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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261006T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261006T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T094923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T164658Z
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SUMMARY:Democracy Ancient vs Modern: 10 things you really ought to know
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nWhatever your thoughts about the pressures on our current democracies\, BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock as we collectively take the long view across history and the breadth of political thinking which underpins our long held democratic systems and institutions. \nSo if our democracies are in trouble\, can we learn anything salutary by studying the history of – very different – democracy in ancient Greece?  \nYes – and No says Professor Paul Cartledge of Unversity of Cambridge. No\, precisely because the ancients’ democracies were so very different both in conception and in practice from any of our current versions.  Yes\, because some of their ideas – about citizen equality\, active participation\, use of the lottery – still have potential purchase today and for the future. \n Join Democracy Ancient Vs Modern: 10 things you really ought to know and let us know your own thoughts in our Q&A. \nProfessor Paul Cartledge\, University of Cambridge \n \nOn the Spot with Professor Paul Cartledge \n \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/democracy-ancient-vs-modern-10-things-you-really-ought-to-know/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:BRLSI,Democracy under Threat,Modern World,World Affairs
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260930T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260930T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T102728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T151048Z
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SUMMARY:Sir Stewart Eldon: the rules-based order
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nBRLSI are delighted that in an upcoming talk Sir Stewart Eldon KCMG OBE\, former UK permanent Representative to NATO will be with us to discuss how we best conduct our international relations. The effective conduct of international relations\, he says\,  is not predicated on how countries govern themselves internally.  Experience suggests that\, allowing for national variations in culture and governance\, democracies work better together to promote a common interest. The rules-based international order and the international organisations that underpin it provide an important scaffold for this and for how all countries work together.   \nIn today’s uncertain circumstances customary international rules and accountability are increasingly under threat from populist governments and autocracies. What are the implications for democracy\, international security and organisations such as the UN and NATO?  What can be done to put the international system on a more secure footing? Join Sir Stewart Eldon and take your chance to put questions to him in our Q&A to follow.   \nAn engineer by training\, Sir Stewart Eldon KCMG OBE spent thirty-four years in the Foreign Office\, finishing in March 2010 as UK Permanent Representative to NATO. His career focused on the United Nations\, NATO and the European Union but also included nearly four years as British Ambassador to Ireland. \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/ \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/sir-stewart-eldon-the-rules-based-order/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260921T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260921T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260715T090419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T174223Z
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SUMMARY:Everyone is right: media\, democracy & the problem of knowing
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nThe word propaganda has become almost unavoidable in political debate\, invoked to explain wars\, elections\, public health and social media. Yet the experts who study propaganda disagree profoundly about what counts as evidence\, what can reasonably be inferred\, and when certainty is justified. \nWhat if this disagreement reflects expert limitations\, but also reveals a deeper problem facing democratic citizens? Why do intelligent citizens\, journalists and scholars reach radically different conclusions about the same events? \nDrawing on two decades of research into media and international politics – from Hollywood to Moscow – this talk argues that one of the greatest challenges facing us is not simply deciding what is true\, but how to reason when evidence is incomplete. Rather than asking who is right\, it explores why experts reach such different conclusions\, how we should evaluate competing claims\, and what democratic citizens can reasonably know in an age of weaponised narratives. \nDr Matthew Alford\, University of Bath \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/everyone-is-right-media-democracy-the-problem-of-knowing/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,Modern World,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T110012Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T103359Z
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SUMMARY:Democracy\, liberalism\, capitalism: the triad unravelling
