Support Kritika | Support H-Net | Buy Books Here | Join the NBN and NBN en Español on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!
- African Studies
- African American Studies
- American Politics
- American Studies
- American South
- American West
- Asian American Studies
- Australian and New Zealand Studies
- British Studies
- Canadian Studies
- Caribbean Studies
- Central Asian Studies
- Chinese Studies
- East Asian Studies
- Eastern European Studies
- European Politics
- French Studies
- German Studies
- Iberian Studies
- India Studies
- Indian Ocean World
- Indigenous Studies
- Iranian Studies
- Irish Studies
- Israel Studies
- Italian Studies
- Japanese Studies
- Korean Studies
- Latino Studies
- Latin American Studies
- Mexican Studies
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Pacific Studies
- Polish Studies
- Russian and Eurasian Studies
- Southeast Asian Studies
- South Asian Studies
- Taiwan Studies
- Turkish Studies
- Ukrainian Studies
- Western European Studies
- World Affairs
- Animal Studies
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Business, Management, and Marketing
- Media and Communications
- Critical Theory
- Disability Studies
- Drugs, Addiction and Recovery
- Education
- Economics
- Finance
- Geography
- Gender Studies
- Genocide Studies
- Higher Education
- Human Rights
- Journalism
- Language and Translation
- Law
- LGBTQ+ Studies
- National Security
- Philanthropy
- Philosophy
- Policing, Incarceration, and Reform
- Political Science
- Politics & Polemics
- Public Policy
- Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Work
- Sociology
- Sound Studies
- Sports
- Urban Studies
- Big Ideas
- Celebration Studies
- Co-Authored
- Cover Story
- Historical Materialism
- History Ex Silo
- Interpretive Political and Social Science
- Invested Investor
- Landscape Architecture
- Mormonism
- NBN Book of the Day
- NBN Seminar
- New Books with Miranda Melcher
- On the Cusp: Between Strategy and Ethics
- Postscript: Conversations on Politics and Political Science
- Practical History
- Preparing for Life After Grad School
- Psychology and Climate Change
- Syriac Studies
- The Chair: In The Room at the Fed
- Oceanic Studies
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.
NBN Episodes hosted by Nic:
January 16, 2026
Are We Living in the Golden Age of Transnational Repression?
Government critics and pro-democracy campaigners used to be relatively safe when they fled into exile. Now transnational repression means that corrupt…
October 7, 2025
Delivering for Democracy – Why results matter
The global wave of democratic backsliding has undermined the ascendancy of democracy in the twenty-first century. So what do democracies need to do to…
September 16, 2025
When Should the Majority Rule – and is it time to resign democracy?
When do limits on majorities enhance democratic rule, and when do they undermine it? Join Nic Cheeseman as he talks to Steven Levitsky and Daniel Zibl…
August 18, 2025
What Makes for Successful Civil Resistance?
As authoritarian leaders attack democracy from all sides, and the rights of women, ethnic minorities and the LGTBQI+ community are increasingly threat…
July 3, 2025
The attack on democracy in the United States, and the new resistance
The attack in democracy under President Donald Trump in the United States is both broader and deeper than you think. In this timely conversation with …
May 14, 2025
What is environmental authoritarianism and why we should be mindful of its allure
The argument that authoritarian governments are better at dealing with the climate emergency is gaining ground, fuelled by the idea that undemocratic …
April 2, 2025
Colonial Origins of Democracy and Dictatorship
The debate about the impact of colonialism on the prospects for democracy and development continues to rage. Was the legacy of colonialism equally des…
December 13, 2024
How to Tackle Political Violence
In the United States, France, and Germany, political violence has been rising. This is particularly troubling as we lack compelling explanations for w…
November 15, 2024
How Can Going Inside the Political Mind Help Us to Better Understand Development?
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…
September 19, 2024
Why Almost Everything You Think about Protests in Africa is Wrong
For decades, media and academic analysis of African politics has emphasised instability, political violence, and male dominance. Yet a brilliant new a…
July 31, 2024
Will Urban Youth Fundamentally Change African Politics?
Will Africa’s increasingly youthful population lead to new democratic and development breakthroughs? Or will it generate fresh instability as frustrat…
June 27, 2024
The Democratic Regression
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…
May 16, 2024
The Politics of Development
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 …
January 31, 2024
Why are there more women in parliament than ever before, and does it matter?
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…
December 13, 2023
Have We Entered a New Era of African Politics and International Relations?
Is the recent resurgence of military coups reshaping politics in sub-Saharan Africa? Is faith in multiparty elections waning among citizens? And how d…
September 15, 2023
Coups and the Threat of “Feel Good” Militarism in Africa
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…