to tackle poverty through a legal, intersectional, and evidence-based approach.…Read more

Daniel Briggs, author of 'Sheltering Strangers', reflects that the word "refugee" brings to mind a decade of witnessing the profound, often lifelong trauma faced by displaced children—and the sobering realisation that while empathy is essential, it alone cannot heal their suffering.…Read more

Ash Stokoe and Kit Colliver argue that, amid intensifying anti-trans rhetoric and legal rollbacks, trans* people in the UK are increasingly excluded from public life, with voter ID laws and a recent Supreme Court ruling threatening both their political rights and everyday safety.…Read more

Maaike Matelski, author of 'Contested Civil Society in Myanmar', discusses how Myanmar’s military has politicised earthquake aid—blocking relief and repressing activists—while local responders act alone amid fading global support.…Read more

Salvador Santino Regilme, author of 'The United States and China in the Era of Global Transformation', argues that Trump’s tariffs mask a wealth shift from the poor to the rich, harming ordinary Americans while weakening the economy and global alliances. …Read more

Frédéric Ramel, author of 'Benevolence in International Relations', explores how benevolence matters in a fractured world by fostering empathy, mutual recognition, and solidarity across divides—offering a humane alternative to interest-driven power politics.…Read more

David Gordon Scott explores how penal abolitionists advocate a profound transformation of the criminal justice system, replacing its harm-inducing, punitive framework with an ethical, victim-focused approach centered on healing, safety, and meaningful accountability.…Read more

Peter Bloom, author of 'Capitalism Reloaded', argues that repression has evolved into a profitable industry driven by the Authoritarian–Financial Complex, where control, insecurity, and surveillance fuel economic growth.…Read more