This episode features an interview with Tufts Professor Pearl Robinson, conducted by Anna Mwaba, assistant professor of government at Smith College, and Tumi Makgetla, senior lecturer in political studies at the University of Cape Town. Professor Pearl Robinson is a trailblazing scholar of African politics, former president of the African Studies Association, and a lifelong advocate for amplifying voices of African descent in the academy. Her career spans decades of fieldwork, institution-building, and engaged the African Continent and diaspora. In this episode, the first of a two-part conversation, they discuss the formative experiences that drew Professor Robinson to Political Science, from a transformative year in Bordeaux to two years in the Peace Corps in rural Niger, her influential mentors at Columbia, and her hard-won wisdom about navigating the profession.

For additional interview materials, see here: https://bit.ly/GLDep73

For a shortened version of the interview, please see the Spring 2026 APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4ljKUnq

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Professor Valerie Bunce is one of the most influential voices in comparative politics and international relations. Professor Bunce is the Aaron Binenkorb Professor of International Studies Emerita and Professor of Government at Cornell University, where she previously served as director of the Institute for European Studies. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2010, an author of several pivotal books, including Subversive Institutions: The Design and the Collapse of Socialism and the State, her research has significantly shaped our understanding of democratization, authoritarianism, and post-communist transitions.

See here for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview.

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Professor Barbara Geddes has fundamentally reshaped how political scientists understand authoritarian regimes, state capacity and institutional development. She is currently Professor Emerita of Political Science at UCLA. Born in 1944, she went back to school in her 30s, earning her BA (1978) and then PhD (1986) in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Widely recognized for her path-breaking theoretical contributions to our understanding of authoritarianism and democratization, she also has also influenced our thinking about research design in comparative politics. Over the course of her career, she has chaired more than 50 dissertations and served as a committee member for more than 50 additional advisees. In 2025, the Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association established the Barbara Geddes Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research, Teaching, and Graduate

Mentoring in her honor.

See here for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview.

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Professor Susan Rose Ackerman is one of the most influential scholars in the fields of law and political science; she is currently the Henry R. Luce Professor Emeritus of law and political science at Yale University. Born in 1942 in Mineola, New York, she began her career on a National Science Foundation fellowship, earning a PhD in Economics at Yale University in 1970. She worked for the Council of Economic Advisors in the Johnson and Nixon administrations, and she has held faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania (1969-1974), Columbia University (1982-1987) and Yale University (1974-1982, 1987-present). Her research has been foundational to the study of corruption, the democratic accountability of the executive branch, and administrative law. Her groundbreaking book Corruption and Government has been translated into 17 languages and won the Charles H. Levine Prize. She is the author of eight additional books on topics including corruption, environmental policy, bureaucracy, and comparative public law. Over the years, her research interests have evolved from a focus on the American context to a comparative perspective, including field research in Eastern and Western Europe, Germany, and France.

See these links for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview: http://bit.ly/4oLj98A

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This episode is the first in a special series in collaboration with Kate Baldwin at Yale University, featuring interviews with pioneering women who have left a lasting mark on political science.

In this episode we are joined by Margaret Levi, Professor Emerita of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford, as well as the Jere L. Bacharach Professor Emerita of International Studies at the University of Washington and one of political science’s most influential voices. 

Yale graduate students Siu Yu Lo, Victor Wu, and Fiona Kniaz interview Professor Levi about her remarkable journey from her early experiences with the Civil Rights Movement to her trailblazing scholarly contributions. 

Professor Levi discusses her transition from urban to comparative politics, reflected in her books Bureaucratic Insurgency and Of Rule and Revenue, one of the earliest major works of rational choice theory in comparative politics. Levi also reflects on her collaboration with economist Doug North and her evolution from Marxist theory to rational choice approaches, highlighting how political transaction costs became central to understanding politics and power.

Listen to learn how Professor Levi's research revolutionized comparative politics and influenced generations of scholars

ABRIDGED TRANSCRIPT, UNBRIDGED TRANSCRIPT AND GLOSSARY: bit.ly/4lFuV1r

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In this episode, we are joined by Ryan Knox, Souraya Hammoud, and Gunnar Andersson from SALAR International during the GLD-SALAR book launch event, featuring discussions around GLD’s recent edited volume, Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa edited by Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust.

