In this episode, we explore a crucial yet often overlooked question: how does war affect people’s support for democracy? Around the world, conflicts continue to shape societies and political systems—but the impact on democratic values and attitudes remains complex and contested.

Host Prof Alan Renwick is joined by Kristin Bakke, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at UCL, head of the Conflict and Change research cluster, and a returning guest of the podcast. Together, they discuss new research from Ukraine that sheds light on how exposure to war influences people’s democratic commitments.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Kristin M Bakke, Marianne Dahl, and Kit Rickard. Conflict exposure and democratic values: Evidence from wartime Ukraine.
• Journal of Peace Research special issue on Political Violence in Democracies

UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.