Full Issue
| Published date | 01 April 2012 |
| Date | 01 April 2012 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-9066.2012.00088.x |
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Editorial
Surveying the political scene in 2012 calls to mind Hegel’s famous quip: ‘The one thing that we learn
from history is that we learn nothing from history’. There was no Euro in early 19th century Europe but
the great German philosopher’s maxim could have been coined specially for the Eurozone crisis, which
continues to rumble on with no clear end point in sight.
In Britain, economic difficulties, doubts about the efficacy of the on-going austerity drive and rows
about bankers’ bonuses continue to dog the coalition government. Meanwhile, after a long winter, the
euphoria of the Arab Spring has subsided in countries such as Egypt, where the old guard have proved
surprisingly adept at resisting the political change that seemed inevitable just twelve months ago.
One place where the hand of history weighs particularly heavily is the Falkland Islands (or, as Argen-
tineans call them, the Malvinas). On the 30th anniversary of the conflict, Argentinean academic Vicente
Palermo presents a radical proposal for transforming the Falklands dispute. In his Foresight column, Palermo argues that the
governments of David Cameron and Cristina Fernández can take symbolic and legal decisions that could make the causa Malvinas
much less divisive. Of course, whether the political will exists to transform Anglo-Argentine relations is another matter entirely.
This month’s lead article looks at a phenomenon that is meant to unite the world: sports mega-events. Ahead of the London
Olympics, Jonathan Grix examines the politics of staging an international sports event. Why do countries compete so fiercely
to be hosts? Is the legacy worth the cost? Is there any real financial benefit from hosting a mega-event like the Olympics?
Staying in London, Benjamin Hennig and Danny Dorling, in their regular In Focus slot, re-examine the geography of the
2008 mayoral election on the eve of the May vote. John Benyon analyses the causes and consequences of last August’s riots,
which began in north London and led to £300 million worth of damage to property across England.
2012 is also a big year for the coalition government. Divisions between the Lib Dems and Conservatives on policy have
had many political commentators predicting a premature end for the marriage of convenience between David Cameron and
Nick Clegg. The government’s prospects have not been helped by their own restive backbenchers: as Philip Cowley and Mark
Stuart show, between May 2010 and the end of last year, backbench revolts reached levels not seen since before World War II.
Constitutional reform is one area in which the coalition has struggled to enact changes, not least because of differences
between the two parties on matters such as electoral reform and the make-up of the House of Lords. Nick Gallop charts a course
through Britain’s recent constitutional past and asks whether we are any closer to a constitutional settlement.
Elsewhere, Norman Bonney and Bob Morris consider the future of the Commonwealth, Peter Riddell looks at how govern-
ments respond to crises, while Tariq Modood and Nasar Meer debate the merits of multiculturalism and interculturalism as
frameworks for negotiating culturally diverse societies. This month’s Country Focus comes from Ireland, where Elaine Byrne
reflects on the effect of the financial crash on Irish politics.
Whether political leaders learn the lessons of history remains to be seen, but either way Political Insight will be here providing
expert research, analysis and opinion on issues of national and international import. If you would like to join the debates or
contribute to Political Insight just drop me an email (address on the opposite page) or log on to www.politicalinsightmagazine.com.
Peter Geoghegan
Editor
Cover: Reuters
Editor
Peter Geoghegan
editor@politicalinsightmagazine.com
Editorial Board
Professor John Benyon
University of Leicester
Professor Charlie Jeffrey
University of Edinburgh
Professor Paul Kelly
London School of Economics
Professor Richard Topf
London Metropolitan University
International Advisory Board
Professor Luciano Bardi
University of Pisa
Professor Andrew Gamble
University of Cambridge
Professor Robert Goodin
Australian National University
Professor Zhu Guanglei
Nankai University
Professor Ian Holliday
University of Hong Kong
Professor Ira Katznelson
Columbia University
Martha Kearney
British Broadcasting Corporation
Professor Gurpreet Mahajan
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Professor Pippa Norris
Harvard University
Professor Rasul Bakhsh Rais
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Professor Rod Rhodes
University of Southampton
Insight making sense
of issues,
arguments,
trends and
developments
POLITICAL
Volume 3 • Number 1 April 2012
In the News 2
Playing politics; Celebrity politics; Unconven-
tional tax; Devolution dissatisfaction.
Features
The Politics of Sports Mega-events 4
Why do countries compete so fiercely to host
costly international sporting events? Jona-
than Grix analyses the politics of staging a
sports mega-event.
A Coalition with Two Wobbly Wings:
Backbench Dissent in the House of
Commons 8
Backbench rebellion in the House of Com-
mons is running at a post-war high. Philip
Cowley and Mark Stuart look at this rising
tide of dissent.
England’s Urban Disorder:
The 2011 Riots 12
Last August serious riots spread across Eng-
land. What caused the disturbances? What has
changed since? John Benyon investigates.
Crisis Management 20
Peter Riddell examines the challenge that
emergencies have posed to successive UK
governments and shows how the machinery
for handling crises has changed.
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Contents The Commonwealth in the Twenty-First
Century 26
Debates about the role of the Commonwealth
continue, but Norman Bonney and Bob
Morris argue that the organisation’s future
remains secure.
Interculturalism, Multiculturalism or
Both? 30
Interculturalism has replaced multicultural-
ism in many discussions of cultural diversity.
But what does the term mean? And is it re-
ally a superior model? Nasar Meer and Tariq
Modood assess the arguments.
Constitutional Reform and the Coalition
Government 34
Nick Gallop charts a course through the UK’s
recent constitutional past and asks whether
we are any closer to a constitutional settle-
ment under the current coalition.
Foresight
Falklands/Malvinas: In Search of
Common Ground 18
On the 30th anniversary of the Falklands con-
flict, Vicente Palermo sets out a radical pro-
posal for transforming a dispute that remains
as divisive as ever.
Country Focus
Ireland 23
Elaine Byrne reports from Ireland, where the
long-term effect of the financial crash on the
Irish political landscape remains uncertain.
In Focus
London’s Political Landscapes 38
Benjamin Hennig and Danny Dorling map
the geography of the 2008 London mayoral
election.
1April 2012
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