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nDemocracy\, liberalism and capitalism have represented the foundation and cornerstones of the modern Western world and until now have directed its world order. Yet\, the threads of this coherent fabric\, woven by threads of certainty\, universality and a clockwork world\, are beginning to unravel at an ever increasing rate of knots.This unravelling is met with astonishment and anguish in equal measure\, but the only solutions offered relate to doubling down by doing ever more of the same. All this will achieve is to speed up the demise of the triad. \nInstead\, says Andreas Wasmuht\, it is vital to look afresh at the threads of certainty\, universality and a clockwork world and realise that these only represent special cases in which complexity\, diversity and open ecosystems are the normal order of the day. We will need to come to terms with a world that is complex and unpredictable and understand how to act differently in order to be effective and challenge the prevailing worldview. \nAndreas Wasmuht\, BRLSI & University of Bath \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/ \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/democracy-liberalism-capitalism-the-triad-unravelling/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260409T105204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T141629Z
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SUMMARY:How British & American ideas about democracy first diverged
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAn upcoming talk by Joanna Innes examines some of the ways in which British and American political paths diverged in the decades following American independence\, with special reference to their development of differing ideas about democracy. The War of Independence was a civil war\, fought between countries which largely shared political values\, both highly critical of ‘democracy’\, as it was then understood. In the following decades\, as their political institutions\, practices and values diverged\, both joined other countries across Europe and the Americas in re-evaluating ‘democracy’. But their re-evaluations also took different paths\, laying the groundwork for some differences that persist today. \nJoanna Innes is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the University of Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow of Somerville College\, Oxford.  She co-edited the book ‘Re-imagining Democracy in the Age of Revolutions’\, which charts how people’s thinking about democracy changed in the North Atlantic region between the American Revolution and the revolutions of 1848. Also two sequels\, looking at the changing fortunes of democracy in the Mediterranean world and Latin America and the Caribbean. She is currently working on the final volume in the series\, which focusses on central & northern Europe. \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \n \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/how-british-american-ideas-about-democracy-first-diverged/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,Modern World,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260715T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260715T123000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260520T121129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T125846Z
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SUMMARY:BRLSI Big Read: Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAnd what of the great political novels? The BRLSI Big Read this month is on Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. \nLeft-wing intellectuals such as Arthur Koestler and George Orwell wrote widely of their bitter disillusionment at the perversion of the ideals and ambitions of Communism and the 1917 Russian revolution as it morphed – perhaps inevitably – into a murderously amoral police state under Stalin. \nKoestler personalises all this via the death-cell memories\, ruminations and remorse of the “Old Bolshevik” Rubashov\, the last of the heroic makers of the revolution and the Soviet state to have survived the purges of the 1930s in which Stalin destroyed all opposition to his rule and cowed a vast country. \nDarkness at Noon is one account of how\, not for the first time in history\, a revolution aspiring to provide bread and justice for all has eaten its children. This is how reviewers saw it after its publication in 1940: “A remarkable book\, a grimly fascinating interpretation of the logic of the Russian Revolution\, indeed of all revolutionary dictatorships …” and “Koestler approaches the problem of ends and means\, of love and truth and social organisation\, through the thoughts of Rubashov as he awaits death in a GPU prison.” \nLed by Chris Curtain\, journalist \nThings to consider while you’re reading:\n1 – In what context was this statement made O Liberty\, what crimes are committed in thy name!?\n2 – Did this book change your perception of the Soviet Union?\n3 – The novel’s central moral question is that the end justifies the means. Do you accept this rule to be an ethical one?\n4 – Is it possible for revolutionaries without a conscience to deliver freedom and happiness?\n5 – What is the meaning of the Dostoyevsky quote Man\, man\, one cannot live quite without pity. \nBig Read is free for BRLSI members – please register via the RSVP button below. \nNon-members are very welcome to join the discussion for £4 – please buy your ticket below. If you’d like to become a BRLSI member and take advantage of half-price (or free!) tickets\, discounted courses and other local offers\, please join via our membership page here! \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/big-read-darkness-at-noon-by-arthur-koestler/
LOCATION:Live at 16 Queen Square\, BRLSI 16-18 Queen Square\, Bath\, Somerset\, BA1 2HN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,Literature,The Big Read
