Why does the history of World War II matter so much in China today? One of the most notable changes in historical interpretation in China in recent decades has been the new concentration on the history of China's War of Resistance against Japan (1937-45), the Chinese aspect of World War II.

Many observers have noticed the importance of anger in contemporary politics, particularly with reference to populism. The talk addresses the question under which conditions people become angry about a specific aspect of their lives: their personal financial situation. Specifically, it asks if populist anti-elite rhetoric has a causal influence on ‘pocketbook anger’ and if this influence differs across socio-economic groups.

Professor William Bain (National University of Singapore) is author of 'Political Theology of International Order' (OUP, 2020) and 'Between Anarchy and Society: Trusteeship and the Obligations of Power' (OUP, 2003).

Recent work has suggested that when voters are less partisan, legislators engage in more personal vote-seeking. This has potentially important implications, given the widespread decline of partisanship in many countries, and the well-noted consequences of personal vote-seeking for policy-making, election results, and accountability. However, existing tests of this argument use either aggregate-level measures of partisanship, or constituency-level proxy measures. We thus lack direct evidence linking constituency-level partisanship to MPs’ parliamentary behaviour.

All welcome / bring lunch!