UCL - School of Public Policy / Political Science

29/09/2026

The 2026 US midterms promise to be of momentous importance. What is at stake? What are the critical dynamics shaping high-profile races? And what could the outcomes mean for the future of American politics — and democracy?

Continued Republican control of the House and Senate could open the floodgates for Donald Trump without any need to worry about future elections, while Democrats nabbing control of Congress could lead to a slew of investigations and stymie the president’s agenda.

Our expert panel for Policy & Practice seminar will examine the above questions. We look forward to welcoming Katie Pruszynski (Independent Political Analyst), Laurel Rapp (Chatham House), Andy Rudalevige (Bowdoin College), and chair Thomas Gift (UCL).

The event is free. Please register here: https://bit.ly/4hZWG6G

22/09/2026

A new study of 18 Latin American countries looking at four categories of state violence and asked, “does it matter, to public opinion, which kind of violence a government uses?”. The answer is it matters enormously. Among the victims of crime, higher rates of state killing were associated with higher rather than lower presidential trust, while state imprisonment and result in condemnation. The study’s authors examine the psychology behind these findings and explores implications for democracy.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/239363bz

22/09/2026

Earlier this year, following a major escalation between the US, Israel, and Iran, the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz sparked a global economic crisis. Despite a fragile truce, the region remains volatile, reactivating older conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Amid the ongoing conflict, a key question emerges: what would it take to bring peace to the Middle East? Our expert panel will consider this question, reflecting on the role of international mediation efforts, geopolitics, regional alliances, political institutions, and economic relationships in the region.

We will welcome to the Policy & Practice Seminar Maryam Alemzadeh (Oxford), Sa’ed Atshan (Swarthmore), Alison Killing (Financial Times) and chair Anne Irfan (UCL).

The event is free. Register here: https://bit.ly/4y0c5bS

08/09/2026

Congratulations to all of our undergraduates graduating today!

To the ancient greeks, politics was the noble art of organizing communities to achieve justice and the good life. And so to be an expert in politics ultimately means not just understanding its dark side, but also to have a set of tools and insights that can help achieve a better governed, more sustainable, more just, and fair society.

As you go out into the world, we know that you are equipped with the tools you need to improve the world. Good luck! And keep in touch.

03/09/2026

We are happy to announce the first evening in our Policy & Practice seminar series in the upcoming academic year 2026/27.

Themed 'Europe at a Crossroads: The EU in a Changing World Order', our expert panel will explore the following questions and consider what the future may hold for Europe in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.

What comes next for the European Union in terms of security, cooperation, and defence? How can the bloc balance greater strategic sovereignty with shifting geopolitical alliances? What’s next for UK-EU relations ten years after the Brexit vote? And how has the rise of far-right populism across member states influenced the development and direction of the Union?

We look forward to welcoming Anand Menon (KCL), Alexandra Hall Hall (former British diplomat), Jill Rutter (IfG), Uta Staiger (UCL) and chair Michal Ovádek (UCL).

The event is free. Please register here: https://bit.ly/4wJmp6Z

28/08/2026

To what extend can news media impact electoral behaviour?

For her dissertation, Abigail Lindon (BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics) applied a difference-in-difference regression analysis to panel data collected by the British Election Study between 2019 and 2024. Her research argues that such impact is conditional within the context of a more diverse media landscape.

Read Abigail's contribution to the Student Experts Blog here: https://bit.ly/4zE0cKb

27/08/2026

Many congratulations to Dr Luis Schenoni! His book ‘Bringing War Back In. Victory, Defeat, and the State in Nineteenth-Century Latin America’, which Luis describes as a “piece of praise for historians”, has received the J. David Greenstone Award from the American Political Science Association, its fourth important award.

The formal announcement of the award will take place on 6 September 2026. Read more: https://tinyurl.com/y42frvvu

Dr Luis Schenoni has won the American Political Science Association's J. David Greenstone Award for his book ‘Bringing War Back In. Victory, Defeat, and the State in Nineteenth-Century Latin America'.

20/08/2026

Open justice is understood as the principle that courts should be accessible to all - but what does it mean in practice?

For her dissertation, Carolina Beresford (MA Human Rights) explored the lived experience of open justice in London’s magistrates’ courts. She takes the position that open justice can only be meaningfully realised when the lived experiences of public observers are taken into account. Her findings are based on 22 in-depth interviews with court watchers across London, complemented by insights from her own ethnographic court watching practice.

Read her article on SEBS: https://bit.ly/4ht6vK5

17/08/2026

Congratulations to Dr Marco Cappelluti!

Marco recently passed his viva after submitting his dissertation which examines how different forms of economic insecurity connect to far-right support. It is titled "Dimensions of Discontent: Essays on Economic Insecurity and Far-Right Support in Post-Financial Crisis Europe”.

Marco kindly took time to answer some questions about his thesis, what he enjoyed about the four years of working on it and the challenges he faced.

Read the short interview with Marco here: https://bit.ly/4x2wUn5

13/08/2026

How does Indian PM Narendra Modi use environmental discourse to legitimise the BJP's nationalist Hindutva ideology?

For her dissertation, Devi Sankhla (BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics) conducted critical discourse analysis of political speeches by Modi and found that his environmental rhetoric follows the populist narrative template of time: the past, present and future are connected and recounted in ways to build the populist leader's support.

Read Devi's article on the Student Experts Blog: https://bit.ly/4wuUQyt