Q+A: How does our unconscious mind alter political outcomes?
Scientists are finding more and more evidence that human behaviour is not rational, not conscious, and maybe completely programmed without our rational thinking. How does the unconscious mind and biological predispositions affect political outcomes and prejudice...
Can bots shift public opinion?
By Tauhid Zaman Even a few bots can shift public opinion in big ways, according to new research from Tauhid Zaman. Nearly two-thirds of the social media bots with political activity on Twitter before the 2016 U.S. presidential election supported Donald Trump. But all...
What is free speech? ▶
Banned books, defamation suits, de-platformed public figures, alt-righters without a venue: is there a crisis of free speech in New Zealand? And what exactly is free speech: a necessary guarantee of democracy or a misused threat to the common good? On September 10,...
Can international finance help protect human rights? 🔊
Can international finance systems be harnessed to protect human rights? While historically, financiers have funded some of the worst human rights abuses, finances also enabled great human leaps. David Kinley argues that it is time to alter the financial system for the...
How has the Declaration of Human Rights changed the world?
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. How has it changed the world as we know it? In 1948 the Declaration was signed to prevent the horrors of WWII from re-occurring. It set up human rights standards for all and is the world’s...
Blood on the floor: How did politics become so uncivil?
By Naomi Lai From Donald Trump’s Twitter rants to the infamous behaviour of former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, how did politics become so uncivil? From imitating a disabled reporter, to name-calling and insulting other world leaders via Twitter, the list of Donald...
How can we make sense of the Trump Administration? 🔊
How can we make sense of the Trump Administration? What do the latest revelations from inside the White House mean within the wider context of US politics and political history? Maria Armoudian discusses what is going on with George C. Edwards III, Jeremi Suri, and...
Q+A: Does democracy have a dark side?
Democracy, the idea of governing of, for and by the people, is a long-exhausted principle, particularly in places like the United States and New Zealand. However, Michael Mann suggests that democracy may also have a dark side. Mann suggests that majorities can and do...
Russian trolls and bots: What are they, what they do and how to craft effective responses
By Pamela Williamson Pamela Williamson looks into the world of Russian trolls and bots. The mechanisation of bots to power political messaging is a very new phenomenon, although propaganda during war has been around for a long time. The seminal work of Harold Laswell...Subscribe by Email
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