The panel addressed the topic of decentralization and local governance through discussion of practical experiences from working in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere in the MENA Region. It focused on the strategic value of engaging in fostering decentralisation, local governance, and local sustainable development in the MENA Region.

Across different settings, these experiences showcase the continuous work of local officials, partners, and community members in building effective governance from the ground up.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/GLD0168

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Steve sheds light on how conventional measures of economic reform often miss the real story. While many Arab nations adopted neoliberal policies on paper, he demonstrates how "neo-patrimonial protectionism" allowed well-connected elites to preserve their advantages through informal mechanisms, like preferential procurement and insider access.

Through detailed case studies and quantitative evidence, Steve illuminates the critical gap between formal policy changes and practical implementation, challenging our understanding of economic reform and highlighting how social connections fundamentally shape who benefits from liberalization efforts in the region.

Steve argues that geopolitics and social connections between state and capital underpin the Arab world's uneven trade policies. Drawing on interviews, firm- and industry-level data, and evidence from Jordan to Morocco, Mirages of Reform reveals how international and domestic factors interact to shape the Arab world's rugged trade policy terrain. Insightful and well researched, this book imparts important lessons and warnings about the repercussions of economic reform in the region.

Full podcast transcript can be found: https://bit.ly/GLD0167

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This policy roundtable discussion was made possible through a grant project from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

In this episode, we delved into the intricate governance, economic and security issues confronting post-Assad Syria. Our panelists examined how the fragmented landscape of governance, worsening economic conditions, and environmental challenges impact various communities and locales. The conversation also highlighted the vital roles that local elites and international organizations play in shaping the future of Syria.

Guests: 

• Aziz Hallaj, Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT and Consultant on Urban Planning, Development and Local Governance 
• Ezra Karmel, Director of Proximity International
• Roundtable Facilitator: Marwa Shalaby, Assistant Professor, Departments of Gender and Women’s Studies and Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Moderator: Ellen Lust, Founder and Director of GLD, Professor at Cornell University and University of Gothenburg and Director of the Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell University

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION: https://bit.ly/GLD00166

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Governance Uncovered is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council.

In this episode, we discuss some of the research behind the new book Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa, edited by Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust, and supported by the Hicham Alaoui Foundation. Joining us are three contributing authors who explore critical aspects of decentralization in the MENA region.

Guests:

• Carolyn Barnett, Assistant Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy and the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona.
• Alexandra Blackman, Assistant Professor at the Department of Government, Cornell University.
• Steve Brooke, Aassociate Professor in Political Science and Faculty Director of Middle East Studies, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Book: Kao, K., & Lust, E. (2025). "Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa." University of Michigan Press. Get Open Access here!

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In this episode, we are joined by Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner to discuss her Cambridge Element, Claim-Making in Comparative Perspective: Everyday Citizenship Practice and Its Consequences, co-written with Janice Gallagher and Whitney Taylor. 

Gabi and Ellen explore how everyday claim-making strategies help citizens fulfill their rights. Gabi highlights that claim-making is often overlooked in political behavior studies, which usually focus on elections, mass protests, high court decisions, and legislative actions. This raises the question: What about the politics of the everyday? 

The Element and this interview address this question through research from Colombia, South Africa, India, and Mexico. Examples include families in Mexico seeking information about disappeared loved ones, citizens in rural India securing basic services like clean drinking water and education, and the fight for housing and healthcare rights in Colombia and South Africa. 

Despite different contexts, all these cases highlight the persistent, often mundane efforts of citizens engaging with bureaucrats and appointed officials to claim their rights. 

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This episode features interviews with Whitney Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University, and Janice Gallagher, Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University-Newark. Both have recent books on legal mobilization in Latin America. Whitney Taylor ‘s book, The Social Constitution: Embedding Social Rights Through Legal Mobilization, looks at Colombia's 1991 Constitution and how citizens use the 'Tutela' mechanism to claim rights.

In Bootstrap Justice: The Search for Mexico's Disappeared, Janice Gallagher explores how Mexican families of disappeared persons engage in 'bootstrap justice,' becoming self-taught investigators to fight impunity. Both conversations highlight grassroots efforts to embed legal rights and challenge power structures in complex political landscapes.

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In this episode, we have Shandana Khan Mohmand joining us. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, and an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives in Pakistan.

Shandana and host Ellen Lust discuss Shandana's book, Crafty Oligarchs, Savvy Voters: Democracy under Inequality in Rural Pakistan, which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019. The book explores political engagement in rural Pakistan, blending perspectives on clientelism and voting in the global South.  

