Dear Readers,
Hello and welcome to the Winter 2021 Edition of the Michigan Journal of Political Science, the Journal’s 40th Year Anniversary. We are pleased to present you with seven pieces exemplifying the spirit of the Journal as outstanding contributions to the undergraduate discourse in Political Science. These pieces, sourced from hundreds of students across the globe, combine worldwide perspectives on contemporary issues in a non-partisan and academic fashion. Our work is reflective not only of the authors who have put together such amazing pieces, but also of our growing Editorial Staff who carry the same commitment to creative and passionate research in political science as was set out in 1981 at the Journal’s founding.
In this Edition, our authors assess challenges to the status quo. Politics is marked by competitions for power, and prevailing ideologies define the political order. Our pieces aim to contextualize the role dominated groups play in challenging these conventions. Pieces like “Religious Nationalism & Identity Politics,” reflect the perspective of Indonesian Islamic nationalists in their efforts to challenge the prevailing post-colonial ideology, while “Just Transition for whom?” analyzes the Canadian climate change policy debate’s submission to capitalist forces under a Neo-Gramscian analysis. These accounts are substantiated by creative argumentation and thoughtful research to give voice to stories that are often overlooked. By showcasing the successes, roadblocks, and failures of those with less power, we hope the Journal can provide a more comprehensive account of political struggles.
We want to give a huge thanks to our Editorial Staff for all of their hard work and commitment throughout the past months. This edition would not be possible without your dedication, passion, and precision for editing. The
collaboration between our Section and Junior Editors has challenged and refined our best practices, while growing friendships along the way. We thank the Department of Political Science, and particularly Brian Min, Joseph Johnson, Dustin Hahn, and Briana Akani for giving us the platform and support to enact our vision for this journal. Finally, the Journal would like to thank Genaro Salinas Ruiz, Andrés’ grandfather and a former Editor-in-Chief of his own newspaper, for all his wisdom, advice, and guidance along the way. This Journal would not be possible without you.
During a year marked by continuing political change, we hope this Edition can offer multiple lenses to criticize the status quo. By looking to the past, our Journal contextualizes continuing struggles and offers insights on how resolution can start and end. We hope the Edition makes you question conventional narratives and consider the reality of the unconventional.
Sincerely,
Ambika Sinha and Andres Ramos Salinas
Editors-in-Chief