Governance Uncovered: Local Politics and Development

This episode features an interview with Cornell Professor Emerita Valerie Bunce, conducted by Frances Cayton, a PhD student in the Department of Government, and Prisca Jöst, a post-doctoral fellow in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, at Cornell University on May 23, 2025.Professor Valerie Bunce is one of the most influential voices in comparative politics and international relations. Professor Bunce is the Aaron Binenkorb Professor of International Studies Emerita and Professor of Government at Cornell University, where she previously served as director of the Institute for European Studies. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2010, an author of several pivotal books, including Subversive Institutions: The Design and the Collapse of Socialism and the State, her research has significantly shaped our understanding of democratization, authoritarianism, and post-communist transitions.See here for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with Barbara Geddes, conducted by Department of Political Science at Yale University graduate students Jonathan Elkobi and Saumyaa Gupta via zoom on April 17, 2025.Professor Barbara Geddes has fundamentally reshaped how political scientists understand authoritarian regimes, state capacity and institutional development. She is currently Professor Emerita of Political Science at UCLA. Born in 1944, she went back to school in her 30s, earning her BA (1978) and then PhD (1986) in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Widely recognized for her path-breaking theoretical contributions to our understanding of authoritarianism and democratization, she also has also influenced our thinking about research design in comparative politics. Over the course of her career, she has chaired more than 50 dissertations and served as a committee member for more than 50 additional advisees. In 2025, the Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association established the Barbara Geddes Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research, Teaching, and GraduateMentoring in her honor.See here for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with Professor Susan Rose-Ackerman that was conducted by Nyché Andrew and Manasi Rao in New Haven, CT on April 3, 2025.Professor Susan Rose Ackerman is one of the most influential scholars in the fields of law and political science; she is currently the Henry R. Luce Professor Emeritus of law and political science at Yale University. Born in 1942 in Mineola, New York, she began her career on a National Science Foundation fellowship, earning a PhD in Economics at Yale University in 1970. She worked for the Council of Economic Advisors in the Johnson and Nixon administrations, and she has held faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania (1969-1974), Columbia University (1982-1987) and Yale University (1974-1982, 1987-present). Her research has been foundational to the study of corruption, the democratic accountability of the executive branch, and administrative law. Her groundbreaking book Corruption and Government has been translated into 17 languages and won the Charles H. Levine Prize. She is the author of eight additional books on topics including corruption, environmental policy, bureaucracy, and comparative public law. Over the years, her research interests have evolved from a focus on the American context to a comparative perspective, including field research in Eastern and Western Europe, Germany, and France.See these links for an abridged interview published in the APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, a glossary of names and terms, and a long-form version of the interview: http://bit.ly/4oLj98A Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governance Uncovered is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council.  This episode is the first in a special series in collaboration with Kate Baldwin at Yale University, featuring interviews with pioneering women who have left a lasting mark on political science. In this episode we are joined by Margaret Levi, Professor Emerita of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford, as well as the Jere L. Bacharach Professor Emerita of International Studies at the University of Washington and one of political science’s most influential voices.  Yale graduate students Siu Yu Lo, Victor Wu, and Fiona Kniaz interview Professor Levi about her remarkable journey from her early experiences with the Civil Rights Movement to her trailblazing scholarly contributions.  Professor Levi discusses her transition from urban to comparative politics, reflected in her books Bureaucratic Insurgency and Of Rule and Revenue, one of the earliest major works of rational choice theory in comparative politics. Levi also reflects on her collaboration with economist Doug North and her evolution from Marxist theory to rational choice approaches, highlighting how political transaction costs became central to understanding politics and power.Listen to learn how Professor Levi's research revolutionized comparative politics and influenced generations of scholarsABRIDGED TRANSCRIPT, UNBRIDGED TRANSCRIPT AND GLOSSARY: bit.ly/4lFuV1r Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governance Uncovered is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council. In this episode, we are joined by Ryan Knox, Souraya Hammoud, and Gunnar Andersson from SALAR International during the GLD-SALAR book launch event, featuring discussions around GLD’s recent edited volume, Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa edited by Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust.The panel addressed the topic of decentralization and local governance through discussion of practical experiences from working in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere in the MENA Region. It focused on the strategic value of engaging in fostering decentralisation, local governance, and local sustainable development in the MENA Region.Across different settings, these experiences showcase the continuous work of local officials, partners, and community members in building effective governance from the ground up.