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Nic Cheeseman

Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham

Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham. He was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. His research addresses a range of questions such as whether populism is an effective strategy of political mobilization in Africa, how paying tax changes citizens’ attitudes towards democracy and corruption, and the conditions under which ruling parties lose power. In addition to a number of book chapters and articles, he has published two co-edited collections: Our Turn To Eat (2010), which covers the politics of Kenya since independence, and The Handbook of African Politics (2013). A monograph, Democracy in Africa, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2015 and a second book, How to Rig An Election, is currently under contract with Yale.

Nic spends much of his time explaining the implications of his work to policy makers, including the Cabinet Office, Foreign Office, and the Department for International Development of the UK government, the Instituto Rio Branco of the Brazilian government, the Lagos State Government, the Pan African Parliament, and the World Bank. He is the joint editor of African Affairs, an advisor to the African Progress Panel, and a member of the advisory board of the UNICEF Chair on Communication Research (Africa). Finally, Nic writes a regular column for Kenya's Sunday Nation newspaper and is the founder of www.democacyinafrica.org. You can follow all of his research on Twitter @fromagehomme and at https://www.facebook.com/nic.cheeseman

Fears of election rigging may fuel further abuses in Kenya: democracy could be the loser

Feb 23, 2022 22:39 pm UTC| Politics

As Kenyans approach a general election in August 2022, many lack confidence in the electoral process. According to a national opinion poll conducted by Afrobarometer in 2019, only 29.2% of Kenyans thought that the...

Digital democracy is still a long way off in Africa: it takes more than technology

Oct 05, 2020 13:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

From the mid-2000s onwards, the digital revolution raised hopes of democratic transformation and strengthening in Africa. But it hasnt quite turned out like that. Now, almost a decade after the Arab Spring, techno-optimism...

Discrediting elections: why the opposition playbook carries risks

Feb 25, 2020 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Malawi recently held its breath as the Constitutional Court took ten hours to painstakingly read out its verdict on the highly controversial 2019 presidential elections. When it finally became clear that the judgment would...

Kenya: why elite cohesion is more important than ethnicity to political stability

Feb 22, 2020 00:25 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Kenyan politics is often depicted as a battle between different ethnic Big Men who can mobilise their supporters with a click of their fingers. The ability of successive generations of the Kenyatta family to rally the...

Both democracy and authoritarianism are on the rise in Africa

Feb 19, 2019 16:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Is democracy in Africa in retreat? Or is it simply suffering growing pains? The last 12 months have seen a great deal of controversy and debate on these important questions. There have been some bright spots, like the...

Zambia slides towards authoritarianism as IMF props up government

Jun 21, 2017 15:45 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Patrick Matibini, has suspended 48 opposition legislators for 30 days as a punishment for unauthorised absence from the parliament. Their offence? To have been missing for...

Economy

The yen plunges to 34-year low despite interest rate hike

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years on March 19, bringing an era of negative interest rates to an end. The key rate was hiked from 0.1% to a band from zero to 0.1% a token effort...

The idea that US interest rates will stay higher for longer is probably wrong

The 0.4% rise in US consumer prices in March didnt look like headline news. It was the same as the February increase, and the year-on-year rise of 3.5% is still sharply down from 5% a year ago. All the same, this modest...

Impact of Iran-Israel conflict on Stocks, Gold and Bitcoin

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. The information provided is for general purposes only. No information, materials, services and other content provided on this page constitute a solicitation, recommendation,...

Japan Posts 7.7% Growth in Machinery Orders

In a striking development that looks set to invigorate Japans economic prospects, a key gauge of capital spending in the country has seen its most significant jump in over a year. According to Cabinet Office data released...

Why Africa can be the beating heart of South Korea’s technology industry

Tshepo Ncube, Head: International Coverage and Bhavtik Vallabhjee, Head: Power, Utilities Infrastructure at Absa CIB reflect on their recent visit to South Korea, examining why investors in the region have their eyes set...

Politics

US Commerce Secretary Asserts Huawei Chip Lag, Affirms Export Control Success

In an interview on CBS News 60 Minutes, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the latest Huawei Mate 60 Pro phones chip remains significantly behind U.S. technology despite being the most advanced from China. She...

The Alberta government is interfering in public sector bargaining on an unprecedented scale

In the coming months, over 200,000 public sector workers in Alberta will begin bargaining with their employers for new contracts. The most recent agreements expired in March and, after many years of high inflation and few...

Putin’s Russia: first arrests under new anti-LGBT laws mark new era of repression

Just over three decades after Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, three people have been arrested and charged under the countrys harsh new anti-LGBT laws and could face ten years in prison for membership of an...

Nvidia RTX 4090D Embroiled in US-China Tech Rivalry; South Korea Navigates Chip Export Dilemma

The U.S. government has tightened export restrictions on high-performance semiconductor chips to China, including the Nvidia RTX 4090D, and is urging South Korea to enforce similar curbs, marking a significant escalation...

Canada needs a national strategy for homeless refugee claimants

One year after the federal government closed Roxham Road, refugee claims in Canada continue to increase: there were 143,785 in 2023 compared to 91,730 in 2022. The surprise announcement in March 2023 to modify Canadas...

Science

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it

Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an ocean world by scientists, observations to date strongly...

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

Technology

Critical Update: Samsung Expands Network Band Support in Europe – Update Now for Uninterrupted Access

This week, Samsung has launched a vital software update across European markets, targeting various devices, including the Galaxy S24 and Z Flip 5. This update is critical for maintaining network connectivity and accessing...

Shiba Inu's Burn Rate Surges 2200%, Fuels Bullish Sentiment and Speculation on Future Price Gains

Shiba Inu (SHIB), a well-known meme coin rumored to be the self-proclaimed Dogecoin killer, sparked unbridled jubilation among crypto market traders and investors today, as its burn rate increased by around 2200%. This...

Robinhood Unveils SHIB, AVAX, and COMP Listings for New York Traders, Expanding Crypto Access

Robinhood has expanded its cryptocurrency offerings to New York residents, now including popular tokens like Shiba Inu (SHIB), Avalanche (AVAX), and Compound (COMP), enhancing trading options on its platform. Robinhood...

Hong Kong's First Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Set to Begin Trading April 30, Official Approval Granted

Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission has officially approved the first spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, which will begin trading on April 30. This marks a significant milestone in the citys cryptocurrency market...

Tesla Nears FSD Licensing Deal with Major Automaker, Hits 1.3 Billion Milestone

In Teslas latest quarterly update, CEO Elon Musk disclosed ongoing Full Self-Driving (FSD) licensing negotiations with a major automaker, noting the significant engagement from FSD users who have now surpassed 1.3 billion...