Resilience and Reform in Ukraine: Civil Society, Political Influence, and Information Warfare

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The panel explores the dynamics of resilience and reform in Ukraine, focusing on how civil society, political influence, and information warfare shape the country’s evolving landscape. It examines the motivations driving civilian engagement during wartime, particularly in high-risk localities, and investigates how pre-existing networks and personal skills influence non-combatant participation in the war effort. The panel also addresses the mechanisms through which oligarchic networks shape political outcomes, highlighting how interpersonal ties between elites and legislators influence policymaking in developing democracies. Additionally, it delves into the ongoing information war between democracies and autocracies, analyzing Ukraine’s strategies for countering disinformation and building resilience against information disorders. The panel further considers how large-scale protest movements, such as the Euromaidan, have contributed to institutional reforms at the local level, particularly in the context of decentralization. By combining empirical research with theoretical insights, this panel provides a comprehensive understanding of how Ukraine navigates the challenges of war, political capture, and information warfare while fostering civic engagement and institutional change. Through diverse methodological approaches, including social network analysis, case studies, large N data analysis, and micro-comparative research, the panel offers new perspectives on the interaction between civil society and the state, the role of informal networks in shaping democratic processes, and the resilience of democratic institutions under external and internal pressures. This discussion not only sheds light on the Ukrainian experience but also provides broader insights into how societies can resist authoritarian influence and pursue democratic reform in times of crisis.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Emma Mateo, Harvard U

Papers

• Pathways to Civilian Engagement in Ukraine’s War Effort Following Russia’s 2022 Invasion - Emma Mateo, Harvard U

• Oligarchic Networks of Influence and Legislatures in Developing Democracies: Evidence from Ukraine - Silviya Nitsova, U of Manchester (UK)

• Information Warfare Between Democracies and Autocracies: Resilience to Information Disorders in Ukraine - Dmytro Iarovyi, Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine) / Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)

• Through Protest to Reform: Euromaidan and Decentralization in Ukraine - Anastasiia Vlasenko, Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine)

Discussant

• Volodymyr Kulyk, Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine)