Political Power and Crisis

This book examines how power dynamics unfold during crises, focusing on how transformations in competing socio-political arenas, both domestic and international, shape power structures. As old certainties and institutions collapse, actors must navigate new turbulent conditions.

The chapters in this book address key questions: What power dynamics reveal themselves when people are faced with especially threatening situations? How is control allocated in times of threat? How does the democratic process evolve during crises? What power structures emerge after a crisis? What power dynamics establish themselves after the crises are abated? Do crises lead to better or worse political systems? What dimensions of power are most influential in driving political change during crises?

This book explores how crises lead to the redistribution of power, with new actors emerging as key providers of resources. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach, it examines power dynamics in both short- and long-term contexts. Aimed at students and scholars of political science, international relations, sociology, and crisis management, it covers governance, power shifts, and institutional change during crises.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Political Power.