Listen to hear Shandana share insights from her extensive research, the collaborative efforts behind the book, and the relationship between land, kinship, and electoral politics in Pakistan. 

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This is a bonus episode of Governance Uncovered that is shorter than usual but just as filled with fascinating insights on local governance research. 

Our guest is Hannah Early Bagdanov, a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. She is also a Doctoral Student Affiliate of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Klau Center for Civil & Human Rights. 

This episode will discuss Hannah's GLD working paper, "Social Norms and Sector-Level Engagement with the State: Evidence from East Jerusalem." 

Hannah's research highlights how historical events have shaped the unique status and social norms of East Jerusalemites, influencing their interactions with the Israeli state. 

We'll also explore how Palestinians in East Jerusalem navigate their engagement with various state services, driven by community social norms, and discuss the contemporary implications in light of ongoing conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank. 

So, tune in to learn more about the relationship between Palestinians and the Israeli state in East Jerusalem. 

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This podcast is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg and supported by the Swedish Research Council.

In today's episode, we have Prakash Bhattarai joining us. Prakash is the Executive Director at the Center for Social Change, a non-profit think-tank based in Kathmandu, Nepal, working on the changing socio-political dynamics of Nepalese society via research, education, advocacy, and community mobilization.

Host Ellen Lust and Prakash met to discuss quotas in Nepal at the local level, particularly quotas for women and the so-called lower castes, known as Dalits.

The discussion is based on Prakash's research that evaluates the impact of Nepal's 2015 constitution, which introduced a federal governance system with quotas to ensure women, Dalits, and other marginalized groups are represented in all levels of government. Prakash argues that constitutionally mandated quotas offer only surface-level representation and don't foster true diversity and inclusion. For genuine representation, marginalized groups need to be part of the decision-making bodies within political parties and civic organizations. Beyond political inclusion, social inclusion is crucial for broader democratic engagement.

LINKS:

Prakash Bhattarai: socialchange.org.np/team-members/

Center for Social Change: socialchange.org.np/

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Governance Uncovered is a podcast produced by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg. This podcast is supported by the Swedish Research Council.

EPISODE 59

We are happy to let you know that this is another podcast mashup, this time with the Middle East Law and Governance (MELG) podcast. MELG is a peer-reviewed journal for scholarly analysis on issues pertaining to governance and social, economic, and ideological transformation in the MENA region. On the MELG podcast, they talk to the journal's contributors about their work and current events in the region. The podcast is hosted by MELG advisory board member Ezra Karmel.

Ezra joined us in Gothenburg along with Christiana Parriera, Assistant Professor in the International Relations and Political Science Department at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and Intissar Kherigi, Research Associate at Sciences Po in Paris, and a visiting lecturer at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.

Together with host Ellen Lust, they delve into how decentralization has shaped the political landscapes of countries like Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. Listen to hear about the complex balance of power, the role of elites, and the ongoing challenges of governance reform across the region.

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In this episode, we focus on governance at a local level in the city where GLD is based - Gothenburg. We discuss the potential of sharing economies at the household level and the Gothenburg Proposal, an e-petition platform that enhances local democracy and citizen engagement. We also share the inspiring work of Swedish Development Partner Gothenburg, also known as "IM Gothenburg," and their contribution towards local integration in the city.

Interviews:

1. Divia Jiménez Encarnación from Chalmers University and Emma Öhrwall from Democracy and Citizen Services, City of Gothenburg, were interviewed by Erica Metheney (GLD). Paper discussed: Jiménez Encarnación, Divia; Metheney, Erica Ann; Thuvander, Liane; Kalmykova, Yuliya; and Rosado, Leonardo. (2024). “Revealing patterns in household product consumption and sharing: An approach to support urban governance towards a sustainable sharing economy,” Sustainable Production and Consumption, Volume 45, Pages 244-264, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.01.009
2. Åsa Aguayo Åkesson from Democracy and Citizen Services, City of Gothenburg, interviewed by Sara Bjurenvall (GLD). More information about the Gothenburg Proposal can be found here.
3. Saga Cambon from IM Gothenburg was interviewed by Ellen Lust (GLD). IM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsweden/

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In this episode, we are joined by GLD fellow Fernando Brancoli, who is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is also an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Fernando and host Ellen Lust discuss Fernando’s book Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right, published with Rutgers University Press in November 2023. The book looks at the rise of the far-right alliance that emerged in Brazil in 2020 around the figure of former president Jair Bolsonaro, exploring how Bolsonarismo has developed a specific political orientation through its partnerships with other groups, practices, and subjectivities within Brazil, as well as internationally.

