Politics and Rights Review

Community Gardens and the Substantive Turn in Nonreligion Community gardens illuminate the rise of nonreligion through lifestance, reframing ethics, community, and human–nature relations.

In Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion (2025), Professors Beaman, Cragun, and Ezzy identify a substantive nonreligious dimension expressed through concrete practices of care, justice, and relational engagement. politicsrights.com/community-ga...

Is the Cuban Dictatorship Coming to an End? The Cuban dictatorship faces energy collapse and shrinking external support. Is the regime approaching a decisive breaking point?

The Cuban dictatorship is entering one of the most fragile moments in decades. Internal collapse now converges with U.S. pressure, conditional talks, and the loss of external support, pushing the regime into uncharted territory.
#Cuba #Dictatorship
politicsrights.com/is-the-cuban...

On the Religious Politics of American Borders A critical analysis of the US–Mexico border as a space shaped by art, control, commerce, and political paradox.

Professor Elizabeth Shakman Hurd presents her new book Heaven Has a Wall, a powerful reflection on how U.S. borders entangle religion, law, and power.
#borderpolitics #religionandpolitics @bethhurd.bsky.social

The Christmas Verdict: Europe Alone A Christmas reflection on Europe’s growing isolation as power eclipses law, alliances turn transactional, and the continent confronts the future.

Prof. Baris Cayli Messina examines Europe’s growing awareness of its strategic isolation. An incisive contribution to current debates on sovereignty, alliance politics, and the future of democratic values in Europe. @bariscaylimessina.com

Secular Sensibilities amidst French and Québécois Politics Political leaders have stressed the importance of buttressing “secularism,” framed as a separation of undesirable religion from a public sphere.

Professor Jennifer A. Selby presents Secular Sensibilities, a critical ethnography of how secular regimes in France and Québec shape bodies, emotions, and belonging through the surveillance of racialized couples. politicsrights.com/secular-sens... @jselby.bsky.social #Secularism #Ethnography.

Winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Award, Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us exposes how racism impoverishes everyone and how solidarity can rebuild shared prosperity. #Inequality #SocialJustice #HumanRights #Democracy #PoliticsAndRightsReview
politicsrights.com/what-racism-...

5 Must-Read Books on Artificial Intelligence and Ethics What once seemed like neutral innovation has become a transformative force in finance, culture, and law. Yet the moral frameworks...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, law, and human attention. Yet our moral frameworks struggle to keep pace. Politics and Rights Review presents five essential books that confront this ethical deficit and rethink ethics for the algorithmic age. politicsrights.com/5-books-arti...

Assata Shakur: Violence in the U.S., Silence on Cuba’s Racism Assata Shakur died in Cuba after decades as a fugitive. Her violent legacy, silence on repression, and political reverberations remain.

In this opinion article, John Suarez, Executive Director of the Center for a Free Cuba, revisits the legacy of Assata Shakur, focusing on her silence about Cuba’s repression of Black citizens during her decades of exile. Avail. in EN/FR/ES
politicsrights.com/assata-shaku... @johnjsuarez.bsky.social

Against Innovation - Politics and Rights Review A critical look at innovation’s dark side: how it hides inequality, erases care work, and masks political issues behind tech progress.

In her powerful new piece Against Innovation, @jennydenbow.bsky.social interrogates how uncritical celebrations of technological progress obscure vital political, economic, and social questions. Available in open access in English, French, and Spanish. politicsrights.com/against-inno...

The Religious Turn in Great Power Politics Explore how states use religious soft power to shape identity and compete for influence in world politics.

Prof. Peter Mandaville analyzes how states use religion as soft power in global politics. A key resource on religion’s strategic role in foreign policy. Available in open access in English, French, and Spanish. politicsrights.com/the-religiou...
#religionandpolitics #politicsandrightsreview

Is the US Using Beijing’s Authoritarian Playbook? Beijing’s authoritarian playbook offers a chilling parallel to developments in the U.S., challenging the resilience of liberal democracy.

