Introduction from the Editors-in-Chief

As the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs enters its seventh edition, it has begun to evolve in a more professional direction, while maintaining its core commitment to academic rigour. In the context of a rapidly changing political environment, the Journal remains an essential element of the undergraduate landscape at Cambridge. We have adhered faithfully to our pioneering system of utilising undergraduate editors to peer-review articles written by their fellow undergraduate students. We aim not only to cultivate agency among the next generation of academics, politicians, and citizens, but also to bring their fresh perspectives to the table. Collaborating more deeply with several faculties at Cambridge, as well as initiating a launch event, are just some of the ways we have worked to permanently integrate the journal into the academic landscape. For the first time, we have also introduced a special section on Political Stakeholders, in order to seize on recent political and academic developments. It has been our absolute pleasure to produce this issue, touching on a wide variety of relevant issues that, we hope, will help us all understand what it means to be ‘political.’ The articles in this issue deal with a particularly broad range of topics which we hope will inspire readers to think about the ‘political’ more broadly. They are a testament to the great breadth, and depth, of thought amongst the undergraduate population.

Oona Lagercrantz starts off the Comparative Politics section with a fascinating analysis of attitudes towards immigrants in the Nordics, focusing on a YouGov poll conducted in 2016. She draws on the data to explore the link between a general feeling of pessimism and support for the radical right, and that this might best find its expression in attitudes towards immigration. Irvin Tsun-On Ng examines the Hong Kong electoral system to understand how binomial electoral systems operate in contrast to the PR system. Hong Kong provides a unique case-study for the author, where the former was implemented in preference to the latter. The article comes to some surprising conclusions about the representation that might be afforded by alternatives to PR.

The International Relations articles take different approaches to the discipline, showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of different interpretive models. Ben Brent shifts us towards Europe, attempting to draw deeper conceptual lessons from Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine. Rather than seeing this as part of a new development in international relations, the author places them into the context of growing polarity on the international level, and a slow decline of US hegemony. The author sees the war as a useful tool to understand how power relations on the international stage operate and have evolved over time. Razan Elshazali then focuses in on Africa, through a comprehensive study of China’s influence in Sudan. While the author does not contest some of the negative aspects of China’s relationship with Sudan, they do question Western assumptions of China’s role as an irresponsible actor. The article finds that China’s diplomatic arsenal is far more subtle and nuanced than tropes around foreign development would have us believe.

Moving onto Political Philosophy, Jack Yu-Jie Chou pursues an in-depth analysis of political representation. The article works through the questions of what representation is, who does representation, and finally how representatives should act. The author sketches out a theory of representation which places heavy emphasis onto how the representative should act publicly, in order to ensure that the people, as ‘crowd’, are represented sufficiently without dominating political decision-making.

Political Sociology was the most popular category this year, and reflects the continuing broad interests of our authors. Dani Hidalgo-Anguera begins this section with a coherent investigation of ‘passing’ in the trans and gender diverse community. Utilising Judith Butler, among others, the author explains why passing is in fact a harmful ideal for the community, although its production is perhaps an inevitable result of a strict gender binary. Osaremen Iluobe follows with an illuminating exposé of kidnap-for-ransom offences in northwest Nigeria. Countering the existing literature, the author examines the complex relationships between Nigerian state capacity and the development of pastoralists in the region, with far-ranging conclusions. Further on, Magnus Oakes takes on the mammoth task of extending Du Bois’ theories of colonisation to the field of indigenous history. Racial capitalism and double consciousness have surprising merit in that latter field, and in fact indigenous history has much to offer Du Bois’ theories themselves. Finally, Finn Sadler closes the section with a radical examination of how animal exploitation is maintained. Linguistic analysis is paired with social critique to explain how animals are characterised as irrational ‘others’, ripe for exploitation. The article thus centres on language as a crucial factor in maintaining anthropocentric norms, which entrench societal approaches towards animals.

This brings us on to the special section of this issue, Political Stakeholders. The way in which different institutions, organisations, and interests approach politics is a fundamental part of understanding how the discipline works in practice. Jacob Hougie begins this section with an analysis of the increased critique of the political party as a vehicle for democratic politics. Through theoretical and practical analysis, the author maintains that political parties should remain at the heart of the political process, arguing for their unique ability to manage conflict and adapt to changing circumstances. In the final article of our seventh issue, Katherine Macdonald Smith turns our attention to the media; specifically, how that institution perpetuated certain narratives of the recent Liz Truss premiership. The author contends that newspapers, especially tabloid, were a critical tool in creating a gendered image of incompetence that defined Truss' period in government. Considering a broad range of factors, the author demonstrates why the media remains a critical part of our discourse.

As usual, the Journal covers an impressive range of topics that should, at the very least, challenge our preconceptions of what it means for us to act, and to know, politically. We sincerely hope you enjoy this seventh issue of the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs.

Evelyn Burr and Luka Murphy

Editors-in-Chief