Ellen and Fernando talk about how the rise of far-right movements and Bolsonarismo has impacted and continues to impact different types of local communities within Brazil. Fernando points to the interaction between transnational, national, and local influences when explaining Bolsonarismo and how local communities have organized themselves in response. He parallels former and current leaders like Victor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump and suggests that Bolsonaro can be considered an international nationalist who aimed to create alliances to keep international actors out of Brazil. He also gives examples of how indigenous communities have utilized both cross-community and transnational relations and created new platforms of engagement and governance to build resistance.

Discussions about this and much more will follow in the episode. We hope you find it interesting!

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Fernando Brancoli is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. He was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies (SPSS) in Princeton (2021-2023) and is currently an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, both in the US. Specializing in South-South relations, Brancoli's research delves into governance, security, and development. He conducted extensive fieldwork across three continents, exploring the interplay between local communities and transnational entities and their collective impact on governance. His publications include Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right (Rutgers University Press, 2023) and The Tropical Silk Road: The Future of China in South America (Stanford University Press, 2022).

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In this episode, we are joined by Egor Lazarev, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University. Egor and host Ellen Lust discuss Egor's book State-Building as Lawfare: Custom, Sharia, and State Law in Postwar Chechnya, which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. The book addresses two interrelated puzzles: why do local rulers tolerate and even promote non-state legal systems at the expense of state law, and why do some members of repressed ethnic minorities choose to resolve their everyday disputes using state legal systems instead of non-state alternatives? It documents how the rulers of Chechnya promote and reinvent customary law and Sharia in order to borrow legitimacy from tradition and religion, increase autonomy from the metropole, and accommodate communal authorities and former rebels. At the same time, the book shows how prolonged armed conflict disrupted the traditional social hierarchies and pushed some Chechen women to use state law, spurring state formation from below.

As Ellen and Egor discuss the book, they get into how Egor first became interested in working in Chechnya, and on issues of legal pluralism, individual-level decision-making, and whether Egor believes that the book's perspective on the state as fragmented, always including centers and peripheries, extends to other contexts than the one of Chechnya and Russia. 

Lazarev, Egor. (2023). State-Building as Lawfare: Custom, Sharia, and State Law in Postwar Chechnya, Cambridge University Press. Online ISBN:

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009245913

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In the 55th episode of Governance Uncovered, we sit down with Diana Greenwald to talk about her book "Mayors in the Middle - Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine," which will be published by Columbia University Press in May 2024.

Host Ellen Lust and Diana start by talking about what initially made Diana interested in Palestine and local governance in the West Bank.

They then discuss the book itself, considering the dynamics of local self-government in the Palestinian West Bank. Diana argues that the system of Israeli indirect rule, particularly its emphasis on local policing, and the political affiliations of Palestinian mayors shape their governance strategies and outcomes.

The episode ends with a discussion about how Diana's book might help us better understand the current levels of conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.

Greenwald, Diana, B. (2024). Mayors in the Middle: Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine. Columbia University Press. ISBN: 9780231213158.

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This episode of Governance Uncovered focuses on the Sudanese civil war. Our first guest Munzoul Assal, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Khartoum and the University of Bergen, gives us insight into Sudan's complex history. Then, we'll hear from Dr. Iman Ahmed, a global health specialist with a focus on migration and refugee studies. She discusses healthcare challenges faced by doctors in Sudan. Finally, Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani, Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies at McGill University, emphasizes the need for international attention to address humanitarian aid delivery challenges and political solutions in the crisis. The guests provide a comprehensive overview, highlighting the war's roots in political struggles and offering perspectives on healthcare issues and diaspora initiatives.

Links:

"A Love Letter to Sudan" - Interview with Professor Munzoul Assal by Åse Johanne Roti Dahl, communication adviser at CMI, May 2023. www.cmi.no/news/3137-a-love-letter-to-sudan

Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism: grfdt.com/

Sudan Doctor's Union: www.sdu-canada.ca/

Sudan Doctor's Union donations campaign link, established on Zeffy: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/fundraising/…-a5c5-0f67021c45aa

African Studies at McGill University: asdmcgill.com/

Doctors Without Borders Sudan: www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do…%20support.

