Many voters feel completely powerless in the election process and their engagement with democracy; they talk in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and of not being respected by those in power.
Charles King, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Consensual same-sex conduct is a crime in 38 African countries. The media in those countries are very much in cahoots with their rulers. But they’re getting their comeuppance from Twitter.
Many praise the internet as a democratizing force. But with online spaces replacing physical public squares as places for debate, what do we risk losing?
There is increasing evidence that voters have lost their faith in politicians and politics. But the way to restore faith is by implementing policies that make economic and social sense.
Concern about youth electoral enrolment is framed the wrong way. It usually suggests that young people are somehow deficient and that they – and not the political culture – are the problem.
Sex workers in South Africa are all potential criminals due to the country’s regressive laws. But their status may change soon, making South Africa the first African country to decriminalise sex work.
Managing Director of the McCourtney Institute of Democracy, Associate Research Professor, Political Science, Co-host of Democracy Works Podcast, Penn State