Arvanitakis on American politics: Three key developments this week

Another frenetic week in American politics has seen gaffes from Joe Biden, urban rioting and a twitter temper tantrum from President Trump, but the most significant development may be China’s power grab in Hong Kong.

Arvanitakis on American Politics: Voting in a time of a pandemic

It did not take long for the fragile peace between the Democratic and Republican leaders brought on by coronavirus to breakdown and, as America risks reopening for business, attention is turning to the election in November.

Arvanitakis on American politics: Don’t believe the social media hype

Promoting online literacy for young people and demanding social media quickly responds to fake news are worthwhile goals, but they do not deal with the underlying dissatisfaction which allows fake news to take root.

Arvanitakis on American politics: Understanding the populist pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the way in which Donald Trump, like other populists, creates a clear divide between a faceless elite and ‘the people’, but it comes at a time when the people rely on those experts for their lives.

Arvanitakis on American politics: Politics in a time of pandemic

The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understand. There are five dimensions of American life that may provide insights into this new environment and how it could work for Trump despite his initial handling of the crisis.

Arvanitakis on American Politics: What now for the centre-left?

Bernie Sanders campaign has faltered in the Democrat primaries, leaving Joe Biden as the clear favourite to take on Donald Trump. Sanders’ failure to win broad support for his radical agenda epitomises the problems which left-wing parties around the western world confront today.

Arvanitakis on American politics: Can the Democrats win?

The turbulent Democrat primary process has revealed a party at war with itself over its own identity. The winner – whoever it may be – will face a tough struggle to unite the party for the battle that counts against Donald Trump this November.

The challenge of free speech

Universities should be bastions of free speech and open inquiry, but intolerance of “politically incorrect” opinions and party political meddling is threatening to close down rational debate on a range of hot-button social and scientific issues.

Arvanitakis on American Politics: This week’s controversies, chaos and why Trump keeps his base

This week’s events in the United States once again highlight how the Trump Administration continues to move from chaos to controversy (and back).

Arvanitakis on American politics: Five types of Trump supporters

Despite the impeachment controversy, distinct groups of American voters remain staunch supporters of President Donald Trump, albeit for quite different reasons.

The fracturing of our media and our community

The decline of traditional media has removed control of the news from a handful of moguls, but they’ve been replaced by tech-giants and algorithms which damage society’s ability to hold a shared conversation.

Arvanitakis on American politics – What characterises today’s populists?

It is easy to mock populist leaders and their supporters, but the pressure experienced by a dwindling middle class and the rising economic vulnerability that many people feel should not be so easily dismissed.