Governance Uncovered

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.

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. 

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. 

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/

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 Parreria, 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.LINKSEzra Karmel: gld.gu.se/en/about-gld/network…fellows/ezra-karmel/Christiana Parreria: gld.gu.se/en/about-gld/network…christiana-parreira/Intissar Kherigi: gld.gu.se/en/about-gld/network…es/intissar-kherigi/

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/