In this article, Erik Assadourian explores how interventions during the polycrisis can be designed to be most effective in fostering a better post-polycrisis future, while also strengthening society’s ability to respond in the present. He argues that while collapse may be increasingly likely, societies still have opportunities to shape what comes after. Assadourian emphasizes the […]
What Comes After the Polycrisis? Read More »
The author examines the mutually reinforcing relationship between political cynicism and the emerging polycrisis. Verret integrates concepts such as governance performance, political distrust, and populism into a systemic analysis. He concludes that political cynicism both exacerbates and is intensified by economic instability, democratic backsliding, and governance failures, creating positive feedback loops that amplify systemic stress.
Polycrisis and Political Cynicism: What are the Links? Read More »
In this special issue of Recherche et politique appliquée, an initiative led by the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on Risks and Crises (LIRIC), the concept of polycrisis is explored through practical applications. Featuring contributions from graduate students, the issue offers critical reflections on the meaning, emergence, and operationalization of polycrisis across academic and francophone contexts.
Polycrises: A New International Reality? Read More »
This volume explores the challenges faced by the public sector in responding to local, national, and global crises, particularly in the context of polycrisis. Drawing on expertise from various fields, it addresses the complexities of crises in public administration and policy, examining how these events strain human capacity, information technology, and communication systems. With contributions
The Routledge Handbook on Crisis, Polycrisis, and Public Administration Read More »
The authors explore the intersection of revolutionary theory and emerging polycrisis discourses, examining how various international and national factors become intertwined, creating polycrisis events that can lead to revolutionary moments. These revolutionary moments can, in turn, exacerbate stresses that contribute to systemic dysfunction elsewhere, due to the entanglement of global systems. Through case studies of
Revolution in an Age of Polycrisis Read More »
David Krogmann explores the persistence of liberal environmentalism in international climate policy, despite the growing climate crisis and the broader polycrisis in international relations. He argues that the deep institutionalization of norms linking economic growth with environmental protection creates a mismatch between the crisis and political responses. Drawing on liberal institutionalism, constructivism, and neo-realism, Krogmann
Liberal Environmentalism and Climate Change in the Polycrisis Read More »
In this webinar, the PolyCIVIS initiative launches the first two papers of its Policy Brief Series (“From Polycrisis to Polysolutions” and “Humanitarian Aid in the Polycrisis”), which aim to inform and shape global discourse on the complex and interconnected nature of today’s polycrisis. The session explores the definition of polycrisis, highlighting its transboundary effects, multi-causality,
Launch of the Polycrisis & Policy Brief Series Read More »
This paper presents an integrated systems approach to resilience and tipping points by bridging heuristic models with mathematical frameworks from dynamical systems theory. Using the ball-and-cup model alongside the S-shaped bifurcation curve, the authors demonstrate how concepts such as stability, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability can be formally defined and applied to complex ecological, climate, and
Principles for Guiding Future Research on Resilience and Tipping Points Read More »
This article argues how fossil fuels are both the main driver of the polycrisis and a significant barrier to effective climate action. It highlights how the global economy’s dependence on oil, gas, and coal not only fuels climate change but also reinforces political inertia through industry influence, misinformation campaigns, and lobbying efforts. The article underscores
Fossil Fuels as the Cause of the Global Polycrisis Read More »
This book explores innovative ways in which different media, communicative fields, and creative practices are making a difference in a world increasingly defined by systemic, deepening, and compounding crises. It examines how these practices can contribute positively to a broader understanding of our planetary predicament and promote the cultural flourishing of new ideas and regenerative
Communicating a World-in-Crisis Read More »