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260713T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260713T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T123721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T125700Z
UID:10002231-1783971000-1783976400@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five & the making of the Soviet Empire
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAnd what of those de-stabilizing democracy by working for the other side? Seventy five years ago\, two British diplomats defected to the Soviet Union\, and shocked the world. Evidence emerged about a spy ring ended in the British establishment: the Cambridge Five. But who were they?  \nIn an upcoming talk\, Antonia Senior will tackle the myths surrounding Kim Philby\, Guy Burgess\, Anthony Blunt\, Donald Maclean and John Cairncross. Her talk addresses an overlooked question: How did the Five’s intelligence help Stalin achieve his strategic aims? And she will make it clear that this was not a victimless crime\, but a dark and bloody betrayal\, felt most acutely by the people of Eastern Europe who came under Stalin’s yoke. \nAntonia Senior is a writer\, critic and journalist. She has been the historical fiction reviewer at The Times for the past 14 years. She is a former deputy Business Editor and Leader Writer at the same paper. Her columns and journalism have appeared in\, among others\, The Guardian\, The Spectator\, Unherd and others. On becoming freelance\, Antonia published three novels\, two of which are set during the English Civil Wars. She podcasts as co-host of The History Bok Buffs\, which reviews history books and interviews authors on a range of topics\, including espionage. Antonia’s first work of non-fiction is Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire\, which considers the role of the most famous spy ring in history in advancing Stalin’s strategic aims.  \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/stalins-apostles-the-cambridge-five-the-making-of-the-soviet-empire/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T170000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T121525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T125511Z
UID:10002245-1783180800-1783184400@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Is Democracy really under threat? with Wera Hobhouse MP\, Thom Oliver\, Andreas Wasmuht\, Paul Jackson
DESCRIPTION:The Democracy under Threat series gets to the very roots of democratic principles and practices\, daring to ask the big questions. \nWhat is democracy? If voters are feeling apathy to such an extent that they can’t get out to vote\, are meaningful alternatives available? Is free speech a non-negotiable? Could direct democracy work? Is a deliberate strategy at play to keep the electorate satisfied and stupefied? Should we extend voting rights? \nTo mark the close of our Democracy Under Threat conference\, a panel of speakers including Wera Hobhouse MP\, Thom Oliver (Senior Lecturer in Politics UWE) Andreas Wasmuht (Chair of World Affairs\, BRLSI) and Paul Jackson (Organiser of the Democracy Under Threat Series) identify the current threats to democracy both at home and abroad and ask what remedies are at hand\, if any\, to help ameliorate current problems within our democratic systems. \nYou may wish to make the most of our special offer for this series – buy five watch online tickets for the price of four. Just remember to use the code DUT544 (in the shopping basket page) when purchasing. \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nThis booking page is for watch online ticket purchasers – to buy a ticket for the all day in-person event\, follow this link. \n  \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/is-democracy-really-under-threat-with-wera-hobhouse-mp/
LOCATION:Online Only
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,Modern World,World Affairs
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T160000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T125239Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T125351Z
UID:10002230-1783177200-1783180800@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Going\, going\, gone? The erosion of democracy in the USA
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nSo what of the U.S.A? The signing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the US Constitution heralded in a new era of hope\, based on core principles of power from the people\, limited government\, separation of powers among three branches\, checks and balances\, federalism\, and the protection of individual rights. 250 years on and these principles are being threatened by declining trust in elections\, partisan polarization\, the erosion of democratic norms\, checks and balances\, increased executive power\, and growing political violence. \nKey factors eroding liberal democracy include challenges to electoral integrity\, the weakening of media independence\, the normalization of political violence\, the politicization of the judiciary and law enforcement\, and the growing power of the executive branch. The politicization of the civil service and legal targeting of political opponents and the use of rhetoric of “law and order” to limit political participation threaten to further concentrate power. Political polarization and growing economic inequality have fostered distrust in institutions\, leading many voters to support the populist leaders driving these changes. \nThese developments are reflected in various democracy indices which have downgraded democratic health in the US\, with some showing the US at the threshold of autocracy. \n Join Professors Paul D’Anieri and Rajan Menon in conversation with Andreas Wasmuht as they trace the background to these dangerous developments\, explore their impacts on a global scale\, and finally explore potential future trajectories of Democracy in the US and Democracy in general. \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nThis is the watch online booking page for this talk only. To book an in-person ticket for the all-day event\, please go to the Democracy under Threat page here. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/ \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/going-going-gone-the-erosion-of-democracy-in-the-usa/