"Sudan: How a tea-seller displaced by conflict led her family away from hunger." Article by Mohamed Elamin, World Food Programme, 2 August 2023.www.wfp.org/stories/sudan-how-t…ly-out-hungers-jaws

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Governance Uncovered is a podcast by the Governance and Lcoal Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg. This podcast is supported by the Swedish Research Council.

In this episode, we have Dalia Abdelhady, Associate Professor in Sociology at Lund University, joining us in a conversation on diasporas. 

We'll discuss how events back home, whether natural disasters or political crises affect diaspora communities and how they engage with their homelands. 

We are also joined by Hamza Ouhaichi, a board member of the Moroccan Association in Malmö, Sweden, and a PhD student in computer science at Malmö University. Hamza will talk about how they work with community support at the Moroccan Association in Malmö and their recent emergency response efforts after the devastating earthquake in Morocco.

Don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And without further ado, let's get into the episode!

References:

Abdelhady, D., & Aly, R. (Eds.) (2022). The Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429266102

Abdelhady, D. (2011). The Lebanese Diaspora: The Arab Immigrant Experience in New York, Montreal and Paris. New York University Press.

Abdelhady, D., & Aly, R. (2022). Coming to and coming from the Middle East: the unfolding of diaspora. In D. Abdelhady, & R. Aly (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas (pp. 1-19). Routledge.

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In today's episode, we are joined by Michael Wahman, Associate Professor at Michigan State University's Department of Political Science.

Host Ellen Lust and Michael discuss his book Controlling Territory, Controlling Voters, recently published by Oxford University Press. Michael's research leading up to this book, which spanned seven years, delves into the complex topic of electoral violence in Zambia and Malawi.

The interview delves into the concept of electoral violence, examining its manifestations and its broader impact on the electoral process. Michael's research highlights the significance of low-scale violence and the fear it instills among voters, especially women.

Furthermore, the interview explores the concept of geographically polarized electoral systems, a critical framework for understanding when and why electoral violence occurs. Michael explains how competition over territory, rather than individual voters, becomes a focal point in these systems, making election violence a tool for controlling space and shaping electoral outcomes.

Michael also provides some practical implications of his work, emphasizing the importance of taking low-scale violence seriously, working with domestic election observers, and finding local solutions to de-escalate election violence.

Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe if you liked the episode! And drop us a note on what you would like to hear next. We always like to hear from you!

Reference: Wahman, Michael. (2023). Controlling Territory, Controlling Voters: The Electoral Geography of African Campaign Violence. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780198872825

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This podcast is supported by the Swedish Research Council. 

In this episode, we're joined by Marika Sosnowski, a postdoctoral research fellow at Melbourne Law School. Marika and host Ellen Lust discuss Marika's new book Redefining Ceasefires: Wartime Order and State Building in Syria. The book challenges traditional notions of ceasefires and examines their effects on governance beyond just halting violence. 

Marika emphasizes the complexity of ceasefires in Syria, particularly in the context of local governance. She discusses the case of the 2016 nationwide ceasefire and how it affected governance dynamics in different areas in Syria. She mentions that while violence decreased overall, targeted assassinations of key governance figures increased, leading to unexpected consequences for local governance efforts. 

The conversation also explores the disconnect between international perspectives on ceasefires and the perspectives of those living in conflict zones. Marika suggests that a human-centered view of ceasefires, focused on the needs and goals of those directly affected, could yield different outcomes. 

Overall, the interview sheds light on the multifaceted nature of ceasefires, their impact on governance, and the importance of considering local perspectives and needs when analyzing their effects.

Mentioned work:

Sosnowski, Marika. (2023). Redefining Ceasefires: Wartime Order and Statebuilding in Syria. Cambridge University Press.

Sosnowski, Marika. (2023). "Fear and Violence, Loyalty and Treason: Settlement of Status in Syria." International Studies Quarterly. https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/router/5996379d-fdb6-4363-9389-2a9e5e6bc039

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In this episode, Oliver Harman, Cities Economist for the International Growth Centre's Cities that Work initiative based at Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and Riccardo Crescenzi, Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science, will be discussing their book "Harnessing Global Value Chains for Regional Development: How to Upgrade through Regional Policy, FDI, and Trade." They highlight the significance of considering global value chains at the regional level and the importance of coordination between different levels of government for effective policy implementation.

