Parliamentary Select Committees: Are elected chairs the key to their success?

Dr Mark Goodwin, Univeristy of Birmingham, Dr Stephen Bates, University of Birmingham, and Professor Steve McKay, University of Lincoln, explore the role of elected chairs in parliamentary Select Committees. In the past two months, two of Britain’s richest men have been forced by Parliament to admit to, and apologise for, serious failings in their business … Continue reading “Parliamentary Select Committees: Are elected chairs the key to their success?”

R2P: Implications for World Order (Part 1)

The West’s intervention in Libya and the on-going violence in Syria have placed a renewed spotlight on the principle of the responsibility to protect (R2P) human life. In this first post of a two part series, Dr Edward Newman argues that far from emerging into an new international ‘norm’, R2P is exposing fissures in a changing … Continue reading “R2P: Implications for World Order (Part 1)”

Sport Under Communism – Dr Jonathan Grix discusses his new book

POLSIS’s Dr Jonathan Grix appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed this week to discuss his new book Sport under Communism: Behind the East German ‘Miracle’, co-authored by Mike Dennis from the University of Wolverhampton. Jonathan discussed the factors that helped propel East Germany into the top-three in the Olympic medals table for over two … Continue reading “Sport Under Communism – Dr Jonathan Grix discusses his new book”

Leadership, Diplomacy, and Institutional Design: A Model for Understanding the Arab Spring?

Across the Middle East and North Africa, the impact of the Arab Spring has been as varied as it has been profound.  Professor Stefan Wolff discusses three ‘essential ingredients’ that will determine whether regime transitions can be managed successfully. The Arab Spring has ushered in a new period of political development across the Middle East and … Continue reading “Leadership, Diplomacy, and Institutional Design: A Model for Understanding the Arab Spring?”