GWU PSC 1001 Final - Reading Descriptions (Post Midterm Only)

Is Gender Like Ethnicity? - Htun

Gender and ethnicity are both underrepresented, but they operate differently in politics. Gender = cross-cutting identity → women span all parties → leads to candidate quotas inside party lists.

Ethnicity politically aligned identity → groups often vote cohesively → leads to reserved seats or group-specific representation.

Gender inclusion can occur within existing political parties, while ethnic representation often requires distinct political channels.

Is Democracy Bad for LGBT+ Rights? — Velasco, Baral & Tang

argues that the belief that democracy naturally protects LGBT+ rights is weakening in many parts of the world. anti-LGBT+ forces like populist democratic actors, are using democratic institutions like elections to curtail rights rather than expand them. LGBT+ rights ≠ outcome of democracy but apart of what makes demo. liberal

Populism Around the World - Mudde and Kaltwasser

describes populism as thin-centered ideology that divides society into "the pure people" versus "the corrupt elite," and promotes politics as the expression of the general will of the people; not confined to an ideology (left or right) or country. Populists can expand participation by mobilizing voters but can undermine demo. by attacking pluralism

The Populist Revolt Against Climate Policy - Campanella & Lawrence

argue that a new form of populist backlash is emerging in Western democracies specifically against climate policy; Populist leaders, particularly on the right, frame climate initiatives as elitist, costly, and disconnected from everyday concerns

Don't Count Dicks Out - Lucan Ahmad Way

argues that today's most powerful autocracies — China, Russia, and Iran — are more durable and resilient than assumed, even when facing economic slowdowns, mass protests, or policy failures. regimes with revolutionary origins or deep historical legacies have built strength—such as cohesive elites, powerful security apparatuses, and weak independent civil societies

Changing Attitudes, Changing Coalitions: The Politics of Immigration Before and After Brexit - Robert Ford

examines how public opinion on immigration in the UK shifted before and after the 2016 Brexit referendum; older and economically insecure voters supported Brexit and strengthened the right-wing populist coalition; younger aligned with liberal parties (polarization) -- immigration attitudes can drive voting strategies & political realignment

France's Identity Crisis - Emile Chabal

France's republican model prioritizes universal citizenship & secularism (laïcité) over group identities. France has diverse society and is struggling to integrate cultural and ethnic differences. arguments over what it means to be French, leads to debates over immigration

Russia's War on Woke - Zygar

argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin has embraced anti‑"woke" cultural rhetoric both as a domestic political strategy and as a tool of foreign influence to undermine Western liberal democracies; uses it to distract opponents, mobilize ppl/polarize

China: Totalitarianism's Long Shadow - Min Pei

China's political system is heavily shaped by its totalitarian past; despite economic liberation CCP maintains strict control over politics, media, and civil society, using technology and surveillance to enforce obedience and suppress dissent; One-party dominance makes China resistant to democratization -- China exemplifies a modern authoritarian state that combines economic openness with political rigidity

The Rise of India's Second Republic - Milan Vaishnav

argues that India is undergoing a transformative shift from its post-independence democratic model toward a more majoritarian and centralized system; this is due to the rise of BJP, the centralization of executive power, and growing influence of Hindu nationalist ideology. old consistution had pluralism, federalism, secularism - now secularism & pluralism have weakened. india is less protective of liberal norms and minority rights

Mexico's Next President - Victoria E. Piscopo

argues that Mexico's political system has experienced both democratization and volatility, with parties like the PRI (PRI weakened by corruption); this makes an opening for MORENA to leverage populist appeals, social programs, and anti-elite rhetoric to consolidate support. Mexico faces structural challenges including weak institutions, clientelism, and uneven rule of law,

Is Mexico at the Gates of Authoritarianism? - Aguiar et al

Mexico is moving toward authoritarianism under the rule of MORENA and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). there are concerning trends: weakening of institutional checks and balances, attacks on independent media, politicization of public agencies, and attempts to centralize power; justifed thru populist rhetoric/peoples will -- Mexico isn't fully auth tho (still has competitive elections and such)

Bodies in Revolt - Nazanin Shahrokni

Focuses on the 2022-2023 Iranian uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini; Women's bodies became central sites of political resistance against the Islamic Republic. Protests included removing hijabs & defying morality police. used physical presence as form of defiance.