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/GLD0168 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we welcome Steve Monroe to discuss his newest book, Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab World (Cornell University Press, 2025). Together, Steve and Ellen examine how elites across the Arab world maintain economic privileges despite apparent trade liberalization.Steve sheds light on how conventional measures of economic reform often miss the real story. While many Arab nations adopted neoliberal policies on paper, he demonstrates how "neo-patrimonial protectionism" allowed well-connected elites to preserve their advantages through informal mechanisms, like preferential procurement and insider access.Through detailed case studies and quantitative evidence, Steve illuminates the critical gap between formal policy changes and practical implementation, challenging our understanding of economic reform and highlighting how social connections fundamentally shape who benefits from liberalization efforts in the region.Steve argues that geopolitics and social connections between state and capital underpin the Arab world's uneven trade policies. Drawing on interviews, firm- and industry-level data, and evidence from Jordan to Morocco, Mirages of Reform reveals how international and domestic factors interact to shape the Arab world's rugged trade policy terrain. Insightful and well researched, this book imparts important lessons and warnings about the repercussions of economic reform in the region.Full podcast transcript can be found: https://bit.ly/GLD0167 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governance Uncovered is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council. This policy roundtable discussion was made possible through a grant project from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.In this episode, we delved into the intricate governance, economic and security issues confronting post-Assad Syria. Our panelists examined how the fragmented landscape of governance, worsening economic conditions, and environmental challenges impact various communities and locales. The conversation also highlighted the vital roles that local elites and international organizations play in shaping the future of Syria.Guests: Aziz Hallaj, Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT and Consultant on Urban Planning, Development and Local Governance Ezra Karmel, Director of Proximity InternationalRoundtable Facilitator: Marwa Shalaby, Assistant Professor, Departments of Gender and Women’s Studies and Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Moderator: Ellen Lust, Founder and Director of GLD, Professor at Cornell University and University of Gothenburg and Director of the Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell UniversityEPISODE TRANSCRIPTION: https://bit.ly/GLD00166 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIONGovernance Uncovered is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and supported by the Swedish Research Council.In this episode, we discuss some of the research behind the new book Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa, edited by Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust, and supported by the Hicham Alaoui Foundation. Joining us are three contributing authors who explore critical aspects of decentralization in the MENA region.Guests:Carolyn Barnett, Assistant Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy and the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona.Alexandra Blackman, Assistant Professor at the Department of Government, Cornell University.Steve Brooke, Aassociate Professor in Political Science and Faculty Director of Middle East Studies, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Book: Kao, K., & Lust, E. (2025). "Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa." University of Michigan Press. Get Open Access here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIONIn this episode, we are joined by Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner to discuss her Cambridge Element, Claim-Making in Comparative Perspective: Everyday Citizenship Practice and Its Consequences, co-written with Janice Gallagher and Whitney Taylor.  Gabi and Ellen explore how everyday claim-making strategies help citizens fulfill their rights. Gabi highlights that claim-making is often overlooked in political behavior studies, which usually focus on elections, mass protests, high court decisions, and legislative actions. This raises the question: What about the politics of the everyday?  The Element and this interview address this question through research from Colombia, South Africa, India, and Mexico. Examples include families in Mexico seeking information about disappeared loved ones, citizens in rural India securing basic services like clean drinking water and education, and the fight for housing and healthcare rights in Colombia and South Africa.  Despite different contexts, all these cases highlight the persistent, often mundane efforts of citizens engaging with bureaucrats and appointed officials to claim their rights.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIONThis episode features interviews with Whitney Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University, and Janice Gallagher, Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University-Newark. Both have recent books on legal mobilization in Latin America. Whitney Taylor ‘s book, The Social Constitution: Embedding Social Rights Through Legal Mobilization, looks at Colombia's 1991 Constitution and how citizens use the 'Tutela' mechanism to claim rights.In Bootstrap Justice: The Search for Mexico's Disappeared, Janice Gallagher explores how Mexican families of disappeared persons engage in 'bootstrap justice,' becoming self-taught investigators to fight impunity. Both conversations highlight grassroots efforts to embed legal rights and challenge power structures in complex political landscapes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIONIn this episode, we have Shandana Khan Mohmand joining us. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, and an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives in Pakistan. Shandana and host Ellen Lust discuss Shandana's book, Crafty Oligarchs, Savvy Voters: Democracy under Inequality in Rural Pakistan, which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019. The book explores political engagement in rural Pakistan, blending perspectives on clientelism and voting in the global South.  