LOCATION:Online Only
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T133000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T143000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T152441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T125213Z
UID:10002228-1783171800-1783175400@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Unmoored voices: how voters navigate Britain’s complex democracy
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAs people become less loyal to traditional political parties in Britain\, more voters feel “unmoored” – unsure about where they belong politically.  Drawing on insights from the Qualitative Election Study of Britain\, this talk will use the words of ordinary voters to explore the narratives and prompts they use to navigate the contested and changing political world.  \nHow do they decide who deserves praise or blame? And what mental shortcuts are used when they’re not clear who’s responsible for what?   \nThe talk will also look at how these everyday stories shape perceived trust in politics\, participation in democracy\, and beliefs about whether the system is fair – and what might help people to feel more confident in politics and democracy itself. \nDr Thom Oliver (UWE) \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nThis is the watch online booking page for this talk only. To book an in-person ticket for the all-day event\, and to learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/unmoored-voices-how-voters-navigate-britains-complex-democracy/
LOCATION:Online Only
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T123000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T131556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T124959Z
UID:10002227-1783164600-1783168200@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:The role of checks & balances in democracy
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAnd what of the democratic health of Britain? There are two common views on how the UK’s political system functions. One sees power as dangerously concentrated\, and supports reforms designed to strengthen checks and balances. For the other\, those in positions of nominal power are prevented from acting decisively by innumerable constraints\, and reforms need to cut these fetters away. Partisans of these different views do not always listen sufficiently to each other.  \nIn this talk\, Professor Alan Renwick will examine the arguments on both sides and assess what conclusions we can reasonably draw about how checks and balances ought to function in the political system. He will then explore implications particularly for debates around electoral reform and ways of deepening public participation in the democratic process.Politics \nProfessor Alan Renwick (University College London) \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nThis is the watch online booking page for this talk only. To book an in-person ticket for the all-day event\, please go to the Democracy under Threat page here. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/the-role-of-checks-balances-in-democracy/
LOCATION:Online Only
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T110000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T150407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T124807Z
UID:10002226-1783159200-1783162800@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Threats to democracy: a historical perspective
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAt present it seems the world is afflicted by a sense of democratic despondency. Experts see diverse countries spread across the world as providing reasons for concern. Authoritarianism is strengthening\, they tell us\, even in countries where democracy was supposedly more established. They include the US under Donald Trump and – perhaps – the UK. This pessimism contrasts significantly with the pessimism of the late twentieth century\, and what was known as the ‘Third Wave’ of international democratisation.  \nWhat has happened? How bad is it? And what – if anything – can we do about it? This talk approaches these questions using an historical perspective\, focusing in particular on the past of the UK. \nProfessor Andrew Blick (King’s College London) \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nThis is the watch online booking page for this talk only. To book an in-person ticket for the all-day event\, please go to the Democracy under Threat page here. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/ \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/threats-to-democracy-a-historical-perspective/
LOCATION:Online Only
CATEGORIES:BRLSI,Democracy under Threat
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T093000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260704T173000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T155014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260703T154720Z
UID:10002224-1783157400-1783186200@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Democracy Under Threat conference
