Webinar: Challenging ‘Political Legitimacy’ in a Transforming International Order

The research group "Transformation and Challenge to the International Order" at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the Open University will hold the first event of a series of seminars on Wednesday, 16 December at 12:30 (London time),

Title: Challenging ‘Political Legitimacy’ in a Transforming International Order

Event Overview:

Political challenges of recent years have seen different types of political regime grapple with conflicting claims to political legitimacy. In democratic and neo-authoritarian regimes alike, clashes between processes of direct, indirect and ‘managed’ democracy have led to protests about how the public will is best represented in politics; social media increasingly give a globally-networked character to campaigns about institutionalised inequity and bias; whilst the global pandemic has fuelled public mistrust and engagement with conspiracy theories that challenge established political institutions’ claims to legitimacy. In defending their positions, political actors have represented opposing voices as unrepresentative, self-interested, or corrupt – or redefined the terms of political legitimacy.

This webinar brings together speakers with a wide range of regional expertise, including MENA, Russia, the USA and Latin America, to discuss the challenges to political actors’ legitimacy – and to assumptions about the basis of political legitimacy – that have risen to global prominence in recent times. Covering debates about social norms, democracy and legitimacy; hegemony, counter-hegemony and protest; information, conspiracy theories and trust, this webinar will prompt a wholesale reimagining of how we engage with notions of political legitimacy in the present time.

Panellists:

• Dr Ruth Deyermond, King's College London  
• Professor Simon Mabon, Lancaster University
• Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, The Open University
• Dr Brigitte Weiffen, The Open University
• Chair: Dr Edward Wastnidge, The Open University

Anyone interested in attending, please register HERE