Prof. Michael Davis draws alarming parallels between democratic backsliding in the U.S. and Beijing’s authoritarian crackdown in Hong Kong, warning that the erosion of judicial independence and civil liberties signals a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism.

How Democracy, Media and Gender Equality Shape Abortion Views Explores how democracy, media freedom, and gender equality shape abortion attitudes across countries through cultural, political, and social lenses.

Prof. Amy Adamczyk (CUNY) explores why abortion views differ across countries. Using global data, she shows how democracy, media freedom, and gender equality shape public opinion. A sharp, timely study. @amyadamczyk.bsky.social politicsrights.com/how-democrac... #reproductiverights

Black Women and the Making of Human Rights Explore the role of Black women in shaping human rights, turning a distant ideal into a global practice rooted in resistance, solidarity, and justice.

Prof. Keisha N. Blain presents her book Without Fear, showing how Black women in the U.S. redefined human rights as a lived practice of resistance and solidarity. Available in open access in English, French, and Spanish. politicsrights.com/black-women-... #BlackFeminism #SocialJustice #Race

Understanding the Anti-Deportation Protests in Los Angeles Analysis of anti-deportation protests in Los Angeles, focusing on immigrant rights, public resistance, and threats to democratic values.

Prof. Ernesto Castañeda analyzes the mass anti-deportation protests in L.A. sparked by ICE raids. His article shows how citizens and immigrants united in defense of democracy and human rights. @drernestocast.bsky.social @theimmigrationlab.bsky.social

Project 2025: Authoritarian Agenda Disguised as Reform Project 2025 seeks to remake the U.S. state by centralizing executive power, purging civil institutions, and enforcing a singular ideological order.

Project 2025 is not about governance, but about redesigning the U.S. state through authoritarian logic. This briefing shows how civil rights and institutional neutrality are reframed as obstacles to be removed in favor of centralized, ideologically driven control.

Human Rights Discourse: Language, Translation and Genre Human rights discourse in supranational courts: how language, translation, and genre shape justice across ECtHR, IACtHR, and ACtHPR decisions.

Prof. Jekaterina Nikitina shows how human rights are not only protected by law, but also shaped by the language, translation, and genres that make law possible. politicsrights.com/human-rights...
#humanrights #ECtHR #politicsandrightsreview

Making Americans Bankrupt Again? How U.S. bankruptcy law deepens inequality—Melissa Jacoby’s Unjust Debts exposes a system that punishes the vulnerable and protects the powerful.

Prof. Melissa B. Jacoby argues that the U.S. bankruptcy system doesn’t just reflect inequality—it reinforces it. In Unjust Debts, she shows how bankruptcy law privileges corporations over people. politicsrights.com/making-ameri...
#bankruptcy @mbjacoby.bsky.social‬ #politicsandrightsreview

Why Illiberalism Explains Changes in Today’s Social Order Scholarship on populism has dominated the last two decades but is now retreating in the face of a new concept : that of illiberalism.

Prof. Marlene Laruelle argues that illiberalism—not populism—offers a sharper lens to grasp the reordering of today’s political imaginaries. #illiberalism #democracy #politicaltheory #politicsandrightsreview

Land Remains the World’s Engine of Social Change Land power shapes societal fate. Albertus shows how who owns land still drives inequality, politics, and global change in the 21st century.

Prof. Michael Albertus shows how land access continues to shape power, inequality, and political paths. His book Land Power is a must-read on today’s struggles over land, housing, and rights. The article is available in EN, FR & ES politicsrights.com/land-remains...
@mikealbertus.bsky.social‬

The Multiple Political Orders in New York City New York’s political order has long combined neoliberal, conservative, and egalitarian forces, defying the idea that it is simply a liberal stronghold.

Prof. Timothy Weaver ( @timweaver.bsky.social )‬ analyzes NYC’s political evolution, showing it’s shaped by the interplay of Neoliberalism, Conservatism & Egalitarianism—not a single liberal tradition. Essential reading on inequality, resistance & urban power.

Politics of Love - Politics and Rights Review Explores how love (ai) became a political discourse in modern China—bridging religion, nationalism, socialism, and affective governance.

