Politics at Lightspeed
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/2041905818796580 |
SEPTEMBER 2018 • POLITICAL INSIGHT 3
Politics at
Lightspeed
Forget a week in politics, at the
moment a day can feel like an
awfully long time in the political
arena. Hardly a 24-hour news cycle
goes by without a ministerial resignation, an
international diplomatic incident or a major
policy volte face.
The speed at which politics moves can
obscure the scale of the change taking
place. But, beneath the froth and ux huge
political shifts are taking place, at home and
abroad.
Nowhere is that more evident than in
the United States. Far from ‘moderating’ in
power, President Trump has continued his
insurgency candidacy into oce. Diplomacy
is conducted by tweet. Established political
norms – from the independence of the
judiciary to relations with long-term allies –
have been turned on their head.
In this issue’s cover feature, Emily J.
Charnock looks at an ever more salient
aspect of American politics – the divide
between left and right. It has become
commonplace to describe the US as an
almost uniquely polarised polity, and to lay
most of the blame for this schism at the feet
of Donald Trump.
But, as Charnock shows, America’s
polarised politics has a much longer history.
Where conservative southern Democrats
and liberal Yankee Republicans were once
commonplace, now the US is increasingly
divided along rigid party, and identity, lines.
The polarisation in American politics is
particularly apparent in debates around
immigration. Republicans have become
much more supportive of restrictive
immigration policies while Democrats have
shifted in the opposite direction. Richard
Johnson charts this change and assesses
its electoral implications in an increasingly
diverse polity.
Of course, it is impossible to talk about
seismic political shifts without discussing the
biggest change facing the UK in generations
– Brexit. In this issue, Craig McAngus,
Christopher Huggins, John Connolly, and
Arno van der Zwet look at one of the most
emotional issues in the European Union
referendum – shing – and examine some
of the international models for UK sheries
outside the EU.
Theresa May has long promised that
‘Brexit means Brexit’ but what exactly Brexit
means remains to be seen. At the time of
writing, May is still the Prime Minister but
her future has been continually called into
question since losing her majority in 2017.
Graham Goodlad compares May and the
UK’s last female leader, Margaret Thatcher,
and nds important dierences beneath the
supercial similarities between the two.
While Conservative parties dominate
in the US and the UK, there has also
been a notable uptick in support for the
left internationally. William Horncastle
investigates the growth in left-wing
movements and asks what relevance Marx
– and Marxism – has for contemporary
politics.
The rise of political outsiders – from
Trump to Jeremy Corbyn – has been
ascribed to a growing appetite for populist
alternatives to the status quo. But what does
populism really mean? And is it inherently
problematic and dangerous? Yannis
Stavrakakis investigates.
Elsewhere, Jane Suiter examines another
mooted solution to the so-called ‘crisis in
democracy’ – greater participation in the
democratic process. Looking at the recent
Irish abortion referendum, Suiter nds that
Citizens Assemblies encouraged debate,
information and political change.
One international political issue that
shows little prospect for change is the
search for peace between Israel and
Palestine. Jewish settlements are often
cited as one of the biggest obstacles to
any lasting deal. Eitan Y. Alimi and Chares
Demetriou examine the rise in so-called
‘Price Tag’ violence among radical Jewish
settlers.
Closer to home, British voters often cite
‘localness’ as a major factor in their political
choices. But how local are UK politicians?
Rob Gandy nds evidence that localism
is increasing amid rising nationalism and
regionalism.
In the regular Last Word slot, Kate
Dommett and Luke Temple report on new
research that suggests any attempt to
improve the image of political parties faces
an uphill battle. Meanwhile, Benjamin D.
Hennig maps the development of ‘fortress
Europe’ for refugees.
Uncertainty seems to be the only
certainty in our lightspeed politics right
now. If you would like to join the debates or
contribute to Political Insight get in touch or
visit www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus.
Peter Geoghegan
Editor
PI September 2018.indd 3 27/07/2018 15:12
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