This paper examines the conditions under which African militaries seize power after constitutional changes in executive leadership. I argue that ethnic dynamics play a critical and underappreciated role in provoking military reactivity in such contexts. Elections, and particularly...

This essay considers what the possession of strong moral character might imply for political action, and whether democratic leaders should possess character of that sort. Democratic citizens ought to put forth people of strong moral character for high office, I argue, instead of engendering...

In December 2005, the British Conservative Party elected a new leader, David Cameron. As Cameron's leadership comes increasingly under the spotlight, he may be required to justify unpopular decisions and policy directions without necessarily being able to demonstrate the ultimate prospect of...

IN March 2006, Sir Menzies Campbell defeated Simon Hughes and Christopher Huhne to win the Liberal Democrats' leadership contest, which had been occasioned by Charles Kennedy's resignation. Although Sir Menzies' victory was not entirely unexpected, the scale of it was somewhat greater than...