Next, we're joined by Rebecca Grace Tan, a Lecturer at the National University of Singapore, who delves into her research on Singaporean politics, migration, citizenship, multiculturalism, and nationalism. She explores how the Singaporean state navigates the challenge of cultural pluralism while cultivating a common national identity, particularly through their framework of multiracialism.

Selected Work: "Renegotiating Multiracialism: the grassroots integration of new migrants’ ethnic identities in Singapore," Asian Ethnicity.

"Defanging Public Discontent in an Authoritarian Regime: Grassroots Volunteering and Immigration in Singapore," Commonwealth and Comparative Politics.

Our final guest is Nick Kuipers, an assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. Nick discusses his study on civil service exams and their impact on representation in municipalities, as well as individuals' attitudes. He uncovers the unintended consequences of high-stakes exams, which exacerbate the representation gap between privileged and underprivileged groups. Nick also sheds light on how passing or failing these exams affects individuals' satisfaction, social cohesion, and national identification.

Selected Work: Forthcoming. "City Size and Public Service Access: Evidence From Brazil and Indonesia" (with A. Post). Perspectives on Politics.

Forthcoming. "Failing The Test: The Countervailing Attitudinal Effects of Civil Service Examinations," American Political Science Review.

This podcast is produced by the Governance and Local Development Institute, University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council.

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In this episode of Governance Uncovered, we focus on refugee migration and integration as we're approaching World Refugee Day, which falls each year on the 20th of June. World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to acknowledge the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. 

Joining us today is Daniel Masterson, from the University of California, who will talk about his recently published paper in the British Journal of Political Science: Dynamics of Refugee Return: Syrian Refugees and their Migrant Intention. In this paper, Daniel and his co-authors, Ala Alrababah, Marine Casalis, Dominik Hangartner, and Jeremy Weinstein, look at what makes Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon decide to return home. 

Then, we'll hear from Isabell Schierenbeck and Andrea Spehar from the University of Gothenburg. They have looked at street-level bureaucrats in and Syrian refugee interactions in Sweden, Jordan, and Turkey. They have a book in Swedish publish on this work, called Migration i välfärdsstaten: att implementera integrationspolitik, (English translation: Migration in the Welfare State: To Implement Integration Politics).

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In this episode, we'll focus on gender activism and women's political participation in three different countries. First, we'll talk to Minglu Chen about the current state of women's representation in politics in China; where some progress has been made in recent years, but Minglu now fears that the country is taking a step back. Minglu has extensively written on women's representation in China, and we are excited to have her share her insights with us.

Then, we'll hear Shirin Saeidi and Nermin Allam on how gender activism takes place in Iran and Egypt, how it has evolved during the past decade, and what progress has been made. They'll talk about how the September 2022 protests in Iran and the Egypt 2011 uprisings have affected how women engage in activism and are recognized by society.

Guests

Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer in Government and International Relations, and a Member of the China Center at the University of Sydney.

Mentioned research: “Innocent Young Girls": The Search for Female Provincial Leaders in China.

Shirin Saeidi, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas and Director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies.

Mentioned research: Women and the Islamic Republic: How Gendered Citizenship Conditions the Iranian State, Cambridge University Press 2022.

Nermin Allam, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University-Newark.

Mentioned research: Women and the Egyptian Revolution: Engagement and Activism during the 2011 Arab Uprisings, Cambridge University Press 2017.

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The episode responds to Jeffrey’s recent article in This Week in Africa, “Five Trends that will Shape Urban Africa in 2023,” which highlights:

• Innovative forms of affordable housing
• Gentrifying neighbourhoods
• Heightened focus on emerging cities
• Confronting flooding
• The impact of big tech

Prince Guma is a researcher of cities, infrastructures and technologies in eastern Africa. Astrid Haas is an independent urban economist supporting cities and has worked extensively with city governments across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. And Patience Mususa is senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala.

