This month, Alex and Kaleigh are talking about the New Democratic Party - Canada’s left-leaning, pro-labour, progressive third party - and what it means now that they’ve lost official party status in Parliament. We dig into the NDP’s legacy, their historic influence on major national policies, and what Jagmeet Singh’s resignation signals for the party’s future. Plus, how Canada’s first-past-the-post system, rising political polarization, and an unusually high-stakes 2025 election may have pushed voters back to a two-party mindset - at least for now.
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Alex and Kaleigh return to Greenland to unpack the national election that took place earlier this month. With growing international attention on the Arctic region, this election wasn’t just about local politics—it was an opportunity to reflect on Greenland's ongoing journey toward independence and sovereignty. Join us as we dive deep into the implications of this election, the challenges ahead, and the important questions that will shape Greenland’s future as a fully sovereign nation.
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From tragedy to uprising: Serbia's students are taking to the streets, demanding accountability and transparency from their leaders. What sparked this latest wave of protests, and how does it connect to Serbia's rich history of student activism? Join Alex and Kaleigh as they explore the pivotal role student movements play in challenging the status quo, not just in Serbia but around the globe.
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As the final elections of 2024 approach, join Alex and Kaleigh to discuss upcoming elections in Chad. In this episode, the hosts quickly discover that the conversation transcends the electoral process and delves into the broader themes of democracy, colonial legacies, and the future of Chad and the Sahel region of Africa. Tune in for an episode that connects local politics to global issues, shedding light on the challenges and hopes that shape this vital part of the world.
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Join Alex and Kaleigh as they dive into the political landscape of Japan, a country dominated by one governing party throughout much of its modern election history. This month's early election, prompted by a year rife with party scandals, appears unlikely to disrupt the status quo. We delve into the party presidential elections that led to the national polls and uncover the dynamics shaping the upcoming national vote.
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This month, Alex and Kaleigh unpack the recent Mexican election AND chat with a friend of the show, Laura Primeau, a PhD candidate studying Indigenous rights and the controversial Tren Maya project. Tune in to dive deeper into the election's impact and how Indigenous communities use international law to fight for their rights territory and recognition of Indigenous worldviews in development.
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Laura Primeau: https://carleton.ca/polisci/people/laura-primeau/
Buckle up for Mexico's biggest election ever! Alex and Kaleigh analyze this historic election, from the record number of candidates to the landmark victory of Claudia Sheinbaum, the nation's first female president. They explore Mexico's political landscape, election details, and how the controversial Tren Maya project could foreshadow President Sheinbaum's future.
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When we covered the elections in Senegal, Alex and Kaleigh were left with a cliffhanger when the election was cancelled in February. This month, the podcast is back with the twist election ending no one saw coming! The hosts are also sticking to the theme of elections in Western Africa and heading back to Togo for their election and controversial constitutional changes.
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Attention world affairs enthusiasts! The podcast is returning this March, and we'll explore the newsworthy world of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the judicial body of the United Nations. We've heard a lot recently, but what kind of disputes does the ICJ settle? Join Alex and Kaleigh as they unveil the inner workings of this powerful world court through high-profile decisions. The hosts will explore how the ICJ gets nations to comply with its rulings, even without an enforcement arm of its own. But does it always work? Tune in to find out!
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Kaleigh did not tell Alex, but season 6 is here! In Episode 1, they discuss the developing situation in Senegal's election that was unfolding even as they recorded. Once regarded as a beacon of democratic stability in West Africa, Senegal faces uncertainty as the incumbent president cancelled the February election. Pushing back the election raises growing concerns about the transition of power and the stability of democracy in the region. Meanwhile, Kaleigh delves into UNRWA and its funding, while Alex shares recent space news highlighting the human role in snowpack loss.
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This month, we are headed to Bhutan, a country between China and India in the Himalayas, to dive into the country's fourth national election. Alex and Kaleigh dive into how Bhutan took on building and introducing all the systems and processes of democracy to the voters and how that has created quite a unique democratic process. Also, Kaleigh checks in on the upcoming COP28, and Alex brings us all the spaciest space news we've ever had.
