Thank you for reading Juncture: The University of Manchester Undergraduate Politics Journal. Volume 9, Issue 1 has been the first publication that we have overseen since becoming Chief Editors, having been on the editorial board for Volume 8. Putting together this edition of Juncture has not only presented a challenge to uphold the high editorial standards of previous editions, but also presented an opportunity for us to push Juncture forward as a politics journal. Thankfully the quality of work submitted to the journal has been phenomenal, and it has been a pleasure to work with the editorial board to filter through all the submissions sent to us. Since 2017, Juncture’s purpose has been to showcase undergraduate research by providing a platform for politics students to submit their work. The selected works for Volume 9, Issue 1 represent some of the highest standards of undergraduate research in political science.

 

Constructing a new team for the journal was the initial task for the 2025/26 academic year. Alongside our fantastic general secretary Meera Vinesh, we finalised six new editorial board members who all individually showcased their skills as well as their interest during the recruitment process. The publication of this edition would not be possible without the hard work of the new editorial board, which includes Rakay Akhtar, Elin Hywel, Lola Lesnick, Imogen Lightning, Charlie Sanigar, and Laurence Young.

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We would like to thank Mitchell Bowcock and Antonia Giles who worked closely with us at the end of the 2024/25 academic year to ensure we were prepared to oversee the journal. Their commitment to the success of Juncture is unwavering. Equally we would like to thank the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences for their funding and support. Specifically, Dr. Louise Thompson and Kate Maythorne for their assistance this academic year.

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Existing in a political era steeped with misinformation, polarisation, and mobilisation, the role of the politics student becomes clear: to make sense of the contentious and volatile political environment. The objective for Volume 9, Issue 1 has been to select works that have either provided meaningful insights into contentious political issues, or challenged existing political structures. All the selected works tackle different facets of political science, ranging from an empirical study into youth participation in the UK, to a philosophical inquiry analysing the importance of truth for political leaders. While they make contributions to different areas of political science, what links them all together is an undeniable intention to critically assess fundamental political questions and challenge conventional political norms. This intention is at the heart of undergraduate political research at the University of Manchester.

 

We hope that you enjoy Juncture Volume 9, Issue 1.

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