Has there ever been a better time to study politics? From the politics of energy to climate change, the politics of migration to global pandemics, and democratic accountability to the politics of self-identity, questions of power, representation, and protest loom large. Traditional party politics creaks under the weight of social transformation, while longstanding allegiances are challenged by the rise of populism, nationalist sentiment and multiculturalism.

These modern challenges require political responses that address these urgent needs through policy solutions, programmes and strategies of immediate relevance to modern societies. The study of politics here at Lancaster examines the contemporary political arguments, processes and institutions through which these challenges are met, denied or avoided.