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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

Deutsche Bank Sees Global Capital Shifts Reshaping Long-Term U.S. Dollar Outlook

Structural changes in global capital flows, technological innovation, and geopolitical developments are redefining the long-term outlook for the U.S. dollar, according to a new research note from Deutsche Bank. The bank...

Trump, Canada Reach Gordie Howe Bridge Deal Ahead of July 27 Opening

The $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is set to open on July 27 after the United States and Canada reached a new agreement on toll revenue, ending months of uncertainty...

Gordie Howe Bridge to Open July 27 After U.S.-Canada Reach Toll Revenue Agreement

The long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, is set to officially open on July 27 after the United States and Canada reached a new agreement over toll revenue,...

Fed Reaffirms 2% Inflation Goal, Vows Forceful Action to Anchor Price Expectations

The Federal Reserve reaffirmed its commitment to restoring price stability, saying it is prepared to act forcefully if necessary to keep longer-term inflation expectations anchored around its 2% target. The pledge came in...

Dollar Ends Week Higher as Yen Jumps on Japan Pension Fund Investment Plans

The U.S. dollar traded within a narrow range on Friday and was on track for a modest weekly gain as investors weighed evolving inflation expectations, Federal Reserve policy signals, and renewed geopolitical tensions in...

Politics

Iran's Supreme Leader Vows Revenge as Trump Threatens Massive U.S. Military Response

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vowed on Saturday to avenge the death of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, escalating tensions with the United States as President Donald Trump warned that...

Iran Says It Closes Strait of Hormuz After Warning Shot at Vessel

Irans Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) navy announced early Sunday that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after firing a warning shot at a vessel it claimed was attempting to transit through the strategic...

DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Journalists Over Air Force One Leak Report

The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered several New York Times journalists to appear before a federal grand jury after the newspaper reported on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trumps new Air Force One...

Ann Widdecombe Murder: Police Arrest Second Suspect, Rule Out Terrorism Motive

British police have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murdering former UK government minister Ann Widdecombe, while investigators said there is currently no evidence linking the case to terrorism or a political...

Ukraine Says Drone Strikes Hit 21 Russian Oil Tankers as Russia Launches Fresh Missile Barrage

Ukraine said its military damaged 21 Russian tankers carrying crude oil and petroleum products during overnight drone strikes in the Sea of Azov, marking one of Kyivs most significant attacks on Russias energy transport...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apple Sues OpenAI, Former Employees Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two former Apple employees, accusing them of misappropriating confidential company information and trade secrets tied to its hardware development efforts. The lawsuit, filed...

SK Hynix Soars 13% in Nasdaq Debut After Record $26.5 Billion IPO

SK Hynix made a strong debut on the Nasdaq on Friday, with its American Depositary Receipt (ADR) shares closing 12.8% higher at $168.01 after completing a record-breaking $26.5 billion U.S. initial public offering (IPO),...

Elon Musk Says Anthropic Leads AI Race as Claude Models Challenge OpenAI

Elon Musk has publicly praised artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, saying the company is obviously the current leader in AI, in a rare acknowledgment of a key rival as competition among top AI developers...

OpenAI Executive Fidji Simo to Step Down Amid Health Challenges Ahead of IPO

OpenAIs head of products and business, Fidji Simo, announced on Thursday that she will step down from her leadership role and transition to a part-time advisory position after experiencing complications from a chronic...

Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong Expected to Meet Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on AI and Chip Partnership

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is expected to meet Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in the United States by the end of July as the two technology giants explore deeper cooperation in semiconductor manufacturing and...