Nationalism and the Return of Geopolitics

21 March 2023

Lars-Erik Cederman addresses the link between nationalism and conflict in relation to the Ukraine war. 

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Follow the Money: how much does Britain cost?

7 March 2023

What is the truth about Britain’s finances? Paul Johnson from the Institute for Fiscal Studies jooined us to talk about his new book, Follow the Money.

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Money and Politics: analysing donations to UK political parties, 2000-2021

25 January 2023

How is British politics funded, and by whom? How can the financial landscape of party politics change to enhance democratic accountability?

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'Positive' Corporate Climate Lobbying

31 October 2022

In the last two decades some corporations have increasingly engaged in 'positive' climate lobbying, broadly defined as lobbying for policies that are aligned with Paris Agreement goals. This panel discusses this trend’s causes, impact, and concerns.

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In The Land of Never-Ending Elections Will The 2022 Mid-terms Make Any Difference?

12 October 2022

US politics are fractured, the debate over the 6 January insurrection continues, the Supreme Court have decided a number of controversial cases, and public confidence in politicians is at an all-time low. So what will happen during the mid-term elections, and what will it mean to a global audience?

The Future of Democracy

14 June 2022

In a world increasingly divided into those who defend and those who attack democratic systems, there is widespread consensus that democracy as a political system is under serious threat.

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The UK During the 70 Year Reign of Elizabeth II

30 May 2022

This event explores how the UK has changed during the 70 years of the Queen’s reign and will consider how the UK’s: economy, government and politics, social policy and foreign relations have evolved.

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Held in Contempt: What's wrong with the House of Commons

17 May 2022

From attending parties during the Covid-19 lockdown to taking payment for lobbying, MPs undermine their credibility by acting as if the rules they set for others should not apply to them.

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Deliberative Accountability in Parliamentary Committees

9 March 2022

In recent decades, we have seen an explosion in expectations for greater accountability of public policymaking. But, as accountability has increased, trust in governments and politicians has fallen. 

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Conflict, War & Revolution: the importance of violence in international politics

9 February 2022

In his new book, Paul Kelly considers the lessons about political violence, war and revolution to be learned from ten major thinkers over centuries and draws some lessons for our times.

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Is American democracy under threat?

8 November 2021

The annual Robert H Smith Family Foundation Lectire in Democracy explores whether American democracy is under threat.

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Free: coming of age at the end of history 

1 November 2021

Lea Ypi discusses her memoir and her experiences growing up in Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe during the fall of communism in 1990.

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Unconditional Equals

20 October 2021

A panel of experts across gender and political theory explore genuine unconditional equality and the commitment we make to ourselves and others. 

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The Aristocracy of Talent: how mediocracy made the modern world 

14 October 2021

Adrian Woolridge launches his new book and traces the history of meritocracy.

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Political Science at the LSE: a history of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID

7 October 2021

Launching our official departmental history book with a panel of the contributors.

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Unconditional Equals

24 May 2021

Anne Phillips explores the dangers of treating equality as conditional on some supposedly shared human characteristic 

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Responsible Persons: thinking about resentment, hope and trust in everyday life 

13 May 2021

Discussing expectations of and stances towards responsible persons 

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The Impossible Office? 300 years of the British Prime Minister

29 April 2021

Exploring the role of the British Prime Minister throughout history 

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Regimes of Inequality: the political economy of health and wealth

23 March 2021

Assessing the political dynamics of inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic

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Celebrating Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933-2020

18 March 2021

Discussing the achievements and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her impact on gender equality. 

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How the Pandemic Polarised Us

2 March 2021

Exploring political polarisation in the UK, Europe and the US in light of the coronavirus pandemic. 

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Electoral Hostility: is the sanctity of elections under threat?

4 February 2021

Celebrating the first anniversary of the Electoral Psychology Observatory, experts discuss the future of the sanctity of electoral democracy. 