DESCRIPTION:On July 4th BRLSI will be hosting an all-day conference as part of the Democracy Under Threat series. Here you can get to watch some great speakers and exchange thoughts with fellow attendees over lunch. At the close of play\, a panel which includes Wera Hobhouse\, Member of Parliament for Bath will discuss the issues which have come up throughout the course of the day. \nTo attend the conference\, you can purchase an all-day ticket for Queen Square below\, or if you can’t join us in the building\, you can still livestream individual sessions from the comfort of your own home. All individual sessions are listed here. \nYou may even want to make the most of our special offer for the series – buy five or more watch online tickets for the Democracy under Threat series and get 20% off!   Use the code DUT544 in the offer code box in your basket. \nProgramme: \n9.15 am – Registration at BRLSI (for a 9.45 start.) \n9.45 am Introductions \n10:00-11:00 – Professor Andrew Blick (King’s College London) \nThreats to democracy: a historical perspective \nThe world is afflicted by a sense of democratic despondency. Experts see diverse countries spread across the world as providing reasons for concern. Authoritarianism is strengthening\, they tell us\, even in countries where democracy was supposedly more established. They include the US under Donald Trump and – perhaps – the UK. This pessimism contrasts significantly with the pessimism of the late twentieth century\, and what was known as the ‘Third Wave’ of international democratisation. What has happened? How bad is it? And what – if anything – can we do about it? This talk approaches these questions using an historical perspective\, focusing in particular on the past of the UK. \n11:00-11:30 Break \n11:30-12:30 – Professor Alan Renwick (University College London) \nThe role of checks & balances in democracy \nThere are two common views on how the UK’s political system functions. One sees power as dangerously concentrated\, and supports reforms designed to strengthen checks and balances. For the other\, those in positions of nominal power are prevented from acting decisively by innumerable constraints\, and reforms need to cut these fetters away. Partisans of these different views do not always listen sufficiently to each other. In this talk\, Alan Renwick will examine the arguments on both sides and assess what conclusions we can reasonably draw about how checks and balances ought to function in the political system. He will then explore implications particularly for debates around electoral reform and ways of deepening public participation in the democratic process. \n12:30-13:30 – Lunch break (light sandwich lunch included) \n13:30-14:30 – Dr Thom Oliver (UWE) \nUnmoored voices: how voters navigate Britain’s complex democracy \nAs people become less loyal to traditional political parties in Britain\, more voters feel ‘unmoored’ – unsure about where they belong politically.  Drawing on insights from the Qualitative Election Study of Britain\, this talk will use the words of ordinary voters to explore the narratives and prompts they use to navigate the contested and changing political world. How do they decide who deserves praise or blame?  And what mental shortcuts are used when they’re not clear who’s responsible for what?  The talk will also look at how these everyday stories shape perceived trust in politics\, participation in democracy\, and beliefs about whether the system is fair – and what might help people to feel more confident in politics and democracy itself. \n14:30-15:00 Break \n15:00-16:00 – Professors Paul D’Anieri (University of California at Riverside) & Rajan Menon (City University of New York) in conversation with Andreas Wasmuht (BRLSI Director & World Affairs convenor) \nGoing\, going\, gone: the erosion of democracy in the USA \nThe signing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the US Constitution heralded in a new era of hope\, based on core principles of power from the people\, limited government\, separation of powers among three branches\, checks and balances\, federalism\, and the protection of individual rights. 250 years on and these principles are being threatened by declining trust in elections\, partisan polarization\, the erosion of democratic norms\, checks and balances\, increased executive power\, and growing political violence. \nKey factors eroding liberal democracy include challenges to electoral integrity\, the weakening of media independence\, the normalization of political violence\, the politicization of the judiciary and law enforcement\, and the growing power of the executive branch. The politicization of the civil service and legal targeting of political opponents and the use of rhetoric of “law and order” to limit political participation threaten to further concentrate power. Political polarization and growing economic inequality have fostered distrust in institutions\, leading many voters to support the populist leaders driving these changes. These developments are reflected in various democracy indices which have downgraded democratic health in the US\, with some showing the US at the threshold of autocracy. \n Join Professors Paul D’Anieri and Rajan Menon in conversation with Andreas Wasmuht as they trace the background to these dangerous developments\, explore their impacts on a global scale\, and finally explore potential future trajectories of Democracy in the US and Democracy in general. \n16:30-17.30 \nTo mark the close of our Democracy Under Threat conference\, a panel of speakers including Wera Hobhouse MP\, Alan Renwick (Professor of Democratic Politics\, University College London)\, Thom Oliver (Senior Lecturer in Politics in the School of Social Sciences at UWE) Andreas Wasmuht (BRLSI) and Paul Jackson (BRLSI) identify the current threats to democracy both at home and abroad and ask what remedies are at hand\, if any\, to help ameliorate current problems within our democratic systems. Wera Hobhouse will also discuss what the day to day life of a working MP looks like. \n5.30pm close.