Listen to hear Shandana share insights from her extensive research, the collaborative efforts behind the book, and the relationship between land, kinship, and electoral politics in Pakistan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIONThis is a bonus episode of Governance Uncovered that is shorter than usual but just as filled with fascinating insights on local governance research. Our guest is Hannah Early Bagdanov, a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. She is also a Doctoral Student Affiliate of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Klau Center for Civil & Human Rights. This episode will discuss Hannah's GLD working paper, "Social Norms and Sector-Level Engagement with the State: Evidence from East Jerusalem." Hannah's research highlights how historical events have shaped the unique status and social norms of East Jerusalemites, influencing their interactions with the Israeli state. We'll also explore how Palestinians in East Jerusalem navigate their engagement with various state services, driven by community social norms, and discuss the contemporary implications in light of ongoing conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank. So, tune in to learn more about the relationship between Palestinians and the Israeli state in East Jerusalem.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTThis podcast is brought to you by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg and supported by the Swedish Research Council.In today's episode, we have Prakash Bhattarai joining us. Prakash is the Executive Director at the Center for Social Change, a non-profit think-tank based in Kathmandu, Nepal, working on the changing socio-political dynamics of Nepalese society via research, education, advocacy, and community mobilization.Host Ellen Lust and Prakash met to discuss quotas in Nepal at the local level, particularly quotas for women and the so-called lower castes, known as Dalits.The discussion is based on Prakash's research that evaluates the impact of Nepal's 2015 constitution, which introduced a federal governance system with quotas to ensure women, Dalits, and other marginalized groups are represented in all levels of government. Prakash argues that constitutionally mandated quotas offer only surface-level representation and don't foster true diversity and inclusion. For genuine representation, marginalized groups need to be part of the decision-making bodies within political parties and civic organizations. Beyond political inclusion, social inclusion is crucial for broader democratic engagement.LINKS:Prakash Bhattarai: socialchange.org.np/team-members/Center for Social Change: socialchange.org.np/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TRANSCRIPTIONGovernance Uncovered is a podcast produced by the Governance and Local Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg. This podcast is supported by the Swedish Research Council.EPISODE 59We are happy to let you know that this is another podcast mashup, this time with the Middle East Law and Governance (MELG) podcast. MELG is a peer-reviewed journal for scholarly analysis on issues pertaining to governance and social, economic, and ideological transformation in the MENA region. On the MELG podcast, they talk to the journal's contributors about their work and current events in the region. The podcast is hosted by MELG advisory board member Ezra Karmel.Ezra joined us in Gothenburg along with Christiana Parriera, Assistant Professor in the International Relations and Political Science Department at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and Intissar Kherigi, Research Associate at Sciences Po in Paris, and a visiting lecturer at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.Together with host Ellen Lust, they delve into how decentralization has shaped the political landscapes of countries like Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. Listen to hear about the complex balance of power, the role of elites, and the ongoing challenges of governance reform across the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIn this episode, we focus on governance at a local level in the city where GLD is based - Gothenburg. We discuss the potential of sharing economies at the household level and the Gothenburg Proposal, an e-petition platform that enhances local democracy and citizen engagement. We also share the inspiring work of Swedish Development Partner Gothenburg, also known as "IM Gothenburg," and their contribution towards local integration in the city.Interviews:Divia Jiménez Encarnación from Chalmers University and Emma Öhrwall from Democracy and Citizen Services, City of Gothenburg, were interviewed by Erica Metheney (GLD). Paper discussed: Jiménez Encarnación, Divia; Metheney, Erica Ann; Thuvander, Liane; Kalmykova, Yuliya; and Rosado, Leonardo. (2024). “Revealing patterns in household product consumption and sharing: An approach to support urban governance towards a sustainable sharing economy,” Sustainable Production and Consumption, Volume 45, Pages 244-264, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.01.009Åsa Aguayo Åkesson from Democracy and Citizen Services, City of Gothenburg, interviewed by Sara Bjurenvall (GLD). More information about the Gothenburg Proposal can be found here.Saga Cambon from IM Gothenburg was interviewed by Ellen Lust (GLD). IM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsweden/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIn this episode, we are joined by GLD fellow Fernando Brancoli, who is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is also an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.Fernando and host Ellen Lust discuss Fernando’s book Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right, published with Rutgers University Press in November 2023. The book looks at the rise of the far-right alliance that emerged in Brazil in 2020 around the figure of former president Jair Bolsonaro, exploring how Bolsonarismo has developed a specific political orientation through its partnerships with other groups, practices, and subjectivities within Brazil, as well as internationally.Ellen and Fernando talk about how the rise of far-right movements and Bolsonarismo has impacted and continues to impact different types of local communities within Brazil. Fernando points to the interaction between transnational, national, and local influences when explaining Bolsonarismo and how local communities have organized themselves in response. He parallels former and current leaders like Victor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump and suggests that Bolsonaro can be considered an international nationalist who aimed to create alliances to keep international actors out of Brazil. He also gives examples of how indigenous communities have utilized both cross-community and transnational relations and created new platforms of engagement and governance to build resistance.Discussions about this and much more will follow in the episode. We hope you find it interesting!