Thank you to all who nominated a book for this esteemed prize which celebrates the distinctive contribution these works have made to advancing Political Studies.
From an impressive number of entries, we are grateful to our judging panel: Chair: Iain McLean; Barbara Piotrowska; Fiona MacKay; Roger Awan-Scully and Dena Aryia who have confirmed the following books have been shortlisted.
Disability and Political Representation
Professor Elizabeth Evans and Dr Stefanie Reher, published by Oxford University Press
Disability and Political Representation explores how and why representation is important for disabled people, but also how disability can help us think about the contours of political representation. The book examines the barriers to political participation that disabled people face and discusses why increasing the number of disabled politicians matters, not only as a matter of justice and equality but also to better represent the issues and interests of importance to disabled people. Drawing upon extensive empirical research, Disability and Political Representation identifies a variety of ableist barriers prevent disabled people from fully participating in the political process, from disenfranchisement and inaccessible polling stations to prejudice within parties and a lack of financial support for candidates who require adjustments.
One and All: The Logic of Chinese Sovereignty
Professor Pang Laikwan, published by Stanford University Press
The concept of sovereignty is a crucial foundation of the current world order. Regardless of their political ideologies no states can operate without claiming and justifying their sovereign power. The People’s Republic of China (PRC)—one of the most powerful states in contemporary global politics—has been resorting to the logic of sovereignty to respond to many external and internal challenges, from territorial rights disputes to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this book, Pang Laikwan analyzes the historical roots of Chinese sovereignty. Surveying the four different political structures of modern China—imperial, republican, socialist, and post-socialist—and the dramatic ruptures between them, Pang argues that the ruling regime’s sovereign anxiety cuts across the long twentieth century in China, providing a strong throughline for the state–society relations during moments of intense political instability.
How the radical right has changed capitalism and welfare in Europe and the USA
Dr Philip Rathgeb, published by Oxford University Press
Radical right parties are no longer political challengers on the fringes of party systems; they have become part of the political mainstream across the Western world. This book shows how they have used their political power to reform economic and social policies in Continental Europe, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, and the USA. In doing so, it argues that the radical right’s core ideology of nativism and authoritarianism informs their socio-economic policy preferences. However, diverse welfare state contexts mediate their socio-economic policy impacts along regime-specific lines, leading to variations of trade protectionism, economic nationalism, traditional familialism, labour market dualism, and welfare chauvinism.
The Politics of Intersectional Practice: Representation, Coalition and Solidarity in UK NGO
Dr Ashlee Christoffersen, published by Bristol University Press
It is increasingly recognized that, to achieve social justice, policies and organizations need to apply an intersectional approach, rather than addressing inequalities separately. However, intersectionality is a challenging theory to apply, as policy makers and practitioners often navigate the confines of divided policy areas. This book examines the use of intersectionality in UK policy and practice, with a specific focus on NGOs, outlining five distinct interpretations of intersectional practice and their implications. Drawing from extensive fieldwork with a diverse range of equality organizations, this book offers invaluable insights into how policy and practice can be organized in more (and less) intersectional ways.
Politicizing Political Liberalism: On the Containment of Illiberal and Antidemocratic Views
Dr Gabriele Badano and Dr Alasia Nuti, published by Oxford University Press
How should broadly liberal democratic societies stop illiberal and anti-democratic views from gaining influence while honouring liberal democratic values? This question has become particularly pressing after the recent successes of right-wing populist leaders and parties across Europe, in the US, and beyond. This book develops a normative account of liberal democratic self-defence that denounces the failures of real-world societies without excusing those supporting illiberal and anti-democratic political actors. This account is innovative in focusing not only on the role of the state but also on the duties of non-state actors including citizens, partisans, and municipalities. Consequently, it also addresses cases where the central government has at least partly been captured by illiberal and anti-democratic agents.
The Changing Electoral Map of England and Wales
Dr Jamie Furlong and Professor Will Jennings, published by Oxford University Press
This book offers a definitive account of the changing electoral geography of England and Wales over the past half century. Changes in social and economic structure have altered the spatial distribution of voters and combined with changes in the parties’ appeal to those voters (and the behaviour of voters) has led to a gradual, though recently accelerating, realignment in the geographical basis of electoral competition. Constituency-level analysis of voting at general elections between 1979 and 2019 shows a swing from Labour to the Conservatives in demographically left behind areas with largely white, working-class populations and lower levels of educational attainment, while Labour’s support has remained stable in places characterized by economic deprivation (economically left behind areas) and insecure employment (precariously left behind areas).
The winning book will be announced at the Prizes Ceremony and Drinks Reception on 31 March during the PSA26 Annual Conference in Oxford.
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