Books, Links, & Articles

• Young Feminists Network (YFN)
• “Five Trends that will Shape Urban Africa in 2023.” by Jeffrey Paller
• Politics and the Urban Frontier: Transformation and Divergence in Late Urbanizing East Africa by Tom Goodfellow
• Gizo-Gizo!: A Tale from the Zongo Lagoon by Emily Williamson
• Seeing Like a City by Ash Amin and Nigel Thrift
• Disrupted Urbanism: Situated Smart Initiatives in African Cities by Nancy Odendaal
• Fragments of the City: Making and Remaking Urban Worlds by Colin McFarlane
• Rethinking Smart Urbanism: City-Making and the Spread of Digital Infrastructures in Nairobi by Prince Karakire Gura

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In times of crisis, societies are forced to confront difficult challenges and make tough decisions. This episode delves into the complexities of crises, exploring different aspects of how they impact societies and the ways in which communities can recover and rebuild. Our first guest, Will Todman, discusses his research on how energy infrastructure is affected during conflicts. Next, we hear from Professor Rabia Polat, who shares her findings on Turkish local authorities' reception of Syrian refugees. The episode also includes a discussion on the recent earthquake in Turkey and the crisis response efforts that followed. Finally, Mohamad Alashmar brings a Syrian perspective to the table, discussing the impact of the earthquake on already fragile areas in Syria and exploring local initiatives and international aid. Together, these interviews and discussions provide a comprehensive look at crises and the complex road to recovery.

Guests

Will Todman, fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The mentioned report: Powering Recovery: Reform, Reconstruction, and Renewables in Conflict-Affected States in the Arab World

The mentioned project: Powering Recovery in the Middle East

Rabia Polat, professor at Isik University in Instanbul, Department of International Relations.

The mentioned research:

• Polat, R. K., & Lowndes, V. (2021). How does multi-level governance create capacity to address refugee needs, and with what limitations? An analysis of municipal responses to Syrian refugees in Istanbul. Journal of Refugee Studies, 35(1), 51–73. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feab101
• Lowndes, V., & Polat, R. K. (2020). How do local actors interpret, enact and contest policy? An analysis of local government responses to meeting the needs of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Local Government Studies, 48(3), 546–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2020.1825386

Mohamad Al-Ashmar, Ph.D. student and research fellow at the center for Syrian studies at the University of St Andrews, School of International relations.

Mohamad is also a part of MERNID, the Middle East Research Network on Internal Displacement and SARN-UK, Syrian Academics and Researchers Network - UK.

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We'll start by covering the political crisis in Tunisia since president Saeid seized absolute power in 2021. Mohammed Dhia Hammami, PhD student in Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, joined GLD's founding director Ellen Lust to discuss the low voter turnout after the first round of Tunisia's parliamentary elections in December 2022, as well as the country's high unemployment rates, and the general disappointment in president Saeid among Tunisians. Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on January 23, before the second round of parliamentary runoffs on January 29. 

When recording this, it's been about six weeks since the FIFA World Cup in Qatar ended. But what impact did the tournament have on domestic politics and its influence beyond Qatar? GLD colleague and football fan Thabit Jacob met with Dr Danyel Reicheto to discuss the politics of sports focusing on last year's world cup in Qatar. Danyel is a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar. He has co-edited two books which came out recently, the first is Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change, and the second is the Handbook of Sport in the Middle East.  

"The Effects of a Negative Economic Shock on Male Marriage in the West Bank" - is the title of Ayhab Saad's recent paper that we'll cover as our last segment for this episode. Ayhab is an associate professor of Economics at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. In this paper, which is co-authored with Amr Ragab, marriage rates among young men in the West Bank are compared before and after the sudden closure of the Israeli labour market for Palestinian male commuters from the West Bank in 2001. Ellen Lust met with Ayhab to talk about how the economic shock following the border closure has affected the decision to get married for both men and women and also, how social norms play a part in the declining marriage rates.  

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How is peace built at the local level? Hanna Leonardsson, Senior lecturer at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, asks that question in her new book: Navigating the Local, Politics of Peacebuilding in Lebanese Municipalities. Ellen Lust met with Hanna to talk about this book of hers. You can find Hanna's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Local-Peacebuilding-Municipalities-Development/dp/1529224268

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Then, I spoke to my GLD colleagues Ghadeer Hussein and Thabit Jacobs about the policy roundtable series GLD and Alternative Policy Solutions recently held on climate change and environmental justice in the MENA region.

Finally, Ellen Lust met with GLD associate Lauren Honig to talk about her new book on land titling and customary authorities in Senegal and Zambia called "Land Politics: How Customary Institutions Shape State Building in Zambia and Senegal." We hope that you enjoy this episode and the new format.

