Volume 57 of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science features a diverse array of articles and reviews that showcase the breadth and depth of contemporary political science research. From an exploration of non-state actors and regional identity in Southern Africa to an analysis of Scottish political parties' framing strategies on social media, the articles employ a range of methodological approaches to explore pressing issues in international relations and comparative politics. The Conversations section includes a thought-provoking film review that highlights the power of cinema to engage with sociopolitical issues, while the book reviews critically engage with recent publications on the crisis of democratic politics and the electoral strategies of centrist anti-establishment parties in Central and Eastern Europe. Together, the contributions in this issue demonstrate the vibrant dialogue and debate within political science, as scholars push the boundaries of the discipline to grapple with the complex challenges of our time.
Welcome to the latest issue of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science. This compelling array of interdisciplinary articles offers unique perspectives on complex issues in international finance, criminal governance, social mobilization, electoral phenomena, and energy transitions.
As we embrace new genres and perspectives, we look forward to pushing boundaries and fostering interdisciplinary insights into pressing global challenges. In an increasingly complex world, it is vital that Political Science remains creative, adaptive, and connected to real-world contexts. Static, siloed approaches cannot adequately grasp the multidimensional issues societies face today—from climate instability to global health crises, migration flows to authoritarian resurgence. By opening our pages to interdisciplinary work, we want to support innovative theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, and analytical approaches that keep pace with our rapidly changing planet. Politikon seeks to spur positive change in Political Science—one that bridges divides, synthesizes knowledge across diverse fields, and engages substantively with the concerns of marginalized communities. Only then can our understanding of vexing phenomena move beyond surface explanations to reveal underlying drivers, interdependencies, and human impacts. This spirit of creative engagement, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and contextual sensitivity will shape the journal’s aspirations in future editions in 2024. We invite bold, boundary-pushing submissions from scholars worldwide seeking to advance political science’s frontiers and societal relevance.
This issue of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science features a diverse selection of articles exploring various political aspects. These contributions offer insightful analyses on topics ranging from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's populist discourse to the EU's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, this issue introduces the Conversations section, a platform for diverse forms of academic engagement. This section is open to opinion essays, interviews, pedagogical discussions, film commentaries, and critical reflections on academic events within the realm of Political Science. It aims to expand the boundaries of Political Science to encompass creative interventions and interdisciplinary dialogue. In this issue, the Conversations section focuses on transnational collaborations in academia, with reflections on student engagement and academic publishing experiences.
Özge Korkmaz Şahbaz delves into the complex landscape of constitutional reform in Turkey. The study investigates the underlying reasons behind the last constitutional reform, emphasizing the transformation of the presidency, the weakening of military tutelage, the mobilization power of Erdogan, and the impact of the failed coup attempt in 2016. Employing the method of causal process tracing, this research offers valuable insights into the historical and political context surrounding institutional change in Turkey.
Donovan van der Haak takes on the topic of epistocracy and its compatibility with different meta-ethical frameworks. Focusing on Jason Brennan's argument for epistocracy, van der Haak questions the extent to which this argument withstands challenges posed by meta-ethical moral relativism. The central research question revolves around the repercussions of moral relativism on Brennan's use of the competence principle in advocating for epistocracy over democracy. The paper ultimately argues that democracy aligns more closely with Brennan's principles, as epistocracy's reliance on experts may hinder the collection of sufficient information about moral facts from the right voting population.