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Rebuilding the UK Economy for a More Secure Future

21 January 2021

Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds sets out Labour’s plans to recover jobs, retrain workers and rebuild businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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How To Be A Liberal
25 November 2020

Political journalist Ian Dunt tells the story of liberalism, from its birth in the fight against absolute monarchy to the modern-day resistance against the new populism.

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Europe's (Euro) Crisis of Legitimacy

18 November 2020

Which processes of Eurozone governance have led to deteriorating economic performance and the rise of populism? Vivien Schmidt discusses democracy and legitimacy. 

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COVID-19: the changing relationship between people and their governments

12 November 2020

Experts explain how the impact and consequences of COVID-19 and the emergency powers deployed is affecting politics and citzens. 

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Anti-System Politics: the crisis of market liberalism in rich democracies 

27 October 2020

How do different kinds of anti-system politics emerge and what impact does politics and economics have on the electoral instability that emerges? Jonathan Hopkin discusses his research and latest book. 

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Democracy and the Supreme Court: judges and the politicians 

13 October 2020

Former UK Lord Chancellor Charlie Falconer discusess the dominance of politics and the risk posed to the rule of law. 

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Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

23 September 2020

Iain Dale discusses a divided society and his latest book: Why Can’t We All Get Along: Shout Less, Listen More.

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Against the System: anger, belonging and the crisis of liberalism

14 July 2020

Eric Lonergan, Martin Sandbu and Lea Ypi discuss their recent research about the political and economic causes of this turbulence and consider ways out of the impasse.

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Transboundary Crisis Management in Europe in the Wake of COVID-19 
13 May 2020

Leading experts consider lessons for political leadership in crisis and the future of multi-level crisis management in Europe. 

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Unions and Their Break-ups: the UK's attempted secession from the EU, and it's possible outcomes 
3 February 2020

Northern Ireland expert, Brendan O’Leary, assesses what we’ve learnt from previous union break-ups to discover the potential futures that may unfold from the UK’s exit from the EU.

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Margaret Thatcher - Herself Alone
14 October 2019

Charles Moore speaks about the third and final in his series of biographies of Margaret Thatcher, focusing on her last period in office.

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Saving Democracy from Politicians. Do We Need Professional Representatives?
6 December 2018

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the professionalisation of politics? In this inaugural lecture Valentino Larcinese discussed evidence from the Five Star Movement in the Italian parliament.

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Politics as Performance: Will the American Fascination with 'Trump Style' Survive the 2018 Midterms?
31 October 2018

Erik Bucy reviewed focus group, survey, and Twitter data to assess the resonance of Trump’s communication style with voters and to gain insights into how his mélange of nonverbal theatrics and verbal directness bonds supporters while at the same time alienating critics.

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Modi's India, Erdogan's Turkey, and the Crisis of the Secular State in the Non-Western World

23 October 2018

This lecture marks the publication of Sumantra Bose's new book, Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey, and the Future of Secularism.

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National Populism: the revolt against liberal democracy

22 October 2018

Matthew Goodwin presented his new guide to one of the most urgent political phenomena of our time: the rise of national populism.

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The Political Economy of Italy's Decline
11 October 2018

This event marked the launch of a book on Italy’s present decline, which uses institutional analysis to retrace in the country’s recent history the roots of its politico-economic equilibrium.

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Restating Orientalism: A Critique of Modern Knowledge

4 October 2018

Wael B. Hallaq reevaluates and deepens the critique of Orientalism in order to deploy it for rethinking the foundations of the modern project.

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Spending to Win - How governments use subsidies to win votes and support businesses

30 May 2018

A discussion of how and why governments support businesses using subsidies and tax breaks in an increasingly integrated global economy.

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The Great Reversal: How Neoliberalism turned the Economic Aspirations of Liberalism Upside Down
14 May 2018

Liberal economic ideals, once advanced to favor workers, now favor capital owners. Elizabeth Anderson explains why, and ties this reversal to contemporary populist political crises.

