About Nic Cheeseman

Nic Cheeseman is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham. He has won a number of awards and prizes including the Joni Lovenduski Prize of the Political Science Association of the UK for outstanding professional achievement and the Economic and Social Research Council prize for “outstanding international impact”. Professor Cheeseman is also the author or editor of more than ten books, including How to Rig an Election (2018) – selected as one of the books of the year by the Spectator magazine. A frequent commentator democracy, elections and global events, his analysis has appeared in the Economist, Le Monde, Financial Times, Newsweek, the Washington Post, New York Times, BBC, Daily Nation and he writes a regular column for the Africa Report.

Nic Cheeseman is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham. He has won a number of awards and prizes including the Joni Lovenduski Prize of the Political Science Association of the UK for outstanding professional achievement and the Economic and Social Research Council prize for “outstanding international impact”. Professor Cheeseman is also the author or editor of more than ten books, including How to Rig an Election (2018) – selected as one of the books of the year by the Spectator magazine. A frequent commentator democracy, elections and global events, his analysis has appeared in the Economist, Le Monde, Financial Times, Newsweek, the Washington Post, New York Times, BBC, Daily Nation and he writes a regular column for the Africa Report.

Nic's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Nic:

How Can Going Inside the Political Mind Help Us to Better Understand Development?

November 15, 2024

How Can Going Inside the Political Mind Help Us to Better Understand Development?

Greg Power
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Why do efforts to build effective states and deliver services to citizens so often go wrong? And how can understanding the inside of the political min…

Why Almost Everything You Think about Protests in Africa is Wrong

September 19, 2024

Why Almost Everything You Think about Protests in Africa is Wrong

Zoe Marks
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

For decades, media and academic analysis of African politics has emphasised instability, political violence, and male dominance. Yet a brilliant new a…

Will Urban Youth Fundamentally Change African Politics?

July 31, 2024

Will Urban Youth Fundamentally Change African Politics?

Amy S. Patterson, Tracy Kuperus, and Megan Hershey
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Will Africa’s increasingly youthful population lead to new democratic and development breakthroughs? Or will it generate fresh instability as frustrat…

The Democratic Regression: The Political Causes of Authoritarian Populism. A Conversation with Armin Schäfer and Michael Zürn

June 27, 2024

The Democratic Regression

Armin Schäfer and Michael Zürn
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Why are so many democracies experiencing the rise of authoritarian populism? And what can we do to address this? Join Nic Cheeseman as he talks to Arm…

The Politics of Development: A Conversation with Claire Mcloughlin and David Hudson

May 16, 2024

The Politics of Development

Claire Mcloughlin and David Hudson
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Development is political but what does that mean for how we solve some of the biggest challenges facing the world today? A pathbreaking new book, The …

Why are there more women in parliament than ever before, and does it matter?

January 31, 2024

Why are there more women in parliament than ever before, and does it matter?

Aili Mari Tripp
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Why do some countries do better than others in advancing women as political leaders and in promoting women’s rights? And what difference does this mak…

Have We Entered a New Era of African Politics and International Relations?

December 13, 2023

Have We Entered a New Era of African Politics and International Relations?

Mwita Chacha and Obert Hodzi
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman

Is the recent resurgence of military coups reshaping politics in sub-Saharan Africa? Is faith in multiparty elections waning among citizens? And how d…

Coups and the Threat of “Feel Good” Militarism in Africa

September 15, 2023

Coups and the Threat of “Feel Good” Militarism in Africa

Rita Abrahamsen
Hosted by Nic Cheeseman
Listen:

Why are we seeing a rise in coups in Africa and growing debate about the possible benefits of military rule? What are the roots of “feel good” militar…