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Voters in Luxembourg have consistently chosen the most stable and unchanging option when they head to the polls, and it looks like they will again. But Alex and Kaleigh ask what previous efforts to expand enfranchisement to include more of the workforce living in the country could've meant for elections and why voters tend to play it pretty safe in referendums. In Australia, the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum on the representation of Indigenous Australians in the constitution raises essential questions about asking voter questions for or against a particular group of people and meeting the high threshold of constitutional change. Also, an expanded G20 and the bees are underground!
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We're visiting two new countries for Probably About Politics this month - Gabon and Zimbabwe! In their national elections, both countries are at a crossroads with long-serving regimes and leaders. Alex and Kaleigh explore why it is challenging for a country's democracy when only one party has ever been in power. Also, this month the hosts chat about ocean temperature and clouds, climate financing, and give a Haiti election update and how the UN is involved.
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Sometimes talking about politics feels like you're watching a future movie play out, and this month Alex and Kaleigh are sharing three stories that could make fascinating political dramas. Spain's election is going down to the wire in the scorching summer heat. Fanfiction site Ao3 is at the center of Russian information warfare strategies. And researchers are asking if AI chatbots can replace humans in experiments, including unethical ones for human participation.
Got any questions you'd like us to answer? Or want us to pitch you a movie? Get in touch!
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Happy Mother's Day! Alex and Kaleigh are celebrating moms this year by exploring the history of activism and the political origins of Mother's Day. The hosts discover motherhood has long been intertwined with the biggest peace and social justice movements, and they consider how our circumstances and identities shape our activism.
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We haven't covered an election in a couple of episodes, and to make up for it, we've got three in this one to prepare you for a busy May! Chile is electing officials to take on the process of building its new constitution. Thailand's opposition hopes they have a window for electoral victory against all the odds in a junta government. And finally, Turkey's upcoming presidential election is in the shadow of an economic crisis and devastating earthquakes.
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For 2023 Alex and Kaleigh are kicking off with a brand new interview series exploring communication and sharing complex ideas that go on to inform our policy, and practices and shape our elections. To help us get started, we're talking with Marc Bragdon, Head of the Harriet Irving Library Research Commons at the University of New Brunswick, to learn from his experience about the role of media literacy in education. Marc also makes a case for why our hosts, as researchers, should think about knowledge mobilizations and consider the audience for research and ways to communicate it.
Got anyone you think we should talk to? Questions you'd like us to answer? Or just come to say hi!
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Email: probablyaboutpolitics@gmail.com
This month Alex and Kaleigh, as two football/soccer enthusiasts, are exploring some of the many ways that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the Federation Internationale de Football Association are probably about politics, and they've brought on Corey Ganong, fellow soccer enthusiast and former sports podcast host to help break it down. Together they discuss the important role of international tournaments for nation-building, the increasing cost of running a world cup, and the value of sports washing for authoritarian regimes.
Got any questions you'd like us to answer? Topic ideas? Or just come to say hi!
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Email: probablyaboutpolitics@gmail.com
Probably About Politics is in Southeast Asia this month for Malaysia's upcoming general election. Since the last election in 2018, the coalition parties forming a government have changed a few times... Alex and Kaleigh take a look at the events that keep shaking up the government and explore how coalition building could play out after this election. With COP27 happening in Egypt this month, Kaleigh has an extra special look at where in the world UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is that spotlights the work being done by Global South countries to get Loss and Damages on the international climate agenda.
Got any questions you'd like us to answer? Or just come to say hi!
Instagram: @probpolitics
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Email: probablyaboutpolitics@gmail.com
This month Alex and Kaleigh are back in Brazil for the second round of presidential elections! After a tight first round of voting, all eyes are on the election between an incumbent and a former president and what it means for the future of Brazil's democracy. With major issues focusing on wealth disparity, the amazon and climate change, and the peaceful governance transition, this is also an election for the world to watch.
Got any questions you'd like us to answer? Or just come to say hi!
Instagram: @probpolitics
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Email: probablyaboutpolitics@gmail.com