-----Fernando Brancoli is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. He was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies (SPSS) in Princeton (2021-2023) and is currently an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, both in the US. Specializing in South-South relations, Brancoli's research delves into governance, security, and development. He conducted extensive fieldwork across three continents, exploring the interplay between local communities and transnational entities and their collective impact on governance. His publications include Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right (Rutgers University Press, 2023) and The Tropical Silk Road: The Future of China in South America (Stanford University Press, 2022). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIn this episode, we are joined by Egor Lazarev, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University. Egor and host Ellen Lust discuss Egor's book State-Building as Lawfare: Custom, Sharia, and State Law in Postwar Chechnya, which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. The book addresses two interrelated puzzles: why do local rulers tolerate and even promote non-state legal systems at the expense of state law, and why do some members of repressed ethnic minorities choose to resolve their everyday disputes using state legal systems instead of non-state alternatives? It documents how the rulers of Chechnya promote and reinvent customary law and Sharia in order to borrow legitimacy from tradition and religion, increase autonomy from the metropole, and accommodate communal authorities and former rebels. At the same time, the book shows how prolonged armed conflict disrupted the traditional social hierarchies and pushed some Chechen women to use state law, spurring state formation from below. As Ellen and Egor discuss the book, they get into how Egor first became interested in working in Chechnya, and on issues of legal pluralism, individual-level decision-making, and whether Egor believes that the book's perspective on the state as fragmented, always including centers and peripheries, extends to other contexts than the one of Chechnya and Russia. Lazarev, Egor. (2023). State-Building as Lawfare: Custom, Sharia, and State Law in Postwar Chechnya, Cambridge University Press. Online ISBN:DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009245913 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTIn the 55th episode of Governance Uncovered, we sit down with Diana Greenwald to talk about her book "Mayors in the Middle - Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine," which will be published by Columbia University Press in May 2024. Host Ellen Lust and Diana start by talking about what initially made Diana interested in Palestine and local governance in the West Bank. They then discuss the book itself, considering the dynamics of local self-government in the Palestinian West Bank. Diana argues that the system of Israeli indirect rule, particularly its emphasis on local policing, and the political affiliations of Palestinian mayors shape their governance strategies and outcomes. The episode ends with a discussion about how Diana's book might help us better understand the current levels of conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.Greenwald, Diana, B. (2024). Mayors in the Middle: Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine. Columbia University Press. ISBN: 9780231213158. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTThis episode of Governance Uncovered focuses on the Sudanese civil war. Our first guest Munzoul Assal, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Khartoum and the University of Bergen, gives us insight into Sudan's complex history. Then, we'll hear from Dr. Iman Ahmed, a global health specialist with a focus on migration and refugee studies. She discusses healthcare challenges faced by doctors in Sudan. Finally, Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani, Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies at McGill University, emphasizes the need for international attention to address humanitarian aid delivery challenges and political solutions in the crisis. The guests provide a comprehensive overview, highlighting the war's roots in political struggles and offering perspectives on healthcare issues and diaspora initiatives.Links:"A Love Letter to Sudan" - Interview with Professor Munzoul Assal by Åse Johanne Roti Dahl, communication adviser at CMI, May 2023. www.cmi.no/news/3137-a-love-letter-to-sudanGlobal Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism: grfdt.com/Sudan Doctor's Union: www.sdu-canada.ca/Sudan Doctor's Union donations campaign link, established on Zeffy: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/fundraising/…-a5c5-0f67021c45aaAfrican Studies at McGill University: asdmcgill.com/Doctors Without Borders Sudan: www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do…%20support."Sudan: How a tea-seller displaced by conflict led her family away from hunger." Article by Mohamed Elamin, World Food Programme, 2 August 2023.www.wfp.org/stories/sudan-how-t…ly-out-hungers-jaws Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Governance Uncovered is a podcast by the Governance and Lcoal Development Institute at the University of Gothenburg. This podcast is supported by the Swedish Research Council.In this episode, we have Dalia Abdelhady, Associate Professor in Sociology at Lund University, joining us in a conversation on diasporas. We'll discuss how events back home, whether natural disasters or political crises affect diaspora communities and how they engage with their homelands. We are also joined by Hamza Ouhaichi, a board member of the Moroccan Association in Malmö, Sweden, and a PhD student in computer science at Malmö University. Hamza will talk about how they work with community support at the Moroccan Association in Malmö and their recent emergency response efforts after the devastating earthquake in Morocco.Don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And without further ado, let's get into the episode!References:Abdelhady, D., & Aly, R. (Eds.) (2022). The Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429266102Abdelhady, D. (2011). The Lebanese Diaspora: The Arab Immigrant Experience in New York, Montreal and Paris. New York University Press.Abdelhady, D., & Aly, R. (2022). Coming to and coming from the Middle East: the unfolding of diaspora. In D. Abdelhady, & R. Aly (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas (pp. 1-19). Routledge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.