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Unpacking Constitutional Democracy: Concepts and Misinterpretations

Democracy is widely seen as being under threat. Our discussion will reflect critically on how it is presented in both political rhetoric and academic debates. We will ponder the socio-political origins of constitutions, their purpose in the historical context of state formation and the evolving meanings and expectations attached to citizenship. Can populism be seen as an inevitable by- product of constitutional democracy as it is understood and ‘sold’ to the people? Does the dominant approach to democracy work in the era of globalization?

Medical Treatment Decisions and Children: Judicial Values and Determining Best Interests

This lecture explores the issue of how judges do (and should) arrive at decisions that are in the best interests of children. It poses the question of how, where the decision invokes issues of value on which there can be reasonable disagreement, a court can legitimately come to a decision for a child when that child, or their parents, do not share that position. A good example would be on whether quality of life is more important than length of life in cases of terminal illness.

Zionism: An Emotional State by Derek Penslar: Book launch event

Emotion lies at the heart of all national movements, and Zionism is no exception. For those who identify as Zionist, the word connotes liberation and redemption, uniqueness and vulnerability. Yet for many, Zionism is a source of distaste if not disgust, and those who reject it are no less passionate than those who embrace it. The power of such emotions helps explain why a word originally associated with territorial aspiration has survived so many years after the establishment of the Israeli state.

Panel discussion: 'Uncovering the offshore world: how researchers investigate shell companies, international wealth managers and transnational informal economies'

According to the Tax Justice Network, up to $32 trillion in hidden assets are held in offshore tax havens.

The increasing outflow of money into the offshore world starves developing countries of government revenues, enables kleptocrats to hide their illicitly acquired wealth, and allows global multinational companies to lawfully avoid paying hundreds of billions in taxes. Until recently, we lacked comprehensive and detailed academic studies for understanding the scope and inner workings of the offshore system.

Fourth Session: Reading Group -

This is a small, cohesive, and welcoming reading group interested in foregrounding a serious and sophisticated critique of war by revisiting twentieth-century responses to the increasing civilianization of military conflict from the ‘global south’ and aimed at facilitating interdisciplinary conversations within the humanities.

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QS WORLD RANKINGS FOR POLITICS & INT’L STUDIES: 2

BEST UK UNIVERSITIES FOR POLITICS – THE GUARDIAN: 1

THE WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS FOR POLITICS AND INT’L STUDIES: 1 IN THE UK