Paul Staniland, Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science and COSAS Member, recently authored an article, Why South Asia’s Regimes Keep Falling, for the Journal of Democracy.

In the article, Staniland analyzes the recent regime shifts across South Asia, including in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and reveals four key lessons about the observed political instability. He finds that “Gen Z” protests have proven to be unusually potent against political establishments with low political legitimacy; that while electoral democracy remains central to political change, challenges such as damage to state institutions and lack of a governance platform make this difficult; and that militaries have become increasingly crucial political players. He notes that relations with key outside players such as India and China are deeply uncertain due to the three reasons stated above. Staniland engages critically with each lesson, and concludes the article by proposing what the lessons may mean for Nepal’s future.

Please read the article for Professor Staniland’s analysis in detail, and join us in congratulating him on this achievement!