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The other neoliberalism: German ordoliberalism after the Euro crisis
10 May 2018

As contributors to the recent edited volume on Ordoliberalism, Law and the Rule of Economics (eds. Hien and Joerges; Hart Publishing), the speakers on this panel will explore Ordoliberalism from variety of disciplinary perspectives, charting both its theoretical iterations and its contemporary political significance.

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After the Hague Tribunal
3 May 2018

The panel discussed the implications for accountability for war crimes in the Balkans following the closure of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

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How to Rig an Election
1 May 2018

In this talk, Nic Cheeseman and Brian Klaas showed how to rig an election - with the hopes that the lesson will help save democracy.

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Rethinking Transitional Justice and Reconciliation
26 April 2018

The panel discussion launched a special issue of the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies coedited by James Hughes and Denisa Kostovicova of LSE’s Department of Government.

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The Enemy Within: a tale of Muslim Britain
8 March 2018

Sayeeda Warsi draws on her own unique position in British life to explore questions of cultural difference, terrorism, surveillance, social justice, religious freedom, integration and the meaning of ‘British values’.

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Why we don't trust the news, and what to do about it
8 February 2018

This lecture delved into the shifting expectations of media, including what makes information trustworthy and what steps can be taken to earn back trust.

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Bullshit and Post-truth Politics
30 January 2018

Matthew D'Ancona, Tanya Filer, Andre Spicer and Juliane Reinecke discussed how bullshit has taken over the worlds of business and increasingly the political arena. Jonathan Hopkin chaired the discussion.

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The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's attack on democracy
24 January 2018

Brian Klaas argued forcefully that with every autocratic tactic or tweet, Trump further erodes democratic norms in the world’s most powerful democracy. Jonathan Hopkin chaired the discussion.

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Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon
9 November 2017

Rachel Reeves MP discussed the political life and legacy of Alice Bacon – the first woman MP for Leeds and Yorkshire. David Soskice chaired the discussion.

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Post-truth politics: Being a savvy news consumer
8 November 2017

This event included speakers Ali Cirone, Ben Lyons and Jason Reifler who all provided tips and tricks on how to successfully evaluate political information found on social media or political campaigns. Thomas Leeper chaired the discussion.

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Palestinian Rights, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement, and Transnational Solidarity
7 November 2017

This panel brought together leading Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) protagonists, rights-activists and academics to discuss the movement and its prospects. Panellists included Omar Barghouti, Samia Al-Botmeh, John Chalcraft, Nicola Pratt and Rafeef Ziadah.

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Why International State-Building Fails: A New Interpretation
11 October 2017

In this public lecture we tackle the question of how to build states after conflict and discuss Susan L. Woodward’s book, The Ideology of Failed States (CUP 2017), an analysis of the significant but counterproductive role played by the concept of failed states in shaping international order and intervention since the early 1990s.

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Why Plumage Matters: the cultivation of political and public identity
28 September 2017

Rodney Barker, whose new book Cultivating political and public identity: Why plumage matters is LSE’s first open access book, introduced a discussion of the components – language, dress, diet, habitat -of the identities of nations, groups, and individuals, and of the perennial tension between identity as association with other people, and identity as distinction from them, a motor of both human progress and human conflict.

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If Only They Didn't Speak English: notes from Trump's America
7 September 2017

Jon Sopel, BBC North America Editor, talks about his new book 'If Only They Didn’t Speak English – Notes from Trump’s America' in which he sets out to analyse how a country that he says once stood for the grandest of aspirations is now mired in a storm of political extremism, racial division, and increasingly perverse beliefs.

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Post Truth: The New War on Truth and How To Fight Back
27 June 2017

One of the UK’s most respected commentators, Matthew d’Ancona, launches a powerful and deeply personal campaign in this urgent fightback manifesto. A precious value is being eroded – Truth. It’s time to leap to its protection.

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