SPP News

Video: Jan-Emmanuel De Neve on Genoeconomics

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-24T15:16:48Z

Genoeconomics: the promise and pitfalls of a new research frontier in economics.

Dr Sherrill Stroschein: Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-22T10:56:45Z

Problems of democracy are magnified in societies divided on ethnic religious lines, particularly where groups are mobilized into parties. Due to majority rule, minorities should be less willing to endorse democratic institutions where they persistently lose elections. These problems should hamper democratization, but Eastern Europe contains several states that navigated these problems during the 1990s. In Romania and Slovakia, sustained protest and contention by ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Slovakia brought concessions on policies that they could not achieve through the ballot box. Ethnic protest in these states made each group accustomed to each other’s claims, and aware of the degree to which each could push its own. Ethnic contention became a de facto deliberative process that fostered a moderation of group claims, allowing democratic consolidation to slowly and organically take root. Such moderation took place even after a violent riot between Hungarians and Romanians in 1990, showing promise for other democratizing states.

Award for 'Freedom, Security and Justice after Lisbon and Stockholm’ book, co-edited by Sarah Wolff

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-21T16:20:34Z

The LISBOAN Erasmus Academic Network has awarded on 11^th May its 2012 award for Outstanding Research to the book co-edited by Sarah Wolff, Flora Goudappel and Jaap de Zwaan on ‘Freedom, Security and Justice after Lisbon and Stockholm’. This award praises the collaborative efforts of the contributors, practitioners and academics, whose hard work have turned this project in a reality. The award distinguished the book for its contribution to the state of the art of research on the Treaty of Lisbon and its implementation.

Workshop: From Ideal Principles to Real Politics

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-11T11:37:38Z

This workshop brings together political theorists and political scientists to debate the relationship between normative political principles and real-world politics. In recent years, political theorists have started to voice concerns about their discipline’s apparent inability to help guide political action. Political theory, many have complained, is too detached or idealized. In order to be practically relevant, critics have pointed out, political theories need to be more sensitive to real-world factual constraints, and must focus on the question of ‘how to make the world more just’, rather than on that of ‘what a perfectly just society looks like’. These and similar considerations have given rise to a number of related debates, including the debate between ideal vs. non-ideal theory, the debate between ‘realism’ and ‘idealism’ in political theory, and the debate between what Amartya Sen calls ‘transcendental’ (categorical) vs. ‘comparative’ approaches to justice.

Workshop: Justice, Democracy and Non-domination

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-11T11:24:13Z

Much contemporary political philosophy, especially within liberal egalitarian quarters, is preoccupied with defending the idea of distributive justice. From this broadly Rawls-inspired perspective, distributive justice - especially of an egalitarian kind - is the most important virtue of social institutions. A separate, but related tradition in political philosophy, republicanism, holds that the primary virtue of social institution is a different one: freedom understood as non-domination. From a republican perspective, morally justified social arrangements are not those that implement distributive equality, but those that honour the freedom of their members and secure them against arbitrary power, typically via democratic decision-making procedures.

Public Engagement with Global Poverty: Explaining Support for Development

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-03T12:29:57Z

To what extent do UK citizens support action on global poverty, such as giving international development aid, and why? Dr David Hudson (UCL) has recently been awarded a prestigious British Academy Fellowship to carry out a programme of research answering this question.

New York convention of the ASN

Stephen Thomson — 2012-05-03T11:49:28Z

Dr. Sherrill Stroschein’s research hat included co-chairing the annual conference of the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) in New York.

Richard Bellamy awarded Leverhulme Research Fellowship 2012-2014

Stephen Thomson — 2012-04-27T10:57:00Z

Richard Bellamy has been awarded the Leverhulme Research Fellowship 2012-2014 for project on A Republic of European States: Cosmopolitanism, Republicanism and the EU.

Neil Mitchell: Democracy's Blameless Leaders

Stephen Thomson — 2012-04-25T14:16:58Z

From the American and British counter-insurgency in Iraq to the bombing of Dresden and the Amristar Massacre in India, civilians are often abused and killed when they are caught in the cross-fire of wars and other conflicts. In Democracy’s Blameless Leaders, Neil Mitchell examines how leaders in democracies manage the blame for the abuse and the killing of civilians, arguing that politicians are likely to react in a self-interested and opportunistic way and seek to deny and evade accountability.

Climate Change Litigation, Policy and Mobilization

Stephen Thomson — 2012-04-12T08:57:09Z

2.00pm - 5.30pm, Friday, 27 April 2012

Open Day Videos 2012

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-20T12:08:50Z

Held on 14th March 2012, this was an opportunity for prospective students to visit the School to learn more about our programmes, meet staff and students and explore UCL.

