This is an attempt to collate a list of recommended Politics and International Relations blogs. The list is incomplete and subjective! I’ve tried to only include those blogs suggested by readers (rather than authors) and which are ‘active’. The only exceptions being when I want to link to one of ‘our’ blogs! Nearly all of the selections came through Twitter to my @DrJackHolland handle. There’s an IR (and UK) bias. The list is also available on my website.
1. Our Blogs at Surrey Politics:
Politics @ Surrey – our general Politics blog
Speaking trEUth to power – on all things Europe and the EU
Centre for international intervention – our blog on intervention (military and otherwise)
2. Recommendations from Twitter that I already read (and are therefore reasonably well known!)
E-IR
Lots of good individual and group blogs, and a huge hit rate. Plus student essays etc.
Duck of Minerva
World politics from an academic perspective. A must-read for IR students and academics.
The Monkey Cage
Recently migrated to the Washington Post, the Monkey Cage attracts some unwarranted vitriol. Large readership. Topical issues. Not to be confused with the science blog.
Saideman’s Semi-Spew
Social networking and contributing to discussion forums have made Saideman a must-read for many (and particularly younger) IR academics.
Dan Drezner – Foreign Policy
Global politics, economics, and pop culture (this week: baseball).
Active Learning in Political Science
Our own Dr Simon Usherwood is a permanent contributor to this blog which focuses on innovative teaching methods, particularly simulations, negotiations and the like.
The Disorder of Things
Critical IR theory and current affairs, plus a healthy dose of disciplinary introspection.
Progressive Geographies
IR folk still don’t read Geographers as much as they should. Stuart Elden’s blog, along with Derek Gregory’s, is a good place to start.
David Campbell
On visual storytelling, photography, and photojournalism.
Political Violence @ a glance
Violence and its alternatives. Want to know why civil war broke out in Syria and not Bahrain? Then this is the blog for you.
Geographical Imaginations
Derek Gregory’s book inspired me to become an academic. His thoughts on current affairs and current writings can be found here.
Critical Securities
Two young academics have started this interesting blog.
PSA Blog
Political Insight is the PSA’s official blog and therefore deals with a range of research and teaching issues, reaching a wide audience.
3. Recommendations from Twitter that I don’t (yet) read (regularly)
Roger Mac Ginty (suggested by @yannistellidis)
Peace, conflict and IR.
Reinventing Peace
Blog by the World Peace Foudation
Peace Policy
Solutions to violent conflict
SPERI comment (suggested by @liamstanley)
Political Economy blog from Sheffield University.
New Eastern Europe (suggested by @shearmanm)
East European Affairs.
Justice in Conflict
A blog about two things: competing conceptions and ideas of justice as well as the challenges of pursuing justice in conflict.
Jon Worth (suggested by @MissMillicent)
EU and UK politics
LSE Europe Blog
Europe, from one of the biggest blogs in Politics and IR
Lord Norton of Louth
As both Professor of Government and member of the House of Lords, Lord Norton offers a unique insight into the workings of British parliamentary democracy.
A Dragon’s Best Friend
British politics blog. Ex-Civil Servant.
LSE Politics and Policy (suggested by @WynGrant)
Another large politics blog from LSE.
Scotland’s Referendum: Informing the Debate (suggested by @RLemkin)
An attempt to inform the referendum debate at Edinburgh University.
Future of the UK and Scotland (suggested by @cairneypaul)
ESRC funded research on the looming referendum.
Critical Security (suggested by @chasing_dragons)
Group blog on security politics, based on Canada. Critical IR and IPS folk.
No Caption Needed
Iconic photos, public culture and liberal democracy.
Democratic Audit (suggested by @cjnu1)
LSE-based not-for-profit blog promoting education on UK politics.
New Mandala (suggested by @juanitaelias)
Perspectives and analysis on mainland SE Asia.
Justice Everywhere (suggested by @dr_Awalton)
New political theory blog at Newcastle.
Ottomans and Zionists (succested by @aaronhellis)
On Turkey and Israel.
Some extras:
Richard Jackson’s blog
On terrorism, as well as other topics, such as war.
Jason Ralph’s blog
Looks at the state of the ‘American exception’. So, politics, foreign policy, and law, during the ongoing War on Terror.
The Cable Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy
Erm, foreign policy…
Stephen Walt at Foreign Policy
Insightful foreign policy analysis from a famous Realist scholar.
Gerard Toal on Critical Geopolitics
‘Writing on the world political map’. Toal’s ‘Critical Geopolitics’ in blog form.
