Alasdair S. Roberts

Mar 6

On The Conversation: Hillary Clinton and promises on transparency

I’ve written a column for The Conversation that contrasts Hillary Clinton’s email practices with previous commitments on governmental transparency. “The issue isn’t just whether Clinton complied with federal law. Over the years, Clinton subscribed to a higher standard on transparency. Her decision to privatize her email communications is not consistent with the strong statements on openness made by the Clinton and Obama administrations, and even her own State Department.”

Mar 1

Large Forces monograph discussed in new book

In a new volume from Routledge, Public Administration Evolving, Richard Stillman calls Large Forces: What’s Missing in Public Administration a “challenging polemic” in the field. More details about Large Forces here.

Mar 1

European Ombudsman discusses Mexico address

In a February 25 speech in Dublin, European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly discusses my address to Mexico’s Accountability Network last October as well as earlier work on the effect of Wikileaks.

Mar 1

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Where Brandeis got “sunlight is the best disinfectant”

A note for Sunshine Week, March 15-21, 2015. Louis Brandeis is credited with writing that “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” But why did Brandeis say that sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants? Because he was referring to a statement by James Bryce in his 1888 book, The American Commonwealth.

Feb 19

On Medium: The fourth crisis of democracy

Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 11.51.11 AM I’ve written a short piece for Medium drawing on my S.T. Lecture at the University of Oxford this month.

Feb 19

Lee Lecture at Oxford: Four Crises of Democracy

I’ll be delivering the Lee Lecture at All Souls College, Oxford, on February 26, 2015. Download the details from All Souls College. The title of my lecture will be Four Crises of Democracy. The paper is now available on SSRN (Revised on January 6). The Lecture is supported by Dr. Seng Tee Lee FBA through an endowment for an annual lecture in Political Science and Government. Read more

Feb 15

ARPA reviews The End of Protest

Dennis Phillips writes a review of The End of Protest for the Australian Review of Public Affairs. Read the review here.

Feb 10

Six reasons why it’s easier to impose austerity

Following the launch of When The Party’s Over in London last week, I thought I would write this short note on Medium: Six Reasons Why It’s Easier To Impose Austerity. Comments welcomed.

Feb 5

Launch of book on politics of fiscal squeeze

I participated in a roundtable conversation this afternoon at the British Academy to launch When The Party’s Over: The Politics of Fiscal Squeeze edited by Christopher Hood, David Heald and Rozana Himaz. I have contributed a chapter on the politics of the US depression in the 1840s.