Happy adolescents 'likely to have higher income' as adults - Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Professor Andrew Oswald

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-26T09:49:00Z

The following article appeared in The Observer

SPP Career Networking Event 2012

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-26T09:19:27Z

The School of Public Policy held a careers evening for current students. The event was chaired by Dr Lisa Vanhala and UCL Careers Advisor, Patrice Ware.

Don Levett, author of How to Find a Graduate Job

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-20T17:23:38Z

Don Levett, author of How to Find a Graduate Job, spoke to the School of Public Policy MSc students on February 29, on “What Next? Penetrating Policy or Taking a Tangent: How to Tailor Your Job Hunt Accordingly.”

Video: Referendum on Scottish Independence: The Law and the Politics - Professor Robert Hazell

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-16T10:18:05Z

A referendum on Scottish Independence is now firmly on the constitutional agenda. Following David Cameron's announcement that he intends to give the Scottish Parliament power to hold a referendum and in the context of the launch of both Westminster and Scottish consultations in January 2012, numerous questions remain to be resolved over the process and timing of the vote.

Constitution Unit Honorary Research Fellow and author of the Devolution Matters blog Alan Trench discussed the political issues around holding a referendum; Constitution Unit Director Robert Hazell presented the legal concerns, drawing on the Unit's 2002 publication, Scottish Independence: a Practical Guide.

Video: Referendum on Scottish Independence: The Law and the Politics - Alan Trench

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-16T10:12:33Z

The UCL European Institute Careers Event

Stephen Thomson — 2012-03-12T15:30:47Z

The UCL European Institute organised an EU Careers Event for undergraduate and graduate students, in cooperation with the UCLU European Society. It formed part of the International Careers Week organised by the UCL Careers Service.

Video: Dr. Michael Shackleton

Stephen Thomson — 2012-02-09T23:26:43Z

On Wednesday, February 1, 2012 IPAS Academic Events hosted a lecture on "Britain and the European Union" by Dr. Michael Shackleton, former head of the European Parliament Information Office in the UK.

IPAS fundraising for the Jaago Foundation

Stephen Thomson — 2012-01-17T13:22:59Z

The official Video Launch of the Jaago Foundation Campaign by IPAS.

Video: Public Policy Economics and Analysis Lecture

Stephen Thomson — 2011-12-22T12:43:33Z

Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve gives a lecture for the Public Policy Economics and Analysis course, titled, Behavioural Economics and Wellbeing.

Institute for Human Rights makes submission to Commission on a Bill of Rights

Stephen Thomson — 2011-12-09T12:28:15Z

Dr. Saladin Meckled-Garcia has recently worked with team of expert scholars on constitutionalism and the European Court of Human Rights in making a submission to the Commission on a Bill of Rights for the UK.

Cécile Laborde awarded major European research grant

Stephen Thomson — 2011-10-31T09:50:13Z

Cécile Laborde has been awarded an ERC (European Research Council) Grant, worth over £1,000,000, for a five-year-long project entitled Is Religion Special? Reformulating Secularism and Religion in Contemporary Legal and Political Theory (RAPT).

Institute for Human Rights Engages in Policy Debate on British Bill of Rights

Stephen Thomson — 2011-10-27T16:07:32Z

Commissioners from the Commission on a Bill of Rights attended the UCL Institute for Human Rights debate on Weds (26/10/2011), to hear speakers dissect a number of proposals.

Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve - The genetics of happiness

Stephen Thomson — 2011-10-14T09:43:12Z

The following article appeared in The Economist

Every Muslim is a walking ambassador of Islam

Stephen Thomson — 2011-10-13T10:44:35Z

The following article appeared at http://ukinindonesia.fco.gov.uk/en/

Bilateral Mobilizations, Vigilantes, and RiotWombles

Stephen Thomson — 2011-08-16T14:22:50Z

The following article appeared in Nationalities Blog

Video: MSc Democracy

Stephen Thomson — 2011-06-07T15:40:52Z

Dr Sherrill Stroschein gives an overview of the MSc Democracy and discusses the likely career paths for students and real-world examples of the topics raised in the programme.

Video: Jan-Emmanuel De Neve - Teen survey reveals gene for happiness

Stephen Thomson — 2011-05-24T15:17:49Z

Forget money, fame and good looks. The best chance of happiness and contentment comes from having two copies of a particular gene.

The new site for Social Values and Health Priority Setting

Stephen Thomson — 2011-05-05T09:24:06Z

The new site for Social Values and Health Priority Setting was launched today.

BBC Politics Show highlights Unit research on coalition government

Victoria S Spence — 2011-05-03T12:49:34Z

The Politics Show on BBC iplayer