James F. Downes
Co-Host of Right Rising
Dr. James F. Downes is a Senior Fellow and Head of the Populism Research Unit at CARR. James is a Lecturer in Comparative Politics and is on the Programme Mangement Committee of the MSSc in Public Policy Programme and Head of Undergraduate Admissions, in the Department of Government & Public Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (SAR, China). James is also a Research Fellow at both CeRSP (Italy) and at the Global Europe Centre (Brussels School of International Studies/University of Kent).
James researches on the ‘rise’ of populist radical right parties in Western and Central-Eastern Europe alongside the key issue of immigration (right-wing party competition). His country areas of expertise include the UK, Germany and Italy alongside Hungary.
He has also written frequent articles on contemporary European populism in outlets such as JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies (Forthcoming), Electoral Studies, Routledge Contemporary China Series, Routledge Handbook on Non-Violent Extremism (Forthcoming), ibidem Press/Columbia University Press, openDemocracy alongside LSE EUROPP and Democratic Audit amongst others.
Alongside his co-authors, Valerio Alfonso Bruno and Alessio Scopelliti, James is writing a book relating to the 'Rise' of the Radical Right in Italian Politics with ibidem Press/Columbia University Press (Forthcoming in 2022). He also has an article currently under review at the journal Government & Opposition.
James has conducted expert interviews for CNBC, CNN and El Pais relating to Brexit, EU Politics & Populism.
James F. Downes has hosted five Episodes.
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Understanding the Alt-Right
December 22nd, 2021 | Season 2 | 25 mins 37 secs
alt-right, conspiracy theories, great replacement, ideology
Beatriz Buarque joins Right Rising to discuss her latest research findings on the Alt-Right. Along with Host Dr. James F. Downes, Beatriz breaks down how to define the Alt-Right as an ideology and the Alt-Right's use of conspiracy theories.
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The Radical Right in Scandinavia: Before, During & After the Pandemic
June 24th, 2021 | Season 1 | 43 mins 6 secs
covid-19, immigration, norway, populism, radical right, scandinavia, sweden
Guests Mette Wiggen and Maureen Eger join Host James F. Downes in providing an introduction to the Radical Right in Scandinavia, with a special focus on the rise of the radical right in Sweden and Norway.
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Understanding the Radical Right in Hungary
April 6th, 2021 | Season 1 | 44 mins 38 secs
fidesz, hungary, jobbik, populism, radical right, right-wing
Guest Dr. Katherine Kondor joins Right Rising to give us a deep dive into the growth of the Radical Right in Hungary. Katherine also discusses the recent ideological transformation of the governing party Fidesz and highlights the uniqueness of the political landscape in Hungary.
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The Far Right AfD in German Politics: A Deep Dive
December 1st, 2020 | Season 1 | 54 mins 29 secs
afd, far-right, germany, populism
Guest Sophie Schmalenberger joins Right Rising to break down the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party. Sophie walks us through the founding of the AfD, the party's recent electoral successes, the divides within the party, alongside the impact that COVID-19 has had on the party's support in 2020.
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Populism in Italy: A Deep Dive
October 6th, 2020 | Season 1 | 50 mins 50 secs
extremism, history, populism, right-wing
Guests Dr. Valerio Alfonso Bruno and Alessio Scopelliti join Host Dr. James F. Downes to discuss what populism means in Italian politics, in order to understand the evolution of the Italian political landscape, how COVID-19 is influencing Italian politics and the significance of the constitutional referendum in Italy.