Prof. Ting Guo traces how “love” became a political tool in China—from Christian missions to Maoist salvation to Xi’s family-state rhetoric. A must-read for anyone interested in how religion, affect, and nationalism shape power. @tingguowrites.bsky.social politicsrights.com/politics-of-...

We Were Never Meant to Obey: Weaving Abolitionist Constellations Abolition is not obedience undone, but freedom reclaimed. This essay weaves abolitionist constellations as maps toward justice and inner truth.

Prof. Brittany Friedman argues that carceral obedience is not natural but imposed. Her work traces how state violence shapes identity and suppresses authenticity. Abolition begins by rejecting obedience and reclaiming collective freedom. @curlyprofessor.bsky.social

Suicide by False Belief - Politics and Rights Review As a psychiatrist, I’ve spent my career working with patients who have delusions—that is, false beliefs held with unassailable conviction like believing that one is the Second Coming of Christ or…

Why do people cling to false beliefs despite evidence? Prof. Joe Pierre explores how mistrust, bias, and political narratives distort reality—and threaten democracy. A sharp analysis of belief, psychiatry, and public discourse. @psychunseen.bsky.social

Cuba’s Kleptocracy: How It Operates and Why It Matters Explore how Cuba's kleptocracy operates, its impact, and why it matters for global corruption and regional stability.

John Suarez ( @johnjsuarez.bsky.social ) examines how Cuba’s kleptocracy funnels power to a ruling elite, controlling the economy without oversight. This system relies on crime, fraud, and money laundering, while ordinary Cubans face deepening poverty. An eye-opening piece.

How Neoliberalism Reshaped Democracy After 1989 How neoliberalism redefined democracy in Europe after 1989, weakening representation and fueling technocracy, populism, and citizen discontent.

Prof. Emilija Tudzarovska ( @tudzarovska.bsky.social ) examines how neoliberalism reshaped European democracy after 1989, transforming institutions and political power. A must-read for understanding democracy today. Available in English, French, and Spanish.

Voice and Protest in Times of Democratic Decline Protest, political voice, and marginalized groups are key to resisting democratic erosion amid rising authoritarianism and a crisis of representation.

Prof. Aidan McGarry argues that true democracy requires more than voting. His work highlights how marginalized groups use protest to reclaim their voice and challenge exclusion. politicsrights.com/voice-protes... #democracy #protest #socialmovements #PoliticsAndRightsReview

Why Are Governments Short-Sighted? Modern leaders face crises and distractions that undermine long-term thinking, creating a short-termism trap that weakens democratic governance.

Why do governments struggle with long-term thinking? Behavioural economist Nicholas Chesterley examines how media pressure and cognitive overload drive short-termism in politics. A sharp analysis of policy, psychology, and leadership. politicsrights.com/why-are-gove... #PoliticsAndRightsReview

How State Sovereignty Fuels Language Loss: Lessons from Tibet State sovereignty drives global language loss and fuels attacks on diversity, as shown through fieldwork in Tibet.

Prof.Gerald Roche ( @geraldroche.bsky.social ) shows that language loss in Tibet is not accidental but a result of state policy rooted in sovereignty. His research reveals how state power dismantles cultural and linguistic diversity in the name of national unity.

When Too Much Freedom Leads to Tyranny Explores how freedom without responsibility can lead to chaos, hypocrisy, and tyranny. From pandemics to politics, liberty is under siege.

Prof. David Kinley discusses the risks of detaching freedom from responsibility. A powerful reflection on liberty, democracy, and societal trust. Available in open access in English, French, and Spanish. politicsrights.com/when-too-muc... #PoliticsAndRightsReview

Who Are the War Criminals, Genocidaires, and Terrorists? Discover how ordinary people become war criminals. Alette Smeulers reveals 14 perpetrator types and the psychology behind mass atrocities.

In her latest article, Prof. Alette Smeulers draws on her book Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities to explore who commits mass violence—and why. A sharp analysis of how ordinary people become involved in extraordinary crimes. politicsrights.com/who-are-war-... #PoliticsAndRightsReview #CriminalLaw