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/democracy-under-threat-conference/
LOCATION:Live at 16 Queen Square\, BRLSI 16-18 Queen Square\, Bath\, Somerset\, BA1 2HN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260701T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260701T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260511T150251Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T124650Z
UID:10002190-1782934200-1782939600@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Democracy & the ancient art of working an audience
DESCRIPTION:BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day\, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics\, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions. \nAn upcoming talk in the series asks if performative politics is really such a bad thing? Democracy rests on public persuasion\, says David Wiles\, and persuasion (aka ‘rhetoric’) rests on technique. Democracy and theatre emerged together in Athens as twin arts of public speaking.  The French revolutionaries embraced oratory in the late 18th century\, but the American founding fathers were ambivalent – they were wary about ‘democracy’\, and could not define ‘the people’. Why do we worry about ‘performative’ politics\, and ‘populists’ who construct an image of ‘the people and why have we driven performance from our educational system\, and let social media rob us of a public sphere where people listen as well as orate? Could it possibly be that ancient issues have come home to roost? \nDavid Wiles is a theatre historian who has worked extensively in the fields of Greek and Elizabethan theatre.  He spent most of his career teaching at Royal Holloway\, University of London\, and is now the Emeritus Professor of Drama\, University of Exeter. Recent books include Theatre and Citizenship (2011) and Democracy\, Theatre & Performance (2024)\, both published by Cambridge University Press. He was lead editor of The Cambridge Companion to Theatre History (2013) \nA discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series\, excluding the conference on the 4th of July. \nImage: “Give me liberty or give me death! Patrick Henry giving his great speech on the Rights of the Colonies\, before the Virginia Assembly… concluding with the above statement which became the war cry of the Revolution.” \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/democracy-the-ancient-art-of-working-an-audience/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,Modern World,World Affairs
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260624T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260624T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T151246Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T074945Z
UID:10002196-1782329400-1782334800@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:Can Britain’s two-party system survive?
DESCRIPTION:Democracy under threat is BRLSI’s brand new talks programme taking place between now and December 2026. \nWhatever your thoughts about the pressures on our current democracies\, BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock as we collectively take the long view through history and the wealth of political thinking which underpins our long held democratic systems and institutions. \nBut what of our domestic politics? Post-war British politics has for the most part seen power alternate between majority Conservative and Labour governments. However\, at the 2024 election the combined level of support for those two parties fell to its lowest level in a hundred years\, and a record number of seats was won by third parties and independents.  \nSince then support for the two parties has fallen yet further\, with as many as five political parties now enjoying significant support. Political scientist John Curtice\, who many of you may recognise for his work for the BBC on election night\, will analyse the reasons behind the change and assess the prospects for the future of British politics. \nProfessor John Curtice\, University of Strathclyde \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/ \n 
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/can-britains-two-party-system-survive/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T210000
DTSTAMP:20261015T012941
CREATED:20260508T153044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260513T114218Z
UID:10002225-1782156600-1782162000@www.brlsi.org
SUMMARY:The militarisation of British democracy
DESCRIPTION:Democracy under threat is BRLSI’s brand new talks programme taking place between now and December 2026. \nWhatever your thoughts about the pressures on our current democracies\, BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock as we collectively take the long view through history and the wealth of political thinking which underpins our long held democratic systems and institutions. \nBut with its long-held democratic traditions\, is Britain impervious to any perceived push toward authoritarianism? In his book\, The Militarisation of British Democracy\, Professor Paul Dixon argues that the military elite and their allies drove Britain into the disastrous 9/11 wars\, reinforced trends towards authoritarianism\, and are now driving Britain into World War Three.  \nIn Britain\, Dixon says\, the military is the model of a conservative-authoritarian (bureaucratic) organisation and strongly associated with the political Right. Consequently\, the military’s dominant narrative has been that the “noble” military elite and their allies\, rather than “devious” politicians\, should be in control. National unity\, behind conservative-authoritarian\, militarist values\, is necessary to defeat the enemy on the front line but also the “enemy within”. A whole of society approach is necessary to manipulate or manufacture support for war. By contrast\, democracies are ineffective because of their “weakness”\, most particularly their “divisive” pluralism and tendency towards political compromise which leads\, inevitably\, to defeat. \nDo you agree? Join Paul Dixon as he explores how societies begin to strengthen themselves against the rising threat of authoritarianism. \nProfessor Paul Dixon teaches at the universities of Leicester and Queen Mary’s London. His publications include Warrior Nation (2018)\, Performing the Northern Ireland Peace Process (2018)\, (ed) The British Approach to Counterinsurgency (2012)\, Northern Ireland: The Politics of War and Peace (2nd ed. 2008) and The Militarisation of British Democracy (2024) and uses a theatrical metaphor to explain power and the dynamics of politics. \nTo learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme\, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
URL:https://www.brlsi.org/whatson/the-militarisation-of-british-democracy/
LOCATION:Queen Square or Online\, 16 Queen Square\, Bath\, BA1 2HN
CATEGORIES:Democracy under Threat,World Affairs
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