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This month, we are pleased to be joined by Mona Harb and Sami Atallah to talk us through what can be called the "triple crisis of Lebanon." Mona is a Professor of Urban Studies and Politics at the American University of Beirut. She is also the co-founder and research lead at the Beirut Urban Lab - a collaborative and interdisciplinary research space. The Lab produces scholarship on urbanization by documenting and analyzing ongoing transformation processes in Lebanon and its region's natural and built environments. Sami is the Founding Director of the newly started The Policy Initiative in Beirut. He is also the former director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. He led several policy studies on youth social identity and political engagement, electoral behaviour, political and social sectarianism, and the role of municipalities in dealing with the refugee crisis. Sami and Mona have, among other collaborations, co-edit the book Democracy, Decentralization, and Service Delivery in the Arab World. This episode will discuss the triple crises in Lebanon and what this means for people's everyday lives at the local level. By triple crisis, we mean the country's economic instabilities, the political situation, and the aftermath of the Beirut explosion in August 2020. How is this reflected in Lebanese societies? And what has this meant for public space? We hope that you find this episode interesting. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe if you do!

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Additional Work:

“Coercive Capacity, Land Reform and Political Order in Afghanistan," with Ilia Murtazashvili. Central Asian Survey 36, no. 2 (2017): 212–30.

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Selected work: Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle.(2021). "Great Expectations, Great Grievances: The Politics of Citizens’ Complaints in India." Comparative Politics.

Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle. (2018). "Claiming the State: Active Citizenship and Social Welfare in Rural India." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle. (2017). "The Pursuit of Social Welfare - Citizen Claim-Making in Rural India." World Politics.

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Selected work: Kherigi, Intissar. (2021). "Municipal Boundaries and the Politics of Space in Tunisia," The Program on Governance and Local Development Working Paper No. 38, University of Gothenburg.

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Selected work: Kao, Kristen and Revkin, Mara. (2019). "How the Iraqi crackdown on the Islamic State may actually increase support for the Islamic State," The Washington Post Monkey Cage. Kao, Kristen and Revkin, Mara Redlich. (2018). “To punish or to pardon?” The Program on Governance and Local Development Working Paper No. 17, University of Gothenburg

Selected research projects: From Revenge to Forgiveness: Strengthening Durable Peace in Post-Conflict Societies.

To Punish or to Pardon? Attitudes Towards Justice and Reintegration for Europeans who Cooperated with the Islamic State.

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Selected Work: Tan Zhao. (2018) Vote Buying and Land Takings in China’s Village Elections. Journal of Contemporary China, 27:110, 277-294.

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Selected Work: Adida, Claire L. 2014. Immigrant Exclusion and Insecurity in Africa; Coethnic Strangers. Cambridge University Press. Adida, Claire L., Laitin, David D., Valfort, Marie-Anne 2016. Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian-Heritatge Societies. Harvard University Press.

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Selected Work: Muriaas, R. L., Wang, V., Benstead, L., Dulani, B., & Rakner, L. (2019). Why the gender of traditional authorities matters: Intersectionality and women’s rights advocacy in Malawi. Comparative Political Studies, 52(12), 1881-1924.

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His most recent books are "The Real World of Democratic Theory" (Princeton University Press, 2012), "Politics Against Domination" (Harvard University Press, 2016), and, with Frances Rosenbluth, "Responsible Parties: Saving Democracy from Itself" (Yale University Press, 2018). His current research concerns the relations between democracy and the distribution of income and wealth.

Selected Work: Shapiro, I. (2019). "Anxieties of Democracy and Distribution."

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Selected Works: Burbidge, D., & Cheeseman, N. (2017). Trust, ethnicity and integrity in East Africa: Experimental evidence from Kenya and Tanzania. Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, 2(1), 88-123.

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Selected Works: Chen, J., Davis, D. S., & Landry, P. F. (2017). Beyond Hukou Reform: Enhancing Human-Centered Urbanization in China. Paulson Policy Memorandum.

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Selected Works: Pierre, J. (2019). Multilevel governance as a strategy to build capacity in cities: Evidence from Sweden. Journal of Urban Affairs, 41(1), 103-116.

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Selected Works: Arat, Y., & Pamuk, Ş. (2019). "Turkey between Democracy and Authoritarianism." Cambridge University Press.

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Selected Works: Hassan, M., & Shalaby, M. (2019). Drivers of Tolerance in Post-Arab Spring Egypt: Religious, Economic, or Government Endorsements?. Political Research Quarterly, 72(2), 293-308.

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